Literary Analysis Essay on "The Doll's House" and "My Oedipus Complex"

Introduction

Both "The Doll's House" and "My Oedipus Complex" were based on the lessons that explored through the protagonists- both stories come into an age where they taught the girls more concerning harsh facts of the world. From love relationships to social stigma, not turning out how they once anticipated, these stories were an entertaining play on the child's perspective of the world.

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Anita Desai wrote, "Work is the business of adults, but the play is often considered the business of children." Isabel Burnell, in "The Doll's House," shed light on the girls about the story of the dollhouse that they received from Mrs. Hay- Isabel volunteered as narration nominee, "because I'm the eldest. And you two can join in after. But I'm to tell you first" (Mansfield, 9). The Burnell sisters kept inviting all the students from their class but left Lil and Else, the Kelvey sisters who, compared to them, belonged to a lower social level. It was a negative feeling to Kexia Bunnel to the girls- she asked her mother's advice towards the need to get the girls to view, bu the mother forbids it. In "My Oedipus Complex," Larry discusses his plans for the day with his mom each dawn. His feet, Mrs. Right and Mrs. Left, had formerly worked out these plans for him upon getting off the bed. The time Larry spent with his mom was the only thing that occupied his mind. However, this occurred before his father was released out of prison.

These two stories show a maturing reality for the kids. Kezia Burnell felt bad that Lil and Else were the only people not invited to see the dollhouse. She felt sorry that they were harassed and desired to make them happy, even if it meant for a short period when no one around them acknowledged them. She manages to sneak them into the backyard, but her aunt Beryl scolds her and even chases them away. She endeavored to allow them to see the dollhouse, but the Kelvey's social stigma triumphed. Else Kelvey got an opportunity to view an oil lamp, an item that all of the other girls raged about. This occurs as a chance of satisfaction to Lil and Kelvey, where Kelvey, "put out a finger and stroked her sister's quill; she smiled her infrequent smile" (Mansfield, 65).

When the father comes home from way, Larry realizes that he was not the only man in the life of his mother. The very thing that he had been going to church and praying for was the thing that would put a damper in his blissful life. His mother's attention was taken away from him, and he was not the center of her world any longer. If that wasn't bad enough, a new baby came, which he ironically had also hoped for, and he had to share his mother yet again- This turned out a blessing in disguise. However, because of the contempt that felt his father had turned into sympathy when his father was now ignored by his mother too. When his father snuck into Larry's bed to escape the baby's crying, Larry comforted him by saying, "Ah, come on and put your arm around us, can't you?" (O'Connor, 121). Although they were losing time with their mother due to baby Sonny's demands, they formed a bond with each other.

Social alienation occurred against the Kelvey sisters because they were poor, the daughters of a "hardworking little washerwoman," and rumors spread that their father was behind prison bars. They were not allowed to associate with the other girls in their school, and the other girls did not talk to them, except only to make fun of them. Burrell's children attended the school together with the others due to a lack of choice. "For the fact was, the school the Burnell children went to was not at all the kind of place their parents would have chosen if there had been any choice. But there was none- It was the only school for miles" (Mansfield, 15). There was a defined class division in this society. The poor were not treated as equals and were looked down on by the upper class. The poor Kelvey girls were made to feel inferior to the point where little Else barley spoke and rarely smiled.

Larry felt alienation from his mother when his father came back from the war. Kelvey's opportunity of sharing his day with her mother while crawling in bed was over. He could no longer get to church, and taking a walk in the country seemed over. All of his mother's time seemed to be devoted to Daddy, and he had to stay quiet and play by himself. He did not feel that it was fair that he was not allowed to talk to his Mummy like he used to state, "The injustice of it got me down. I had convicted her out of her mouth of inconsistency and unreasonableness, and she hadn't even attempted to reply. Full of spite, I gave Father a kick, which she didn't notice but which made him grunt and opened his eyes in alarm" (O'Connor, 79). Larry felt that his place as a man of the house had been taken over and even wished his father to go back to war.

