Figurative language
Given the nature of a child, how does the simile ‘The door, gleaming with yellow warmth, was like a slab of toffee” effect the text to show that every part the house is very important for children?
Children generally love sweets. Thus by comparing door with sweets it shows that children are attracted by this house.
Why is the gap between the rich and the poor in The Dollhouse very focused and restated?
It wants to show how the social and economic status differs between them and how they are treated due to this.
How does the tone suddenly shift/change in the story The Dollhouse?
The tone goes from being happy and exciting after receiving the dollhouse gift to bitter and depressing from the way the adults perceived it by being rude and discriminating their social classes by not letting the children ( the Kelveys) come over to see the dollhouse.
Who is the person who gave the girls the dollhouse as a gift?
Mrs. Hay, a guest at the Burnell household.
What did Aunt Beryl do when she found out that Kezia invited the Kelvey girls over at their house?
When Aunt Beryl caught them, she ran them off the house like vermin and scolded Kezia not to ever let them inside ever again.
How does Katherine Mansfield use Personification in the story?
'But the lamp was perfect. It seemed to smile at Kezia, to say,' I live here', the lamp was real'. The lamp, of course, can not actually smile and talk and is only personified to act like a person.
How is the theme of Insiders, Outsiders, and Class exemplified through the story?
The narrator continually emphasizes barriers both physical and metaphorical between who is “in” and who is “out” to highlight and critique such harsh classism.
What is the tone of the adult's and how they view the social classes and discriminate them?
Rude, bitter, insulting.
In "The Doll's House," what most likely drove Kezia to let the Kelvey girls see the doll's house?
Her desire to be kind
How was the dollhouse described when the girls first saw it?
'A dark, oily, spinach green, picked out with bright yellow. Its two solid little chimneys, glued on to the roof, were painted red and white, and the door, gleaming with yellow varnish, was like a little slab of toffee'.
What is the symbolism of the little lamp inside the dollhouse and why was Kezia so interested in it?
The little lamp symbolizes making her feel welcome into the dollhouse as if it were real and she lives inside it like a part of the family (or a small token of social acceptance), which makes her smile. 'The lamp was real'.
How is money portrayed as a theme in the story?
Injustice by using money as a tool of power which shows how shallow humans can be for that sometimes.
What diction does Katherine use for the adult voice of Aunt Bery? Give an example to state your answer.
The diction she uses for the adult voice of Aunt Beryl is proper and very negative. An example of this is when Aunt Beryl says, “For really the smell of paint coming from that doll’s house (“Sweet of old Mrs. Hay of course; most sweet and generous!”) – but the smell of paint was quite enough to make anyone seriously ill.” Instead of seeing it as positive she took it in a negative way and overexaggerated.
How does Else most likely feel when she says, "I seen the little lamp" at the very end of "The Doll's House"?
Pleased by the lamp and by Kezia's kindness.
Why would the children's point of view be very unreliable?
The children's point of view would be very unreliable because they would not fully understand everything going on around them, so they would only describe what they see and think, but this is not enough to explain the real meanings.
What do the gates symbolize in the story?
The gates are a symbol of the Burnell’s class superiority, physically separating them from poor outsiders. By opening them, Kezia demonstrates how a strict boundary can be easily broken with a simple act of kindness.
What best expresses the theme to which the symbol of the doll’s house points in "The Doll's House"
The privileges of upper-class life should share their joys with those who are less fortunate.
What does "The Doll's House" suggest about the role of adults in the snobbery in which children sometimes engage?
Adults encourage such behavior.
Name some of the kids in school who bullied the Kelveys. Why did they do this?
Emmie Cole, Jessy May, Lena Logan. They bullied them because of their background.
Why does Kezia disobey the rules and invites the Kelveys to show them the dollhouse? Why is this so important to her?
She feels that the Kelveys are wronged by everyone and wishes to share the light of the lamp which she is fascinated by and the dollhouse with them, who have little other "light" in their lives.
What does the doll's house symbolize or represent?
The doll's house, which is gifted to the Burnell children, symbolizes wealth, status, and luxury.
What main criticism does "The Doll's House" offer about the class system that prevailed in the place and time of its setting?
The class system could be cruel to the lower classes.
What does "The Doll's House" suggest about the way that most people feel when they demean or insult other people?
They feel pleased and superior.
In "The Doll's House," why are the Kelvey girls treated so badly?
Their family is poor and considered very low class.
In "The Doll's House," what do the Burnell children—especially Isabel Burnell—gain by having the doll's house?
Even more status than before