Theme, imagery and symbolism The Doll’s House Theme, imagery and symbolism

The story is concerned with the difficulties of the child in coming to terms with the brutal realities of class consciousness and social ostracism. 1. In your own words, write a sentence that summarises the main idea in the text. Now turn this into a ‘theme statement’. This means it must have a particular angle or opinion in it. Eg – “Love” is a general topic. But, “Love can overcome all obstacles” or “love cannot overcome the horrors of war” are theme statements because they have a clear angle/focus. Double check your theme statement. Is this the message that Katherine Mansfield is trying to give the reader?

The social attitudes of the parents are an important feature of the story. Eg - Emmie Cole “nodded to Isabel as she’d seen her mother do on those occasions”. Lil, when ordered away by Aunt Beryl is seen “huddling along like her mother.”   “Your ma told our ma you wasn’t to speak to us” says Lil. The Kelvey children accept the social division as much as the other children do. 2a. Whose social attitudes are an important aspect of the story? How do we know? 2b. What is suggested by the behaviour of Emmie Cole’s mother and Lil’s mother?

Note that the Kelveys are described with animal images Note that the Kelveys are described with animal images. Else is “a little white owl”. They move into the courtyard “like two little stray cats”. Beryl shoos them away “as if they were chickens” and Beryl thinks of them as “little rats.” These images emphasise the ostracism the Kelveys suffer. 3a. Who is described using animal images? 3b. What do these animal images suggest and what is meant by this?

Note the significance of the lamp: “But the lamp was perfect Note the significance of the lamp: “But the lamp was perfect. It seemed to smile at Kezia, to say “I live here”. The lamp was real.” The lamp symbolizes light – truth and awakening. It is a contrast to the material splendours of the doll’s house, and to the materialistic values of the stiffly sprawling parents. It is significant that it is Kezia’s favourite as she is the only one in the story who has the courage and kindness to reach out across social barriers. Note that Else’s words at the end of the story suggest that she and Kezia share the same values. 4a. What does the lamp signify? 4b. What does their mutual interest in the lamp suggest about Kezia and Else?

“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. They didn’t look as though they belonged. But the lamp was perfect. It seemed to smile at Kezia, to say “I live here”. The lamp was real. 5a. What is suggested by the dolls’ size and stiffness? 5b. What is suggested by the boy and girl dolls also being too big?