Summary

“The Doll’s House” by Katherine Mansfield starts with the Burnell sisters (Isabel, Lottie, and Kezia), who receive a doll’s house as a present from Mrs. Hay, an acquaintance of the family. The house still smells of paint and is left outside to dry and for the smell to dissipate. The Burnell sisters are fascinated by the doll’s house, as it is extremely well-built and painted with great care and detail. Kezia, in particular, is fascinated by a little lamp inside the doll’s house and believes it is the most beautiful part of it.

At school, the Burnell sisters’ popularity grows as they decide to invite their school friends to see the doll’s house. Isabel, the eldest Burnell sister, is responsible for asking the girls in her school – two by two – to see the doll’s house in the courtyard. However, the guests are not allowed to enter the Burnell house or have tea; they are simply to stand and admire the doll’s house.

Soon, every girl in school is invited to the Burnells, except for Lil and Els...