The Doll People

“Mama was standing on her head next to the piano, which was where Kate had left her that morning. It was a most uncomfortable position.”

The image of Mama standing on her head sets a comic tone, as does the polite understatement of the commentary “It was a most uncomfortable position.” This latter statement also helps to characterize the Doll family, who are formal, polite, and conventional, as shaped by the period in which they were created.

“Her secret was wonderful, and it was the only thing, the only thing, that prevented Annabelle from actually dying of boredom.”

The hyperbole associated with Annabelle’s feelings—that she will “die” of boredom—conveys how different she is from other members of her family. She not only is much “younger” than the five adults in the family but also has a more dramatic and adventurous personality. The use of repetition and italics in “the only thing” underscores this sense of drama.

“The adults were always threatening her and Bobby with Permanent Doll State, but Annabelle didn’t believe it existed. For one thing, no one had been very clear about what, exactly, caused Permanent Doll State.”

Annabelle’s skepticism demonstrates her logical mind and a slight tendency toward rebellion that distinguish her from the rest of the Doll family. Annabelle looks for evidence instead of just believing everything she is told, and she is willing to violate norms and customs if she believes they exist for no good reason. This supports the novel’s theme of Following One’s Own Moral Compass.

“Annabelle thought about brave Auntie Sarah. She thought about Amelia Earhart and Eleanor Roosevelt and Nancy Drew. ‘I’m going anyway,’ she said.”

Annabelle’s listing of brave and pioneering women creates humor because it ends with the fictional Nancy Drew. This conveys Annabelle’s innocence as well as her desire to be like these women who represent The Benefits of Adventure and Discovery. It also blurs the boundary between the “real” and “unreal” worlds, in parallel to the novel’s magic realism.

“You know what? Our families are just the same.”

Annabelle’s comment to the Funcrafts is unintentionally ironic. Her experience of the world is so limited that she believes all dollhouse dolls must be fundamentally similar—but soon she will learn that, although the Funcrafts also have a mother, father, older sister, younger brother, and baby in their family, they are actually different from the Doll family in almost every other way.

“‘They don’t seem like bad people,’ added Nanny.

‘No,’ agreed Papa. ‘Just different.’”

Although Mama, Nanny, and Papa are uncomfortable with the Funcrafts’ more exuberant attitudes and disregard for rules, they make a point of distinguishing between “bad” and being “different.” This models acceptance for the young Dolls and is an important building block in the story’s argument about Respecting People’s Differences.

“Annabelle wanted to shout. She wanted to grab Tiffany and tell her what Rancher Family was. […] But she didn’t move so much as an eyebrow, and neither did Tiffany.”

Annabelle’s concern for others and her developing friendship with Tiffany are both displayed in this moment. The repetitive structure of what Annabelle “want[s],” however, is juxtaposed against her reality: She is powerless in this moment, as is Tiffany.

“Oh. Oh, no, thought Annabelle. What a horrible experience for the Funcrafts.”

The repetition of the word “Oh” conveys Annabelle’s genuine distress for the Funcrafts. Her compassion for the new neighbors is unintentionally ironic, however. Just a few moments after she has this thought, she discovers that, far from finding the experience “horrible,” the Funcrafts greatly enjoy playing Rancher Family.

“If Auntie Sarah were here, she wouldn’t just sit around waiting to get chewed up. She’d risk moving. And so will I.”

The short sentences create a choppy tone that conveys the urgency of Annabelle’s situation. In this desperate moment, she draws courage from her memories of Sarah and decides to take a risk in order to save herself.

“I’m a lot like her. I get so bored sometimes. I want to do things. I want to try things. I want to go places and see things.”

As Annabelle describes her dissatisfaction to Tiffany, the anaphora and parallel construction of her list emphasize her many frustrated desires. The vagueness of the repeated diction “things” conveys how limited her experience has been up until this point: She is unable to be more specific because, really, Annabelle knows so little about the world outside of the dollhouse that she does not yet know exactly what “things” she wants to do, try, and see. Now that Tiffany is a part of her life, at least Annabelle is finally able to voice her feelings to another person—demonstrating The Importance of Friendship.

“There were so many things wrong with what Tiffany was doing at that moment that Annabelle could barely count them. […]

Annabelle’s head was spinning.”

As Annabelle sees Tiffany sneaking past both Kate and Grandma Katherine, she is dizzied by the risk that Tiffany is taking. This illustrates a fundamental difference between Annabelle and Tiffany: While both are willing to take risks that others are not, Annabelle does so within reason, despite her fears—while Tiffany takes unreasonable risks due to her impatience and general lack of fear.

“What I mostly remember is that she would tell me about explorers and scientists and pioneers and politicians. Mostly women. Women who made a difference.”

The polysyndeton in Annabelle’s list stresses the accumulation of inspirational figures in Sarah’s conversation. That this consistent messaging about women who were bold enough to make a difference made an impression on Annabelle is clear when she says that this is what she “mostly” remembers about talking with Sarah. This shows how deeply Sarah has influenced Annabelle’s understanding of the benefits of adventure and discovery.

