The View From Saturday

Throughout the narrative, tea symbolizes calm, reflection, connection, and kindness. Julian invites Nadia, Noah, and Ethan to a tea party, which is an unusual type of “party” for a sixth grader to host. Hosting a tea party, the details of which are hidden in a volume of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, becomes a kind of litmus test for Julian’s thoughtful insight into the personalities of the three guests. Their acceptance confirms their curiosity and open-mindedness. The ritual of drinking tea has global historical significance as a moment of quiet meditation, spiritual devotion, and/or social connection. When Mrs. Olinski accepts her first cup of tea from Mr. Singh, she experiences something new: “Before her cup was empty, she felt something lift from her shoulders. Was it jealousy or injury? Was it anger? Was it all of the above? She replaced her emptied cup in its saucer. She waited. She was calm” (124). At Sillington house, Mrs. Olinski experiences kindness, friendship, quiet, and, ultimately, belonging. Toward the end of the story, Mrs. Olinski realizes that her restorative cups of tea at Sillington house are healing cups “of kindness” and that she needs to see life as a journey, appreciated by the “cupful” (157).