The dolls house #2

Title: The dolls house

Author: Katherine Mansfield

Text type: short story

February 2020

The dolls house written by Katherine Mansfield is a short story about the difference status had on families back in the 1900s. The Burnell children had just gotten a new big spinach green dollhouse that they wanted to tell and show everyone about, to gloat about their new gift to all their friends. But only specific children there was a hierarchy back then and all the good-paying well-educated families would not socialise with the lower-paying families so the Kelvey children were not allowed to see or hear about the new dollhouse that the Burnell girls had just gotten.

Lil Kelvey really stood out to me because I felt like I could sympathise and relate to her in a way. With her hard-working mother that’s a washerwoman trying to provide enough for her two daughters “they were the daughters of a spry, hard-working little washerwoman, who went about from house to house by the day”. having to get hand me downs from people for clothing for her children” they were dressed in “bits” given to her by the people whom she worked”, Lil Kelvey and her sister getting judged based for what they wear and what their mother’s job is it just takes me back to when I was at primary school having to wear second-hand clothing and living off the bare minimums with my mother and father working their butts off trying to provide as much as they could for my sister and I. It makes you feel as though everyone around you treats you differently doesn’t see you as a high standard as they are, it really gives you an alone feeling and just makes you wish you could just be like everyone else. 

A message I took away from this short story was that everyone should be treated the same with the same respect this short story showed how social status worked back then and how you got treated by what your status was, which I find is very unfair even though times have changed and people are getting treated more fairly it should still be taught to treat everyone with the same respect and not based off their parent’s jobs, money or who they are. labelling can and still is a big thing in society “they were the daughters of a washerwoman and a gaolbird” but as a world and nation, I think things have changed we have more support and facilities for people struggling, like how the kelvey family were if they were in today’s society then they’d get the help and support they needed if they needed any at all. I know in school today for me you see people still getting judged for what they wear, who their siblings and parents are which is unfair “ the Kelvey’s were shunned by everybody”. I believe it should still be taught in school the concept of respect and the saying don’t judge a book by its cover.

The Kelvey Girls both had the challenge of being dis-included and neglected by the other children, they were never accepted by the other children in their neighbourhood, the only friends they had were each other but they knew that as the other children pestered them daily about their families status “Is it true you’re going to be a servant when you grow up, Lil Kelvey ?” But the Kelvey’s never did anything about it they just let the bullying happen knowing if they did speak up it could get their mother into trouble. Bullying is a huge concern in today’s society with there not only being verbal but also cyberbullying, people get attacked on the internet daily which has lead to many deaths around the world but especially in New Zealand, even though it is taught in schools and across the country how bad and what effect bullying has I believe that as a world we could try that little bit more. I have been bullied before not quite the same as the kelvey girls but I understand how horrible it is to be dis-includes how alone you feel just wanting someone to want to hang out with you “you can come see our doll’s house if you want to?”.

I believe the title of this short story “the dolls house” worked well and was appropriate to the story itself, the story was about a dolls house “there stood the Doll’s house, a dark, oily, spinach green, picked out with bright yellow”, but there was a further meaning behind it. The dolls house represented friendship, family who was really actually important to you who was able to see the dolls house first, who was worthy ” And I’m to choose who’s to come and see it first. Mother said I
might.”

I would recommend this short story to any age group because i think it will have meaning for everyone, everyone will be able to connect to the story on a personal level in their own ways, maybe they had something similar happen to them when they were a child or something similar might be happening right now. this might be a sign to you that if you’re not getting included in activities with your friends “only the little Kelveys moved away forgotten” then maybe they aren’t truly your friends. I personally relate to this short story in a few ways from being dressed in hand me downs or second-hand clothing because my family could hardly afford to buy my clothing “The truth was they were dressed
in ” bits ” given to her by the people for whom she worked”. so I truly think this short story is for anyone.

I really enjoyed reading this short story I felt as though it had a lot of context and meaning behind it. Even though it may have seemed like a simple story, it really makes you take a deep look inside yourself and see how you feel for the characters and find ways to relate and connect with them.