The Doll People

“It had been forty-five years since Annabelle Doll had last seen Auntie Sarah. And forty-five years is a very long time, especially for an eight-year-old girl.”

Annabelle’s age is a paradox in the story: How can she be eight but have 45 years’ experience of missing Auntie Sarah? This puzzle is resolved when the novel reveals that Annabelle is a doll, trapped forever at eight years of age, no matter how much time passes. This helps to explain Annabelle’s boredom and frustration, both of which partially motivate her search for Sarah.

“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.