Symbolism in Katherine Mansfield's "The Doll's House"

The theme of Katherine Mansfield's "The Doll's House" is best stated:

• Children are innocent and unaware of class systems.

• The class system set up by society is cruel and unfair.

• Wealth is unimportant.

• Friends are forever.

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One of the most prominent symbols of the class system in "The Doll's House" is:

• The Doll's House

• The Door

• The Large Scarlett Quill on Lil's hat

• The dolls in the house

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How do you know the importance and meaning of the house is related to the social class of the characters?

• The fresh paint on the house smelled to strongly to keep it inside.

• The house was famous.

• The poor children are expressly forbidden from seeing the house.

• It was a gift from a rich woman.

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What does Mansfield suggest by including and describing doll's that are not quite the right size for the doll's house?

• The Burnell's are too big for the society/ community where they live.

• Fitting in is difficult when you're better than everyone else.

• Nobody fits into society where they are supposed to, but they just keep trying anyway.

• Social divides are arbitrary (meaningless) because people are often pretending to fit in to classes/groups anyway.

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Which of the following quotes tells the reader that "the lamp" is an important symbol?

• "It stood in the middle of the dining room table."

• "I seen the little lamp."

• "It was even filled all ready for lighting."

• "The lamp was perfect."

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Which explanation best proves why the lamp is symbolic?

• All the children thought the lamp was really neat.

• The lamp can actually be lit and is a working part of this very fancy Doll's house.

• It makes Aunt Beryl angry when the girls touch the lamp.

• The two characters most interested in the lamp are Kezia and our Else showing the connection of the two social classes.

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The lamp represents

• The social divide of the children

• The wealth of the Burnell's

• The importance of the doll's house.

• The interconnectedness of people despite their class distinctions

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The white gate to the courtyard of the Burnell's house is symbolic of

• Protecting one's property and wealth

• The insider/outsider status of the classes of people

• The innocence of the children

• The wealth of the Burnell's

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Which of the following tells you the symbolic meaning of the gate to the courtyard? (choose 2 answers)

• "She [Kezia] began to swing on the big white gates of the courtyard."

• "She [Kezia] slipped off the gate as if she was going to run away."

• "Kezia clambered back on the gate; she had made up her mind; she swung out."

• "they [the Kelveys] crossed the big courtyard and squeezed through the white gate."

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Which of the follow best explains the symbolic meaning of the gate as related to the text?

• Kezia makes a conscious decision to go against social norms by allowing the Kevely's through the gate that serves as a division of wealthy and poor. Once reprimanded, they are immediately cast back out through the gate.

• The gate is large and white, and therefore is a big reminder of the innocence of children since white is a universal symbol of innocence.

• White is a symbol of cleanliness and properness, so the gate represents the Burnell's who are clean and proper. Since the Kelvey's are outside the gate, they are not clean and proper, but poor and lacking.

• The gate keeps out anyone who might challenge or harm the Burnell's and therefore represents the safety afforded to them by their wealth.

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