Notes on “The Doll’s House” by Katherine Mansfield

SUMMARY

The Burnell’s three daughters are given a doll’s house from their houseguest,
Mrs. Hay. The three girls, Isabel, Lottie, and Kezia find this doll house to be
awesome, and are excited to tell their friends about it at school. Kezia finds the
most exciting part of the house to be the lamp because it looked real. At school,
the Burnells are surrounded by their peers discussing the new toy, however two
girls sit at the outskirts of the circle listening to their conversation. The two
listening were the Kelvey girls, Lil and “our” `Else. These two girls are shunned
from the conversation because they are apart of a lower class than the Burnell
girls and their friends. Later in the story, Isabel and her friends begin taunting the
Kelveys by making fun of their clothing, their father, and their potential career.
Kezia deviates from the upper class norm of separating themselves from others
in another class, and invites the Kelveys to see her dollhouse. The girls
reluctantly agree, and once the Burnell’s Aunt Beryl notices the children playing
together, she sends them away.

MAJOR THEME – Outsiders – being ostracized by society

This short story was published in 1923, and was intended by Mansfield to
comment on the nineteenth century social structure. During that time an
extremely structured class based system was in place. In order of dominancy:
the Proletariat, the Bourgeoisie (the working class), and the Peasants. In this
story, the Burnell family represents the proletariat, and the Kelvey family
represents the working class. The Burnell’s children receive an exquisite
dollhouse with so many realistic qualities (8-13, 22-29), while the Kelveys are
wearing “hand-me-down” clothing, and clothing created from household fabrics
(69-81). The distinction between the classes becomes apparent when the
Burnells and their friends are taunting the Kelveys about their family and social
status. Mansfield recognizes the cruelty that these children have towards one
another when their world is dominated by their parent’s ideas of separation
between the classes (for example: Aunt Beryl will not allow the girls to even
speak to the Kelveys (145)). However, Kezia seems to be an exception to the
norm by inviting the Kelveys to see her dollhouse, knowing full well that it was not
allowed.

In short, Mansfield is discussing the difficulties dealing with class-consciousness

and social ostracism in this society. She clearly has issues with the social
hierarchy, and uses the children as an example of how this system continues
because of the indoctrination by their parents.

 Have vs. Have Not

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SETTING – RURAL 19TH CENTURY

The story clearly takes place within a rural setting in the nineteenth century.
Proof of this is evident throughout the story as follows:

 “It was so big that the carter and Pat carried it into the courtyard” (2)
o The mention of a carter dates this story, as a carter is a driver of
horse drawn vehicles – automobiles arrived in the early 1900s
o Courtyard also signifies that the place the Burnells live in is rural –
large plot of land. This also represents the wealth of the family
 “Propped up on two wooden boxes beside the feed-room door.” (3)
o A feed room indicates livestock and if there are livestock, you are
living on a farm
 “Powers that went with being the eldest” (38)
o Isabel is the oldest daughter and assumes the responsibilities of a
“motherly” figure – true to the time period
 “Boys’ playground” (45)
o The mention of a playground strictly for boys shows that
roughhousing is for males, and girls are to play with dolls.
 “What a little guy she looked!” (73)
o The comment made by Burnell girls about Lil Kelvey’s clothing
represents not only Lil’s lower class, but also that girls should be
dressed pretty
 “Pat called for the Burnell children with the buggy and they drove home”
(131)
o The mention of a buggy dates this story to a time where there were
no automobiles
 “Went upstairs to change their pinafores” (132)
o Pinafores were extremely popular with women during the
Nineteenth century
 “Looked over the hay paddocks, past the creek” (180)
o Details a rural scene

MOOD - SYMPATHY

The general mood of this story is one of sympathy towards the Kelvey girls. We
experience with them the taunting by the Burnell girls about their dress and
potential future careers. We also feel sympathetic when the Kelveys are
“shooed…out as if they were chickens” (165-166) simply because they belong to
a different social class from Kezia. However, one also seems to find sympathy for
the Burnell girls because they do not seem to have the same sisterly bond as the
Kelveys have for one another. Kezia and Lottie recognize that Isabel is the
eldest, and she will have a certain power because of that. However, Lil and “our”
Else seem to understand each other without words (79-81). At the end of this
story, one feels that the class divisions should be changed because children
should be able to play with dolls together, regardless of social status.

