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Katherin Mansfield was born in Wellington, New Zealand, in 1888. Her father was a banker and he sent her to London where she attended Queenīs College. In 1909 she married a musician. She left him and in1918 she married a famous literacy critic, Murry. She wrote many stories "Bliss And Other Stories", "The Garden Party", "The Doveīs Nest" and some other well known stories. She died in 1923 in Paris.
"The Dollīs House" is almost autobiographical; the storie tells about her aunt and about other people.
SYNOPSIS:
Mrs. Hay sends the Burnell children(Isabel, Kezia, Lottie) , after staying with the Burnells, a dollīs house. Everybody likes it except aunt Beryl because she can not stand the smell of the paint. Kezia likes the small lamp best. On the next day at school Isabel(the elder one) boast about their new dollīs house and all the girls crowd around her and flatter her. But there are the Kelveys: they are the only one who stands outside this ring because the parents of the other children told them not to talk to with Lisa and "Our Else"(the Kelveys) because they are lower class people; Their mother is only a washerwoman and their father is in prison.
And then someday everyone has senn the dollīs house except them. And so Kezia asks her mother if the Kelveys are allowed to see the house, but her mother says only a "Certainly not". But Lil, the older sister, and Else come one day to the Burnells, where Kezia plays with her house. She says that they can come in. They play together and Else is really fascinated by the this tiny lamp. Then aunt Beryl comes and told the Kelveys to go away with her cold and proud voice. When Lil and Else are out of sight they sat down to rest. "I saw the lamp" Kezia said softly.
QUESTIONS:
Describe the relationship between the Burnell sisters and that between the two Kelvey sisters.
Burnells: Isabel thinks that she is the boss because she is the eldest She tells their sisters what they have to do. She like her mother because she allowes her to do most. Her sisters think that it is okay.
Kelveyīs: Lil goes always first and our Else always holds on to her. Lil never forces her will upon her smaller sister. They have not got anybody to talk, they can only talk to each other.
What do Lil and "Our Else" look like?
Else wears a long, white dress and a pair of boots.
Lil wears an ugly dress and everybody laughs about her.
How does Aunt Beryl treat them when she sees them standing in front of the dollīs house? What are the reasons of her behaviour?
Aunt Beryl sounds cold and proud and she shoos the Kelveys out because their family is very poor and she can not stand people from lower classes.
What is the roll of the grown ups in this story?
Aunt Beryl: She is a very cold and proud person; she is false because she tells the children not to talk to lower class people but she has an affair with a lower class man. She is guardining the morality and desency, the establish the social norms- without a reason.
Others:They have a great self esteem because of looking down on others. They are hard and mercyless, pretended to be charitable. They inplant hatred and prejured in their children
Mrs. Kelvey: She represents the underprivileged class, she works hard, she is deposied, she is modest and not respected.
What do Kezia and Else have in common?
Both are the youngest member in their family. They have not adopte the adult patten of behaviour. They do not draw a line between different sozial classes. Both are very sensitive and they like the lamp best because they get a good feeling when they look on this lamp. Kezia suffer from her surrounding; Our Else suffer from material problems. Else is called little owl because of her cleverness and understanding.
POINT OF VIEW:
There are some different points of view:
The point of view can shift:
The point of view can be periphery:
The point of view can be from above:
In this story:
The story is mostly written in the point of view of the children.
EXERCEISES:
Prepositions:
. Old Mrs. Hay had been stayind with the Burnells.
. The hook at the side was stuck fast.
. The children stood there gazing at the little house.
. There were pictures on the walls.
. The Burnell girls burned to boast about their dollīs house.
. Lottie an Kezia knew the powers that went with being eldest.
. They were allowed to ask the girls at school two at a time, to come to look.
. By the time they had reached the school the bell had began to jangle.
. Isabel tried to make up for it by looking very important.
. In the playground and on the road there was Lil marching in front and our Else holding on to her.
. Emmie nodded to Isabel as she had seen her mother do on those occasions.
. Thegirls were deeply excited, wild with joy.
Adjective or adverb?
. The smell of paint made Aunt Beryl feel seriously ill.
. There were two solid little chimneys glued on to the roof.
. Who could possible mind the smell of such a little house.
. It was much more exciting than peering through the slit of a door.
. What Kezia liked frightfully was the lamp.
Replace the word(s) in bold type!
. The father and the mother dolls looked as if they had fainted(become unconscious).
. The Burnell children wanted to boast(brag) about their new dollīs house.
. As the Burnells decided what was fashionable(determined) in all matters of behaviour, the Kelveys were shunned(avioded) by everybody.
. Our Else was always clutching(holding on) at her sisterīs dress.
. When Kezia mentioned the lamp nobody paied any attention(cared).
. Giggling(laughing in a silly way) Lena went over to the Kelveys.
. Lena hated(couldnīt stand) Lilīs shamefaced smile.
. The little Kelveys were astouded(overcome with surprise).
. Our Else was looking at her sister with big emploring(begging) eyes.
. Pat removed(took off) the hook.
VOCABULARY:
to prop up to support, to keep in position
spinach vegetables whose green leaves are eaten(Spinat)
to gleam to shine brightly
varnish hard shining coating on the surface of s.th. (Überzug)
porch built -out roofed doorway(entrance)to a building
lump mass of something
to peer to look closely, as if unable to see well
cradle small bed for a baby
jug a pot with a handle and a lip for pouring liquids
to sprawl to sit or lie with the arms and legs spread out loosely
to boast to brag, to show off
bossy fond of giving orders
to beam to smile happily
to flatter to praise on s.th. insincerely in order to please
to giggle to laugh in a silly way
rude impolite, wild
to shun to avoid
stout plump or fat
plain ordinary, not pretty
freckles spots on the face caused by sunburn
to crop to cut short
tug sudden hard pull
to sneer to smile in a mocking fashion that expresses proud dislike
squeal a long, very high cry
to slide to move your feet over a smooth surface without lifting them(as on ice)
to glide to move along in a slow and graceful fashion
to titter to give a silly, half-supressed laugh(kichern)
to hiss to make a nasty sibilant(s-sound) whisper through th teeth
spiteful hateful, laughing at the misfortune of others
dot small pot
to clamber to climb with some difficulty
astounded overcome(shocked) with surprise
to implore to plead, to ask s.o. in a begging manner
to gasp to catch the breathe suddenly and in a way that can be heard
to frown to draw the eyebrowns together
to snort to make a noise by blowing air violently out through the nose
to give a start to make a quick uncontrolled movement, as from sudden surprise and fear
dazed bewildered
wicked bad, immoral
to slam to shut(a door) violently and noisily
to give a scolding to blame with angry words
to hum to sing with closed lips
creek backwater, a long narrow body of water reaching from the sea, a lake etc. into the land
to stroke to pass oneīs hand over gently(cats like being stroked)
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