Question

What are the aspects that contribute to humor in the essay?

Answer 1

The author claims the best manner of making tea is the subject matter of violent disputes. He compliments china tea for being economical but also says one does not feel rejuvenated after drinking it. One doesn’t feel braver, wiser, more optimistic, or stimulated after drinking Chinese tea. He says army tea tastes grease and whitewash. In Britain, there are two schools of thought (i.e.) milk first school and tea first school (i.e.) one school claiming that milk must be poured first and tea added later and another school claiming that tea must be poured first and milk to be added next.

He says those who take tea with sugar for its sweetness alone as misguided people. He says that they could very well add salt and pepper to tea and drink it. He claims that there is some mysterious social etiquette surrounding teapot. It is vulgar to drink tea out of one’s saucer. There are some subsidiary uses of tea leaves such as telling fortunes, predicting the arrival of visitors, feeding rabbits, healing bums, and sweeping the carpet.