JOGINAPALLY B. R.

ENGINEERING COLLEGE
ENGLISH NOTES
(B. Tech-First Year-R13 Syllabus)
-Prof. V. CHANDRA SEKHAR RAO
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Course: B. Tech-I Branch: Mech
UNIT-I: WIT AND HUMOUR

A TEA PARTY
- Ruth Prawer Jhabvala

Author of the Story:

Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, (7 May 1927 – 3 April 2013) was a German-born British and American
Booker prize-winning novelist, short story writer and two-time Academy Award-winning
screenwriter. She is perhaps best known for her long collaboration with Merchant Ivory
Productions, made up of director James Ivory and the late producer Ismail Merchant. Jhabvala
wrote a dozen novels, 23 screenplays and eight collections of short stories and was made a CBE
(Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in 1998 and granted a joint fellowship by
BAFTA in 2002 with Ivory and Merchant. She is the only person to have won both a Booker
Prize and an Oscar.

Introduction: (Answer to Text Question No.1)

The present story, “A Tea Party” is an excerpt based on a simple situation which becomes
humorous and funny. It is extracted from the novel, The Householder. Humour is the quality that
makes someone or something amusing or funny and wit is the ability to use words in a clever and
amusing way. In this excerpt, it is described how often an ordinary situation becomes so comic
that brings uncontrollable laughter.

Indu and Prem getting ready: (Answer to Text Question No.2)

Prem was a lecturer in Khanna Privte College. Prem and Indu were young couple invited to a tea
party hosted by Mr. Khanna. Indu was very happy to go, so she spent a long time dressing
herself. She wore one of her best saris and red shoes which had high platform soles. She also put
on her jewelry, liberally oiled her hair and wound it round with a fresh chain of jasmine, applied
red mark on her forehead and finally little lipstick on her lips. All these gave her an opulent
effect. Prem was wearing his best shirt and trousers, and felt proud as they walked together to the
college. They were obviously two people dressed up in their best clothes. Prem asked his wife
Indu to behave herself with the requisite decorum and in a way that she was well educated.

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 JOGINAPALLY B. R. ENGINEERING COLLEGE
ENGLISH NOTES
(B. Tech-First Year-R13 Syllabus)
-Prof. V. CHANDRA SEKHAR RAO
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Women at the Tea Party: (Answer to Text Question No.3)

In Mr.Khanna’s living room, members of the staff and their wives all dressed up in their best.
They were seated in a prearranged circle of chairs. Mr.Khanna was standing in the center and
there was a polite titter of laughter in response. The ladies remain unmoved to the remarks of
Mr.Chaddha. They were all seated together in one half of the circle. They held themselves very
stiff and looked very much aware both of their shining and new clothes, and of the opulent
surroundings. Mrs.Khanna was at ease, in clothes more gorgeous than anyone else’s. While
serving dishes, the ladies were at first so shy that they simply passed them on without taking
anything and they still sat there holding their empty crockery plates.

Prem Feels Shock and Uneasy: (Answer to Text Question No.4)

In the party, dishes of fritters, samosas and sweetmeats were served. When everyone had eaten
the correct amount sanctioned by good breeding, the servant went around collecting the plates.
Prem wiped his lips with handkerchief and observed that Indu still had her plate with more
sweetmeats on it. She was eating sweetmeats with the same concentration and relish. He felt very
uneasy. She was eating sweetmeat rather in a predatory manner and licking her fingers. When
the servant came to collect the plate of Indu, she had quickly taken two more large sweetmeats. It
was evident to Prem that Indu was by this time quite lost to her surroundings. She was
continually biting, chewing, flicking crumbs from her lips with her tongue. She seemed in a
trance of enjoyment. All this made Prem felt shocked.

Prem’s attempt to save Situation: (Answer to Text Question No.5)

Prem didn’t blame Indu for her behavior because he had heard that pregnant women had strange
and uncontrollable desires. But he was terrified that others who did not know of this would
notice. He wanted to give a sign to stop her but she was sitting too far away and too engrossed to
meet his eye. Mrs.Khanna pointed at Indu and said to the servant in a whisper which everyone
could hear that there is one plate left over there. Prem thought more about how he would like to
explain the situation to Mrs.Khanna, but he could not make any attempt.

The Purpose of Mr. Chaddha’s Talk: (Answer to Text Question No.6)

Mr. Chaddha is one of the staff members of Khanna private college. He attended the tea party
wearing a cream-coloured silk suit which was washed many times. He sat with his arms and his

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 JOGINAPALLY B. R. ENGINEERING COLLEGE
ENGLISH NOTES
(B. Tech-First Year-R13 Syllabus)
-Prof. V. CHANDRA SEKHAR RAO
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
little bird legs crossed in an attitude of ease suitable to a tea party. Mr. Chaddha wanted to
impress the hosts by his talk and to get appreciated among the staff members at the tea party.

Mr. Chaddha’s talk is about the society of ladies having a very softening effect, for which he
quoted an example from history that the heroes of old withdrew for respite from their battles to
have their wounds dressed and their brows soothed by the hands of their consorts.

Concluding to his talk, Mr. Chaddha appreciated and expressed a profound debt of gratitude to
the host and hostess as the tea party was a pleasant social gathering and good opportunity to
develop a proper sense of comradeship, fellowship and friendship among the members of the
staff.

The Story Makes Sympathise With Indu: (Answer to Text Question No.7)

In the story, Indu was innocent and uneducated wife of Prem. It was the first time for her
attending a tea party. When everyone had eaten the correct amount sanctioned by good breeding,
the servant went around collecting the plates. She was still eating sweetmeat rather in a predatory
manner and licking her fingers. When the servant came to collect the plate of Indu, she had
quickly taken two more large sweetmeats. She forgot her surroundings and she was continually
biting, chewing, flicking crumbs from her lips with her tongue. Naturally pregnant women had
strange and uncontrollable desires. So, Indu’s odd behavior was due not to lack of breeding but
to natural causes. Thus the story makes anyone sympathize with Indu.

The Ending of the Story both funny and little sad: (Answer to Text Question No.8)

As the tea party was over, everybody stood up. But Prem did not want it to be over. He wished
desperately to make some contribution to the conversation and show everyone that he was
intelligent and deep-thinking young man. But the guests were already leaving. Mr. Khanna stood
at the door with his hands folded in an attitude of gracious hospitality. Prem wanted to call them
out to stop and to address them with something so poignant and striking that even those who had
already gone down the stairs would be called back again. But did not have the courage to call out
and besides he could not really think of anything poignant and striking to say. The behavior and
the emotional thoughts of Prem may be little funny, but in case of Indu it is very sad and
sympathized as she is pregnant.