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USE OF LANGUAGE

- The story maintains similar sentence structure throughout the writing, and uses a
space to indicate a separation in the day (receiving doll house & after)

Definitions:

 Line 2 - Carter: A driver of horse drawn vehicles; worker

 Line 38 - Buttercups: Poisonous plant common in grassland with yellow
cup-shaped flowers
 Line 64 - Spry: Active
 Line 66 - Gaolbird: Criminal who has been in jail repeatedly
 Line 68 - Conspicuous: Stand out
 Line 70 - Serge: Durable
 Line 83 - Shamefaced: Feeling of shame/embarrassment
 Line 100 - Mutton: Lamb
 Line 107 - Flagged: Less enthusiastic
 Line 123 - Shrilled: High-pitched voice
 Line 125 - Titter: Giggle
 Line 132 - Pinafores: Collarless, sleeveless dress tied or buttoned in the
back
 Line 180 - Wattles: Rods/stakes interlaced with twigs or branches
 Line 182 - Cross: Angry
 Line 69 – Stout: Brave

Literary Terms:

 Imagery: visually descriptive language

o “There stood the doll house, a dark, oily, spinach green, picked out
with bright yellow. Its two solid little chimneys, glued on to the roof,
were painted red and white, and the door, gleaming with yellow
varnish…” (8-10)
o “Red carpet covered all the floors except the kitchen; red plush
chairs in the drawing-room, green in the dining-room; tables, beds
with real bedclothes, a cradle, a stove, a dresser with tiny plates
and one big jug.” (23-25)
 Simile: figure of speech comparing one thing with another thing of another
kind (uses “like” or “as”)
o “was like a little slab of toffee” (10)
o “like two little stray cats they followed” (153)
o “shooed them out as if they were chickens” (165-166)
 Personification: The attribution of human characteristics to something
nonhuman
o The lamp “seemed to smile at Kezia, to say, “I live here.”” (32)

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Contrast between Lil and Kezia’s language:

Lines 142-145:

“You can come and see our doll’s house if you want to,” said Kezia, and she dragged
one toe on the ground. But at the Lil turned red and shook her head quickly.

“Why not?” asked Kezia.

Lil gasped, then she said, “Your ma told our ma you wasn’t to speak to us”

Although the two girls attend the same school, the use of “you wasn’t” shows that
Lil’s language is less sophisticated compared to Kezia’s. Lil’s line also shows that
the Kelvey children accept the social division.

Aunt Beryl’s language:

Lines 6-7: “The smell of paint was quite enough to make any one seriously ill, in Aunt
Beryl’s opinion.”

Line 164: “Run away, children, run away at once. And don’t come back again.”

Line 171: “Wicked, disobedient little girl!”

Aunt Beryl language shows that she is very cross, angry, and negative.

“Our” Else’s language:

Lines 76-81:

“Nobody had ever seen her smile; she scarcely ever spoke. She went through life
holding on to Lil, with a piece of Lil’s skirt screwed up in her hand. Where Lil went our
Else followed. In the playground, on the road going to and from school, there was Lil
marching in front and our Else holding on behind. Only when she wanted anything, or
when she was out of breath, our Else gave Lil a tug, a twitch, and Lil stopped and
turned round. The Kelvey’s never failed to understand each other.”

“Our” Else communicates with Lil without verbal language. It seems as though Lil
can understand Else by the way she tugs on her skirt. It also mentions the Else
rarely smiles – perhaps she has nothing she can smile at? Maybe the bond
between Lil and Else is strong because of the hardships they have been through.

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Use of the word “real”:

Line 10: “ Four windows, real windows”

Line 25: “Beds with real bedclothes”
Line 33: “The lamp was real”
Line 87: “You couldn’t tell it from a real one”

The story repeats the word “real” four times throughout this door in the context of
the dollhouse. This represents the elegance and intricate details of the dollhouse,
which is acceptable for use by upper class children.