“‘Well, I don’t know whose writing that is,’ said Tiffany, ‘but I know something else.’

‘What?’ cried Annabelle.

‘Your aunt must be in the attic. And someone wants us to look for her there.’”

Annabelle’s discovery that the handwriting of the final journal entry does not match that of the other entries creates another mystery for the girls to solve. Tiffany’s dramatic pronouncement that Sarah must be in the attic and that someone unknown is guiding them to look there increases the story’s suspense, as the reader has not been told who this unknown figure is or what their motivations might be.

“‘We don’t have to say exactly where we’re going.’

‘Oh, that doesn’t seem quite right. Besides, we’re still in trouble for coming home late the last time.’”

This exchange between Tiffany and Annabelle illustrates the differences in their worldviews. Tiffany is pragmatic and willing to go around the rules to get what she wants; Annabelle is more conventional and rule bound, and she is unwilling to give her parents anything less than total honesty, demonstrating her integrity.

“Tiffany approached them. ‘Really. Don’t be afraid of The Captain. I promise he’s just playing.’”

Up until this point, Annabelle has admired Tiffany’s fearless confidence. When Tiffany makes this promise, the Dolls trust her—and it leads to disaster. From this incident, Annabelle learns the difference between confidence and overconfidence, leading to a more realistic understanding of her new friend and of her own relationship to risk taking.

“Tiffany, let’s not fight […] 

[…]

[L]et’s just do what we have to do. Together.”

Annabelle is very angry at Tiffany for the first time, and she struggles to accept her friend’s apology. Her eventual conclusion is a practical one—this is not the time for fighting, it is a time to work together to clean up Nora’s room and rescue Papa. Her inclusion of Tiffany as part of the solution demonstrates her kind nature as well as her real need to keep Tiffany as a friend.

“‘Come on, everybody,’ she said, shooing her family toward the door. ‘We have a lot to do. And look at the time. Uncle Doll, Bobby—you take Mama home.’”

The connotation of the diction “shooing” indicates that Annabelle is in the position of authority in this moment. Her short sentences convey a tone of urgency and determination as she spells out what each member of her family—including the adults—is to do next.

“Annabelle looked at him sitting in the parlor with Mama and Nanny and Bobby and Baby Betsy. She took a picture of them with her mind.”

The metaphor comparing Annabelle’s mind to a camera capturing the scene permanently conveys how important her family is to her. The polysyndeton in her list of family members stresses how their presences build up, creating a whole that is greater than its parts. The scene of togetherness is especially poignant for her at this moment, while Papa is still missing and just after Uncle Doll has put aside his grievance against the other adults in the family.

“Then she jumped as a loud voice exclaimed ‘Are you crazy? After all this time?’”

Sarah’s sudden exclamation shocks Annabelle and creates a dramatic climax for the story. It immediately follows the anticlimax of finding Sarah apparently in Permanent Doll State; the juxtaposition of these two moments creates an uneven emotional journey for Annabelle and—potentially—the reader. Sarah’s first words are amusingly direct, characterizing her as confident and bold, just as Annabelle remembers.

“She had been wedged there for close to a week, and during that time had felt groggy and sluggish, like a frog hibernating at the bottom of a pond.”

The simile comparing Annabelle’s feelings to those of a hibernating frog helps clarify the difference between this state and Doll State. Instead of a kind of punishment, this state that dolls enter when they are trapped and alone somewhere is portrayed as a kind of merciful protection from boredom and loneliness.

“‘We definitely have to come back here,’ said Bailey. ‘We could play here every night.’

[…]

Mama and Papa said little, but Annabelle could see them gazing around the attic with wide, curious eyes.”

Bailey and Bobby react to the attic with wonder and excitement. When Bailey says that he and Bobby will come back frequently to play, Mama and Papa do not object as they most certainly would have done at the beginning of the story. Their “wide, curious eyes” show that they, too, are excited in this brand new space. Annabelle’s belief in the benefits of adventure and discovery has clearly rubbed off on her family members, and this hints that it may be easier for her, in future, to live the kind of life she craves.

“‘Ahem. You forget whom you’re talking about,’ said Auntie Sara. […] ‘I’m not afraid of cats, you know.’

[…]

‘Not to mention that they are fascinating to study.’”

Even though she has been trapped for 45 years as a result of her last adventure, Sarah is immediately prepared for another one. She expresses a fearlessness that echoes Tiffany’s and a curiosity like Annabelle’s. Sarah’s formal diction—using the grammatically correct object case “whom” instead of the more casual “who” often employed in speech—is a reminder that, despite her independence and boldness, she is still a member of the 100-year-old Doll family and believes in certain proprieties.

“[S]he believed she had found a true friend […] [S]he no longer felt restless. And she no longer felt that something was missing. She had found Tiffany and she felt whole.”

A key part of the novel’s central conflict is Annabelle’s desire to lead a richer life. Now that she has found friendship with Tiffany, she is content, resolving this part of the central conflict and showing the importance of friendship.