The Review of ‘The Doll’s House’ by Katherine Mansfield Through the Philosophy of Louis Pierre Althusser

The concept of ‘ideological state apparatuses (isas)’ by french philosopher louis pierre althusser has been derived from the ‘repressive state apparatuses (rsas)’ of karl marx. both concepts are based on this principle: the state profits by various institutions to give shape to society according to its ideology. the institutions such as the police, the army, prisons, and courts are accepted as the repressive state apparatuses; the institutions such as religion, family, school, political parties, associations are accepted as the ideological state apparatuses. in our study, first, information about ‘ideological state apparatuses’ and ‘repressive state apparatuses’ have been presented and they have also been compared. then, the short story of katherine mansfield, ‘the doll’s house’, has been analyzed in this context and the role of ideological state apparatuses, particularly of family and school, in raising children and forming society has been tried to be examined. the life-styles and possessions of the burnell’s children who will represent the rich and dominant class in the future and the living conditions and deprivations of the kelvey’s children who will symbolise the poor working class have been compared and the contributions of ideological state apparatuses, suc as family and school on the personality development of these children have been tried to be analysed.