Societal Attitudes & Class Distinctions

Line 54: “They knew better than to come anywhere near the Burnells”

Lines 54-55: “The school the Burnel children went to was not at all the kind of place
their parents would have chosen if there had been any choice.”

Lines 61-63: “The Kelveys were shunned by everybody. Even the teacher had a
special voice for them, and a special smile for the other children when Lil Kelvey came
up to her desk with a bunch of dreadfully common-looking flowers.”

Lines 99-102: “The little girls sat under the pines eating their thick mutton sandwiches
and big slabs of johnny cake spread with butter. While always, as near they could get,
sat the Kelveys, our Else holding on to Lil, listening too, while they chewed their jam
sandwiches out of a newspaper soaked with large red blobs.”

Lines 109-111: “They wanted to be horrid to them” … “Lil Kelvey’s going to be a

servant when she grows up”

Lines 113-114: “Emmie swallowed in a meaning way and nodded to Isabel as she’d
seen her mother do on those occasions.”

These lines represent the societal attitudes and class distinctions of the time.

Animal Images

Line 76: “little white owl” (referring to Else)

Lines: 152-153: “like two little stray cats they followed”
Lines 165-166: “shooed them out as if they were chickens”
Line 175: “now that she had frightened those little rats of Kelveys”

Kelveys are described with animal images; this emphasizes the ostracism they
endure.

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Society’s Obsession with Appearance

Lines 67-68: “And they looked it. Why Mrs. Kelvey made them so conspicuous was
hard to understand. The truth was they were dressed in “bits” given to her by the
people for whom she worked.”

This obsession with appearance represents the class separations – upper class
concerned about what they look like, while the working class is concerned about
where their next meal will come from.

The Letter Aunt Beryl Received

Lines 193-176: “The afternoon had been awful. A letter had come from Willie Brent, a
terrifying, threatening letter, saying if she did not meet him that evening in Pulman’s
Bush, he’d come to the front door and ask the reason why! But now she had frightened
those little rats of Kelveys and given Kezia a good scolding, her heart felt lighter. That
ghastly pressure was gone.”

Aunt Beryl is having an affair with a lower class man, and does not want anyone
to find out about it. Even though she is hypocritical, she still disciplines Kezia for
fraternizing with members of the lower class. Beryl feels better about herself
because of this.

Satirical Story

The lives of the adults and the children are separated from one another
- Kezia wants to be friends with the Kelveys, but Aunt Beryl won’t let her
- The teacher had a “special voice” for Lil Kelvey

SYMBOLS

Lamp

Can be interpreted in two ways:

1. Symbol of light and awakening; the truth. The lamp is in contrast with the
other details of the doll’s house (stiff dolls, materialistic value of items). It
is significant because it is Kezia’s favorite, and she is the only one who
shows kindness to the Kelvey girls, and chooses to deviate from the norm.
The quote “I seen the little lamp” (184) by “Our” Else also represents that
Kezia and Else share the same values.
2. Lamp is a symbol of the working class to whom the Kelveys belong. The
working class is responsible for creating wealth in the society, but is
treated poorly by the rest of society. The lamp is sacrificial of the wealthy
capitalists.

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Doll House

The dollhouse is a symbol of the upper class people in society; exquisite,

intricate detail with many materialistic items in the room.

“What you long to know about a house when you put your hand on the knocker” (18-
19)
- Refers to upper class households.

