Why does Kezia invite the Kelvey girls to see the doll's house in "The Doll’s House"?
It is interesting to compare Kezia with her sisters and how they treat the Doll's House. It is clear that for her sisters, the Doll's House becomes a valuable "chip" with which they can play and maintain their superiority in their society. However, perhaps Kezia wanted to rebel against this...
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social segregation and share the light of the lamp - something that she has been attracted to since they first received the House - with others.
"The lamp's best of all," cried Kezia. She thought Isabel wasn't making half enough of the little lamp.
Clearly the light of the lamp can be said to operate symbolically in this tale, referring to the light of a world free from prejudice or class restraints (note Else's comment about the lamp at the end of the tale). Kezia wants to show and share the house with the Kelveys, and even asks if she can invite them round. However, she is refused without a proper explanation, only being told "You know quite well why not." Notice too that Kezia invites the Kelveys in immediately after the most savage bit of taunting that the girls make against the Kelveys - she clearly feels that the Kelveys are wronged and wishes to share the light of the lamp and the House with those who have little other "light" in their lives.
What occurred in "The Doll's House" post Kezia's invitation to the Kelvey sisters?
Mrs. Burnell is a bit of a snob. An awful lot of money has clearly been spent on her daughter's shiny new doll's house, so the last thing she wants is for the dirt-poor Kelvey sisters to get their grubby little mitts all over it. But after an initial burst of enthusiasm over her new toy, Kezia gets bored of the doll's house—so bored, in fact, that she invites the Kelvey sisters to come over and play inside it. The sisters are astonished at Kezia's invitation; in fact, they're surprised that Kezia is even talking to them, given how snobbish her mother is. But they don't need to be asked twice, so they happily walk over to the Burnells' courtyard to explore the magnificent doll's house.
Unfortunately, Kezia has barely opened the door to the doll's house before her Aunt Beryl yells at her for allowing the Kelvey sisters into the courtyard. Aunt Beryl tells the Kelvey sisters to go away and never come back again, shooing them away like chickens. The sisters are understandably disappointed at not being able to play in the doll's house, but they did at least catch a glimpse of the little lamp burning inside.