The Doll’s House is a short
story written by Katherine Mansfield. It has about 2500 words and is
within the norm of short story. The protagonist Kezia leads the
reader through her innocent childhood experiences. The story speaks
of and is knit around the social evil of class separation and
propagation of class consciousness from generation to generation. The
doll’s house, itself a symbol arrives the Burnell family and sets
the story into motion.
The narrative mode used is
description. The author uses picturesque language to paint a visual
picture of the setting and characters. But she never is overgenerous
with the number of words. Her descriptions are crisp and to the
point. Sufficient details are given about situations, things and
characters. However she takes extra care and space to describe the
doll’s house which has central space and layers of significance in
the story. Speech mode is used wherever verbal exchanges take place.
There are only two major scenes
and one last scene- the Burnells’ house, the school and the last
scene where the Kelveys sit and reflect. There are three scene shifts
and all of them are natural and essential for the flow of the story.
There are about 10 characters
named in the story. But if one counts only the active or significant
ones, ignoring the mere mention of names, we get six which is within
the norm of a short story. They are, Aunt Beryl, Isabel, Kezia, Lil,
Else and Lena (in the order of appearance). Among them Kezia, Lil and
Else are central to the story.
The story follows linear
chronological progression. The incidents mentioned happen
sequentially in order. The story begins on one fine summer day at the
Burnells’ home when the doll’s house gifted by Mrs. Hay was
brought in. Everyone is amazed at the beauty and details of the
doll’s house. The three children of the house are lured by the
novelty of the new plaything. The next day at school they tell their
friends about it and all are amazed. Everyday two of them would visit
the Burnells’ and see the doll’s house. The school also has the
Kelvey children Lil and Else who are not of the same class as others.
There is no one to speak to them, no one to like them. Except them
all have seen the doll’s house. Kezia wants to show it to them, but
has no permission. One day when everyone is busy with the guests, she
leads the Kelveys to the doll’s house. But she is caught red handed
and the Kelveys are chased away. The Kelvey children walk away in
fear. When they sit to relax, they feel happy for the little they see
of the doll’s house.
The author uses third person
narrative to tell us the story. This technique is advantageous in
letting us know of what is within characters’ minds. Narrator is a
person other than the characters. This omniscient narrator lets us
into the mental, psychological and emotional landscapes of all the
characters. By looking at life from outside, the author has a bird’s
eye view of the social mentality. Because of this point of view the
evil of class segregation and its shameless perpetuation is evidently
visible to the reader, but not to the characters.
In the beginning of the story
we see that the doll’s house comes from outside. It is foreign. It
is new and beautiful with all its red carpets, paintings with golden
frames, red and green furniture, beds and bedclothes, cradle, stove,
dresser and cutlery. The hook is stuck fast. It takes a bit of effort
to open it. It also has a smell that is unbearable. Though it is well
decorated and good looking, it emanates a stench so unbearable that
it could make any one seriously ill according to Aunt Beryl. But when
the attractions within are revealed, they were ready to ignore the
stench to embrace the pleasure of the beauty of the doll’s house.
Here, the doll’s house
represents the society itself. It has a stench very unbearable. But
when opened- like the doll’s house- it reveals the pleasures within
and makes everyone forget the stench. The stench is the cancer of
social evil; to be precise, class separation and pride. People are
ready to be blind to this evil because it gives them access to
certain privileges and pleasures. People satisfy themselves with the
artificial structures of the society while being inert to the stench
of branding in the name of class.
What is the result? The members
of the doll’s house become like the father and mother dolls-
sprawling very stiff,
insensitive and stiff as
though they had fainted.
And the children- asleep.
All of them are unfit for the house. “They
didn’t look as thought they belonged”.
There is another important
consequence. Most of the observers were overwhelmed by the pomp of
the doll’s house, but failed to see the most beautiful object in
it- an exquisite lamp with white globe on the dining table, which was
so life like. Everyone except Kezia missed the lamp. Why? What made
her see it? Kezia is the only one in the family who is not yet
indoctrinated with the evil of class system. In the innocence of her
childhood, untainted by pretences of pride and prejudice she sees the
lamp and liked it
frightfully. It was
the only thing- animate or inanimate- that fit in the doll’s house.
The lamp seemed to
smile to Kezia, to say, “I live here”. For
her, “it was the best
of all”. Even Isabel
forgot to mention the lamp while boasting about it! It was the only
real thing and it was
the only thing unnoticed by the perpetrators of class system.
The school is a place where
everyone mixes. It is the same place where innocent children practice
the evil of class system learned at home. The Kelvey children- Lil
and our Else- were the victims. They were the daughters of a poor but
hardworking washerwoman. Her hard work doesn’t earn her respect,
but is labeled by her poverty. Her poverty enabled the class society
to decide that her husband was in prison. Even teachers looked down
upon the Kelveys because they were daughters of a hardworking
but poor woman. It is
as if people couldn’t understand it was poverty that made Lil wear
a dress assembled from curtains and table clothes! Else, an
interesting and important character is always silent. No one has seen
her smile. It seems she has accepted her fate of being hated. Or may
be she represents her class whose heart is frozen because of
centuries of being treated with hatred and arrogance.
Little Kezia desired to invite
the Kelveys to see the doll’s house. “Certainly
not. You know quite well why not”
was the answer from her mother. Aunt Beryl also says the same in the
end of the story. But truly, does anyone really know why
not? I don’t think
so. The myth of class is handed down generations as an abstract
concept concretized in attitudes and actions. What is the reason?
This is a relevant question, and I don’t think the stake holders
have a reasonably convincing answer! Lena’s insensitive mockery at
school is an evidence of this. Does that child know why she did so?
No. She was only following what was instructed. Here we also see that
the victims are also trained to take insult- with a silly,
shame-faced smile.
Let’s come back to Kezia. She
is innocent. Untainted by class system. When she got an opportunity
she invited the Kelveys to see the doll’s house. She wanted to
share the joy. She has a sense of justice; all have seen the doll’s
house, so must the Kelveys. But the guardians of purity pounce on her
innocent attempt and thwart her attempt. Aunt Beryl chases the
Kelveys and gives Kezia a sermon, cold
and proud.
Kelveys take the scolding
without surprise and leave the scene. Even the omniscient narrator
pretends as if she doesn’t know what’s going on in the Kelvey’s
thoughts. But then the sweetest part of the story follows. Before
falling silent, with a smile, our Else says, “I
seen the little lamp”.
The smile is rare, but real. Else shares something in common with
Kezia- probably innocence of childhood which enables them to see the
lamp. They are content with seeing the lamp. Else’s smile, together
with Kezia’s innocence leaves the reader with the hope of a better
tomorrow where everyone is equal.
