“The Doll’s House” - Katherine Mansfield

“The Doll’s House”

-      Katherine Mansfield

       Kathleen Mansfield Murry (14 October 1888 – 9 January 1923) was a prominent New Zealand modernist short story writer who was born and brought up in colonial New Zealand and wrote under the pen name of Katherine Mansfield. She is best artist in portraying common human behaviors and emotions of humans. In her short story ‘A cup of Tea’, she has presented a jealousy of woman. 

 

     

      “The Doll’s House” is a short story written by her and published in 1922. In this story she has presented a class division in society and how it effects on innocent children of schools. There are five child characters in this story,  the Burnell daughters and the Kelvey daughters with school teachers. Children are innocent but elders want them to understand the norms of society and difference between poor and rich. Mrs. Hay had sent the Burnell children a doll's house which was very beautifully created. Burnell daughters have invited all students to see the doll’s house on the next day. They have not invited Kelvey sisters because they were very poor.

        

       The elder sister of Burnell wanted to talk with Kelvey sisters but her parents have not allowed her to do so. She also wanted to invite them to see the doll’s house be she was not able to do that. One day both Kelvey sisters came and saw the doll’s house with the help of Kezia (the elder Burnell daughter) but her aunt have insulted both Kelvey sisters and throw them out of house. Kezia was upset because she was not able to find the difference between her own sisters and Burnell sisters.

       

      This story clearly indicates the parenting process and how it effects on innocent mind of children. Parents, teachers and relatives design the mind of children to think in a particular way rather than make them think with their own understandings.