Genre
Short story; realistic fiction.
Setting and Context
The story is set in a mixed-income part of New Zealand in the early-twentieth century.
Narrator and Point of View
The story is narrated by an unnamed third-person omniscient narrator; the point of view shifts between characters.
Tone and Mood
The tone changes depending on which character's internal voice the narrator adopts; the mood is one of pity.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonist is Kezia Burnell; the antagonists include Kezia mother and Aunt Beryl.
Major Conflict
The story's major conflict is that every girl at school is allowed to see the Burnells' doll's house except Lil and Else Kelvey, who are ostracized because of their poverty and lower social class.
Climax
The story reaches its climax when Kezia Burnell secretly brings the Kelveys to see the doll's house; Aunt Beryl catches them and coldly shoos the Kelveys away.
