Paper Proposals Wanted for MMLA

A Literary Shelter for Misfit Dolls; Exploring Doll Play
Dolls have existed since the Stone Age and appear often in literature, but the signifcance of doll play has not been addressed. “Literary Dolls” are often bedraggled objects that resemble inhabitants of Rudolph’s Island of Misfit Toys. Yet, children love them because, like them, their dolls are imperfect. Laura’s doll in Little House in the Big Woods, a handkerchief wrapped corncob, is both an object of pity and a beloved toy. Dicken’s Jenny Wren repairs dolls to find the perfect form her own crippled body denies her. Papers could address how dolls provide companionship, why children prefer simple dolls or “misfit” dolls, how imaginative children create dolls out of anything, how dolls become ritual objects, etc.. .

Please send abstracts to Ellen M. Tsagaris, etsag1998@aol.com by June 6th. .

Chair: Ellen M. Tsagaris, etsag1998@aol.com.