“There stood the doll house, a dark, oily, spinach green, picked out with bright yellow.
Its two solid little chimneys, glued on to the roof, were painted red and white, and the
door, gleaming with yellow varnish…” (8-10)

“Red carpet covered all the floors except the kitchen; red plush chairs in the drawing-
room, green in the dining-room; tables, beds with real bedclothes, a cradle, a stove, a
dresser with tiny plates and one big jug.” (23-25)

“The father and mother dolls, who sprawled very stiff as though they had fainted in
the drawing-room and their two little children asleep upstairs, were really too big for
the doll’s house.” (30-31)
- Reference to “stiff” parents show the parents unwillingness to question the
social norms

POINT OF VIEW

The tone of the story is very child-like. The author uses enthusiasm, and dialogue
that would be used by young children:

“But the perfect, perfect little house! Who could possibly mind the smell? It was part of the joy,
part of the newness” (12-13)

The story begins with an omniscient point of view, then to a view from the Burnell
children, then alternates between the view of Kezia and Else. The reason
Mansfield would have wanted this is because Kezia questions the social
ostracism that the Kelveys endure simply because they are of a lower class. We
are able to see into the mind of an upper class child stuck in a world where her
parents are strict with their traditional rules. The choice to see Else’s point of
view is to illustrate to the reader that Else and Kezia are related through the
symbol of the lamp – they share the same values.

It is also important to acknowledge the point of view from a children’s perspective

to emphasis the separation between the children’s world versus their parent’s
world, and the need for change in a class-based system. The language used
shows childhood innocence, and the confusion about why they aren’t supposed
to play with other children simply because of their social status.

This short story is written in a modernist mode because it questions the cultural
and societal realities of the day – class consciousness and social ostracism.

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CHARACTER LIST

Aunt Beryl
Aunt to the Burnell children, very cross lady, strict with emphasis of social
ostracism, however is hypocritical because she is having an affair with a working
class man.
Upper Class

Mrs. Hay
Houseguest of the Burnells who gives the doll house to their daughters. The
presence of Mrs. Hay visiting the Burnells shows that she is of upper class
society because she is able to travel and give fancy gifts.
Upper Class

Pat
Worker at the Burnell house (perhaps a farmhand), driver of the buggy which
picks the Burnell girls up from school. Pat may be the man Aunt Beryl is having
an affair with, but it is not explicit.
Working Class

Kezia
Daughter of the Burnells, finds significance with the lamp, rejects social norms in
regard to ostracism of the lower classes, younger sister of Isabel.
Upper Class

Isabel
Eldest daughter of the Burnells; had power because of that. Allowed to choose
which of their two friends can see the doll house first. She is also the only one
who can describe the house to their friends. All children want to be her “special
friend” (50). Isabel has a “proud” (84) voice when boasting about her new doll
house.
Upper Class

Lottie
Daughter of the Burnells, younger sister of Isabel.
Upper Class

Mrs. Kelvey
Mother of Lil and Else; spry washerwoman.
Lower Class

Mr. Kelvey
No where to be seen, but assumed to be a gaolbird.
Lower Class

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Lil Kelvey
Eldest daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Kelvey. She is stout, with big freckles. Wears a
green art-serge dress with red sleeves made by her mother and a “grown-up
woman’s hat…with a large scarlet quill” (71-73). Lil abides by the social rules in
society, especially when asked by Kezia to come see her doll house: “Your ma
told our ma you wasn’t to speak to us” (145); Lil only agrees to see the house
when she sees Else’s reaction to her response.
Lower Class

“Our” Else
Youngest daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Kelvey. Wears a long white dress like a
nightgown and a pair of boy’s boots. Else is small with large eyes, rarely smiles
or speaks. Follows Lil around everywhere; can communicate with her merely by
pulling on her skirt. Else seems to share the same values as Kezia – questioning
the social status and fondness of the lamp. The referral to Else as “our”
represents Else’s youth and innocence in society.
Lower Class

Emmie Cole
Chosen by Isabel Burnell to see the doll house first; taunts Lil Kelvey about
becoming a servant when she grows up. Emmie represents the indoctrination her
parents gave her about the social hierarchy. “Lil Kelvey’s going to be a servant
when she grows up” (111)
Upper Class

Lena Logan
Chosen by Isabel Burnell to see the doll house first; taunts Lil Kelvey with
Emmie Cole for entertainment. When she taunts Lil and doesn’t get the reaction
she wanted, she responds with an insult towards her father: “Yah, yer father’s in
prison!” (126-127). Lena represents the indoctrination her parents gave her about
the social hierarchy. She judges people by what career they have in society.
Upper Class