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The Doll's House Analysis
The Doll's House Analysis
Introduction:
The Doll's House is a short story by Katherine Mansfield, written in the year
1922. The story reveals the extent to which class consciousness has wreaked havoc
in the social set up, so much so that the other children are discouraged from talking
to the children from the lowest of the social classes. The story traces the problem
of class consciousness through the character of Kezia, and her journey from
innocence to the symbolic world of experience.
The Arrival of the Dolls House in the Burnell family:
insists on her thoughts of equality to the prejudiced views of the members of her
social class. By doing so, she is metaphorically, trying to break the social hierarchy
of class inequalities.
Discrimination based on Class:
Mansfield brings out the bitter truth that the discrimination between the wealthy
haves and the underprivileged have nots was based solely on wealth and class.
The fact that the line had to be drawn somewhere speaks volumes to the social
hierarchy prevalent in society. At the end of the story, Aunt Beryl shouts at Kezia,
How dare you ask the little Kelveys into the courtyard? in her furious voice,
adding, Run away, children, run away at once. And dont come back again!
Burning with shame, shrinking together, the Kelvey sisters huddled through the
big courtyard and squeezed through the white gate.
Conclusion: Through the portrayal of the predicament of the Kelveys, Mansfield
brings out the class consciousness that was faithfully handed down by one
generation to another, from parents to children and vice versa. Moreover, through
the deft portrayal of the character of Kezia, Mansfield tries to challenge the
existing social class consciousness which was wreaking havoc on the social fabric.
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