The Revolution in Tanner’s Lane · Chapter
VI: Tea à la Mode explained
A Sunday tea party at the Colemans' brings together Zachariah, his wife, Major Maitland, Jean Caillaud, and Pauline.
What happens
A Sunday tea party at the Colemans' brings together Zachariah, his wife, Major Maitland, Jean Caillaud, and Pauline. The conversation turns to the upcoming jubilee for the House of Brunswick, with Pauline expressing her republican and anti-Brunswick sentiments. Zachariah delivers a fervent Calvinist sermon on divine sovereignty and election, but hesitates to apply its dire conclusions to his guests. The chapter explores religious hypocrisy, political dissent, and the tension between rigid doctrine and human compassion.
Themes in this chapter
Religion and Hypocrisy
Mrs. Coleman's casuistry over Sunday shopping and Zachariah's inability to apply his doctrine to his friends highlight religious inconsistency.
Political Reform and Revolution
Pauline's republican sentiments and opposition to the Brunswick monarchy reflect revolutionary ideals.
Suffering and Resilience
Zachariah's internal struggle to reconcile his faith with compassion for his friends shows the pain of doctrinal rigidity.
Characters to notice
- Zachariah Coleman
Hosts the tea party, delivers an impassioned Calvinist speech about divine election, but struggles to apply his doctrine to his friends.
- Mrs. Coleman
Zachariah's wife, busy with Sunday tea preparations, uses casuistry to justify buying watercresses on Sunday, and is scandalized by Pauline's behavior.
- Major Maitland
A guest who enjoys provoking Pauline, engages in theological debate with Zachariah, and agrees to attend chapel.
- Jean Caillaud
Pauline's father, silent during the religious discussion, content to let Pauline speak.
- Pauline
Expresses strong anti-Brunswick and republican views, rejects attending chapel, and feels a human connection to Zachariah's passion despite not understanding his theology.
Key passages
“Pauline’s religion was full of the most lamentable inconsistencies, which the Major was very fond of exposing, but without much effect, and her faith was restored after every assault with wonderful celerity.”
Pauline's beliefs were contradictory, and the Major enjoyed pointing this out, but she quickly recovered her faith each time.
Highlights Pauline's resilient yet inconsistent religious views.
“Mrs. Coleman, although it was Sunday, was very busy. She had made hot buttered toast, and she had bought some muffins, but had appeased her conscience by telling the boy that she would not pay for them till Monday.”
Mrs. Coleman prepared Sunday tea with buttered toast and muffins, easing her guilt by promising to pay for them the next day.
Illustrates Mrs. Coleman's religious casuistry.
“He struggled, wrestled, self against self, and failed, not through want of courage, but because he wanted a deeper conviction.”
Zachariah fought an internal battle but could not bring himself to condemn his friends to hell, lacking full conviction.
Shows Zachariah's internal conflict between doctrine and compassion.