Tea by Hector Hugh Munro (1906)
The story revolves around a young man who returns to England after serving in the Boer War and becomes infatuated with a woman named Vera. He begins an affair with her but soon realizes that she is already engaged to be married. The young man's obsession with Vera leads him to commit a series of violent acts, ultimately resulting in tragedy.
By Hector Hugh Munro · First published 1906 · Genre: Comedy, Satire, Romance · 1,789 words
First lines
James Cushat-Prinkly was a young man who had always had a settled conviction that one of these days he would marry; up to the age of thirty- four he had done nothing to justify that conviction. He liked and admired a great many women collectively and dispassionately without singling out one for especial matrimonial consideration, just as one might admire the Alps without feeling that one wanted any particular peak as one's own private property. His lack of initiative in this matter aroused a certain amount of impatience among the sentimentally-minded women-folk of his home circle; his mother, his sisters, an aunt-in-residence, and two or three intimate matronly friends regarded his dilatory approach to the married state with a disapproval that was far from being inarticulate.
What this Textopian page supports
Tea is listed on Textopian as a short story by Hector Hugh Munro, dated 1906 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Hector Hugh Munro
- Date: 1906 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Comedy, Satire, Romance, Social Commentary
- Length: 1,789 words
- Structure: 1 section, 21 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Tea by Hector Hugh Munro
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering Tea?
- How does this short story by Hector Hugh Munro fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Comedy first become important in the reading?
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Genres
- Comedy — The story is characterized by humorous situations and witty dialogue, particularly in the portrayal of social conventions and the protagonist's unexpected engagement.
- Satire — The narrative satirizes societal expectations around marriage and the influence of family in personal decisions, using irony and exaggeration.
- Romance — The plot revolves around the theme of marriage and romantic relationships, culminating in an unexpected engagement.
- Social Commentary — The story provides insight into early 20th-century social norms and the pressures of conforming to familial and societal expectations.
Tags
Satire · Dark Comedy · Social Commentary · Literary Fiction · Short Story Collection · British Literature · Edwardian Era · Class Satire · Morality Tale · Absurdism · Black Humor · Critique of Society