A Structuralist Reading of Katherine Mansfield’s A Cup of Tea through Roland Barthes’ Five Codes

Abstract

This study examines the narrative structure of Katherine Mansfield’s short story A Cup of Tea through the theoretical framework of Roland Barthes’ five narrative codes. Using a qualitative textual analysis, the research explores how hermeneutic, proairetic, semantic, symbolic, and cultural codes function within the narrative to construct meaning and shape readers’ interpretation of the protagonist, Rosemary Fell. The analysis reveals that Mansfield skillfully employs narrative strategies to expose the contradictions between Rosemary’s selfimage and her actual motives. While Rosemary initially appears compassionate toward a poor girl, the unfolding narrative gradually exposes her class consciousness, insecurity, and performative charity. The findings demonstrate that Barthes’ codes provide a productive analytical framework for uncovering the layered meanings embedded in the text and for understanding Mansfield’s critique of social class, materialism, and superficial morality in early twentiethcentury British society.

Keywords: Narratology, Roland Barthes, Five Codes, Katherine Mansfield, A Cup of Tea