This Reading response is about The Doll’s House by Katherine Mansfield.

Author/Director: Katherine Mansfield.

Title: The Doll’s house.

Text type: Short written.

Key words: Economical status, Socially treated differently due to money, Lack of opportunity. 

After reading “The doll’s house,” by Katherine Mansfield, this made me feel that the social atmosphere in the book was unfair.  “They were the daughters of a spry, hardworking little washerwoman, who went about from house to house by the day.” This quote from the book informs us that the Kelvey family are financially unstable, which also leads to them being bullied and treated as outcasts in society. But why? Why does society treat others differently based on their socially constructed status? ” Wicked, disobedient little girl! ” said Aunt Beryl bitterly to Kezia, and she slammed the doll’s house too.” This quote from the story shows how brittle and furious Aunt Beryl was when she saw the Kelvey sisters in her house, signifying that just because the sisters are poor they are treated like human trash. 

This makes me feel like the author is trying to paint a picture in my mind. A picture that says no matter how hard you work, nor how kind you are, society will treat you differently if you have a little bit more money then someone else. “ It was Aunt Beryl’s voice. They turned round. At the back door stood Aunt Beryl, staring as if she couldn’t believe what she saw.

” How dare you ask the little Kelveys into the courtyard ? ” said her cold, furious voice. ” This quote shows the treatment the Kelvey sisters get just because of their financial situation, which is unfair and prejudiced.  

 It also makes me believe that if you’re financially rich,  you have more opportunities in life. This makes me feel prejudice, because money doesn’t define someone, their actions do. Therefore, this makes me feel the author is trying to paint a picture in my mind.

This book can teach us about the economical status of the world. When comparing the economic status of the world to right now, against when this book was based on. I notice that not much has changed, society still continues to treat individuals or families differently all because of money. People who are under a financial crisis have a lack of opportunities, and show less development than people who are the opposite. These lessons can help us with how we treat other people in our everyday lives.  Treating people with kindness and respect instead of hatred and disrespect,  despite their financial situation. An example I can give based on real world experience is how people treat others based on the clothes they wear. In our society, people who wear ugly and cheap clothes are considered “hory,” Because of this our society is led to judge and segregate the “hory’s,” from the rest of society. When in reality we are all the same despite the clothes on someone’s back. Therefore with the evidence stated, I believe this book can teach us about the economical status of the world. 

My favourite part of the Doll’s House is when the Burnell Sisters invite the poor, outcasted Kelvey sisters to see the Doll house. The reason this is my favourite part is because it socially challenges the typical “Poor shouldn’t be associated with the rich.” By inviting the socio economic group to their house, it shows that despite having money the Burnell sisters care about people, and not their money. If people thought like this in our everyday lives, society would perform better due to genuine kindness at all times.  

To a greater degree, an example I can give based on real world experiences is how certain shopkeepers treat you based on how you look. When people who look raggedy and out at the elbows enter local dairies, shopkeepers judge and assume your economic value to the world. Whereas if people who look tidy walk into a dairy, shopkeepers have no problem and won’t bat an eye until they pay. It is the little problems of “judging a book by its cover,” that leads into big world events that are bad for us as people. Therefore, If people thought kinder, and treated people better than this in our everyday lives, society would perform better due to genuine kindness at all times.  

I would recommend this to teenagers because it teaches them about prejudice, if people introduce right from wrong to teenagers at a young age. We can grow into a society that doesn’t judge like people do now, using the small but effective lessons shown in this book. Maybe people will understand money isn’t that important part? Maybe individuals will have more friends despite their differences between money? Hence, this is why I believe that this book should be recommended to teenagers.

I feel as if I can relate to this through my family’s financial struggles. Majority of the time at old schools, when others heard about my family’s financial problems I was treated “differently,” No one enjoys being put aside like an outcast. And so as someone who has experienced what the Kelvey sisters have been through, I responded to this text through empathy and remorse. Empathy, because I can relate to how they could’ve possibly felt. Feeling left out or alone even though you’ve done nothing wrong to deserve such treatment. And remorse because at a young age I wished for it to just be put to rest. Thus, I feel as if I can relate to this through my family’s financial struggles. 

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