"The Doll's House" by Katherine Mansfield

The Main theme

The central theme in Katherine Mansfield’s story is the cruelty of class

distinctions. Mansfield was born in New Zealand when the country was
still a British colony in which class distinctions were severely maintained.
Her best-known short story, “The Garden Party,” also deals with this
subject.

The story as an autobiography

There are biographical parallels between the Burnell family and

Mansfield’s family, and also between Kezia and Katherine Mansfield
herself. Mansfield attended a rural New Zealand school in which she
encountered class distinctions; according to some critics, Mansfield based
her fictional Kelvey girls on Lil and Else McKelvey, the real-life
daughters of a washerwoman. It is possible that Mansfield—like Kezia—
tried to stand up for these girls in school.

Plot summary

Mrs Hay has sent a dolls' house to the Burnell children. It is minutely
described with special emphasis on a lamp inside it. The lamp is
symbolically used here as a reference to hope, some hope for the town to
stop from class discrimination, which Kezia, thinks is the best part of the
dolls' house. The next morning they cannot wait to show it off to their
school friends; Isabel says she will be the one to decide who is allowed to
come and see it in the house as she is the eldest. The Kelveys, two poor
girls, Lil and our Else, will not be allowed to do so because they are of a
much lower social class. Later, Isabel and two of her friends, Emmie Cole
and Lena Logan, taunt the Kelveys about their low social status. Soon
afterwards Kezia decides to show them the house anyway as she does not
understand why the Kelveys have to be treated like this. Aunt Beryl then
dismisses the Kelveys. The Kelveys see the doll's house at last and are
satisfied even though they are dismissed and Else smiles her rare smile as
usual. The story ends with them being silent once more.

Conflict: the first conflict takes place when the poor sisters are not
invited to see the doll’s house . Man against man : all characters but
Kezia avoid the little Kelveys sisters because of their social condition.
Man against society: at the same time the little Kelveys as well as their
parents are victims of the society’s injustice. Rich people avoiding poor
people.

Structure of the short story:

• Rising action: takes place when Kezia invites the little Kelveys
sisters to see the doll’s house.

• Climax: when finally the little Kelveys sisters see the doll´s house
and soon after they are expelled from the backyard by aunt Beryl.

• Falling action: the little Kelveys, after that great fright, stop to rest.

• Resolution: the little Kelveys were satisfied to see the doll’s house.
Elsa was happy manly because she saw the little lamp.

Characterization

Protagonist and antagonist: it is difficult to establish the protagonist of

this short story because Kezia and the little Kelveys have the same
importance in the plot. If one or another did not exist the plot would not
be well constructed.

On the other hand we have many antagonists in the plot. Isabel Burnell,
her colleagues and her aunt are in the same level, all them carrying their
prejudice against the little Kelveys. The conventions of society, the false
appearances and prejudice are antagonists as well.

The only characters presented in details on the plot are the little Kelveys.
The narrator explores their clothes as a signal of their social condition.
The direct presentation is used.

symbols

• The Doll’s house is a symbol.

• In this short story the external aspect of the house, its beauty,
appearance, color and form alludes to the external aspect of human
being, that is, his position in society, assets and family’s name

• The internal components of the house have many meanings, being

the little lamp which has the main significance. The lamp
represents the soul, the qualities of the human being and his real
nature

• The central concept of this short story is the prejudice against

poverty as well as the idea of false appearances

• Besides, there is a subtle theme in The Doll’s House that is the$

example of parents about the education of their children