Dolling up history: American Girl and representations of gender and the past

This study explores how the American Girl company’s line of historical character dolls and books convey history and conceptualize girlhood. I review the scholarly literature on American Girl, doll design and play, children’s literature, girlhood, and historic memory and preservation. Through a narrative analysis informed by feminist rhetorical criticism, I examine the first books of eight American Girl historical characters and the accompanying toys available for purchase on American Girl’s website. My analysis then determines how American Girl portrays history through its stories and objects, how American Girl defines girlhood, and how the historical girlhood presented in the books relates to contemporary girlhood. I conclude with a discussion of this study’s strengths, limitations, and directions for future research.