American Girl Dolls Distort U.S. History

10-23-97
University Park, Pa. -- The American Girl series of dolls presents a sanitized and often distorted view of American history that ignores unpleasant unrealities, past and present, says a Penn State researcher.

"When history and politics are disguised in the image of nostalgia, innocence and simplicity, there is much more at stake than the danger of simple deception," says Dr. Jeanne Brady, assistant professor of education at Penn State and a specialist in curriculum and supervision. "History presented in American Girl trappings becomes a romanticized chronicle exonerated of its contradictory, complex and seamy sides.

"The purpose of historical fiction should not be to expose children to the atrocities of the past," Brady notes. "However, it should be able to transform an uncomplicated reading of history into a tangible experience that allows both students and teachers to confront the past and challenge the present."

A faculty member in the College of Education, Brady is author of the chapter, "Multiculturalism and the American Dream," which appeared in the recently published book, "Kinderculture: The Corporate Construction Of Childhood" (Westview Press).

Most recently, the American Girl Collection consists of five American Girl dolls -- -- Felicity, Kirsten, Addy, Samantha and Molly -- with historically accurate clothes and accessories. They can be purchased along with a series of companion books explaining the details of a girl's life during a particular historical period, Brady notes.

The price of one doll and a paperback book is $88. Additional accessories can cost as much as $1,000, while the complete collection of all five dolls with accessories costs more than $5,000.

"The American Girl series, consisting of matching dolls and texts, is intended to show that life in the past -- whether it be 1774, 1854, 1864, 1904 and 1944 -- was simple, wholesome and complete," Brady says. "While they contain moments of adventure, stories conveniently overlook issues of struggle, conflict, imperialism and repression.

"For example, Molly, a typical 'American Girl' from the World War II period, deals with patriotism and a war effort that entails hardship and adversity. On the other hand, Molly and her friends live in a world of white racial conformity with no hint of war profiteering or the mass herding of Japanese-American adults and children into concentration camps."

As a part of the commercial packaging, the images and text display nostalgic and romantic notions of childhood shared by only certain segments of American society, Brady says.

"The elegant packaging of the catalog, along with its elegant price, gives further evidence that the American Girl series is marketed only for the social and economic elite," she adds.

**pab**

EDITORS: Dr. Brady can be reached at (814) 865-6565 (office) or at jxb57@psu.edu by email.

Contacts:
Paul Blaum (814) 865-9481 (office) (814) 867-1126 (home) pab15@psu.edu
Vicki Fong (814) 865-9481 (office) (814) 238-1221 (home) vyf1@psu.edu