In "The Doll's House," Katherine's view criticized the social inequalities encountered by the time of setting. By writing about the doll's house, she was demonstrating how an object could be used to represent a social class. The expensive nature of the house was illustrated by the details entailed in the house's beauty, "It's two solid little chimneys, glued on to the roof, were painted red and white, and the door, gleaming with yellow varnish, was like a little slab of toffee. Four windows, actual windows, were separated into panes by an extensive streak of green. There was really a small porch, also, painted yellow, with big lumps of durable paint hanging along the edge" (Mansfield, 2). An outstanding part of the house was"an attractive little amber lamp with a white globe" (Mansfield, 6). This lamp represented a glimmer of hope for the poor. Even though there were evident inequalities, there was still hope of a better future. By Else being able to view the precious lamp, she was given a glimpse of hope that good things could happen after all.

I found it rather satisfying when Else was able to see the lamp. Although their viewing of the dollhouse was brief, they were still given a brief opportunity to be included. Throughout the story, the description of the Kelvey girls made you feel sympathetic to them and their circumstances. It was a great win when Else was able to smile, even though briefly.

In "My Oedipus Complex," Frank O'Connor took a rather humorous approach to the story. Larry's hopes for his future, to marry his mother and have babies, is a light-hearted way to display the mind of a child. The story took an ironic twist when baby Sonny arrived. Even though something may happen that disrupts your world and your normal routine, it may end up being a good thing. Larry was upset at first that his father's return took changed his regular routine. Sonny being born changed that routine again but actually caused him and his father to bond. The decent railroad that Larry's father got him for Christmas symbolizes the new connection that they had created.

O'Connor prevails in his comical approach to how a kid perceives the world. From beginning the story as being eager to start the day, to being frustrated when his world transforms. We follow Larry on a thrill ride of feelings and new life encounters. We see him develop when he was comforting his dad since he could identify with where he was coming from. One feels empathy when Larry describes his forlorn mornings gazing out the window, "At that point, I got my seat and glanced out the storage room window for extra hours. I wished it was the perfect opportunity for Father to wake; I wished someone would make me some tea. I did not feel at all like the sun; instead, I was exhausted, therefore very cold! I just desired for the glow and profundity of the big featherbed" (O'Connor, 69). Larry felt alone on the planet, trusting that his dad will wake. It was touching when they had the option to locate a shared conviction towards the end when Sonny was conceived.

Life lessons that children learn as they grow up are demonstrated in the two stories. Kezia Burnell in "The Doll's House" learns to consider the feelings of others despite the fact that the world was advising her not to. Everybody has dignity and has the right to be treated with deference. Larry, in "My Oedipus Complex," appears to be withdrawn when his dad returns, and he is "constrained" to be with a man he little knows and has to observe new rules. He discovered that the world did not rotate around him only. Both "The Doll's House" and "My Oedipus Complex" expounded on how the heroes figured out how to think about others' emotions and not merely their own.

Both of these stories were engaging about an unfairness that a kid might confront during the upbringing period and illustrates ways of overcoming all these challenges. Clearly, in various circumstances, we go through all our lives, there are valuable lessons. The many inequalities that we experience when young help us to grow and learn. The two stories teach us how we can become useful in bad situations. The two stories have a moral lesson that, as children, when treated negatively in our families, we do not have to become big-headed or rude and withdraw. They teach kids to be responsible and accept the situations of life and find solutions or ways in which we can prove ourselves to society. It might be quite a burden, but with humility and wisdom, kids can fit back in the family and get appreciated at the end of all the unfairness they have faced. It is suitable for all kids to remain positive in all the situations they encounter in their homes.

Works Cited

Mansfield, Katherine. "The Doll's House and other stories." Norfolk, 1947.

O'Connor, Frank. "My Oedipus Complex and Other Stories." London, 1963.