A Real Doll : The Power of Imagery (Literary analysis of A. M. Homes short story "A Real Doll")

                                       A Real Doll: The Power of Imagery

A.M. Homes’ short story “A Real Doll” provides readers with a provocative plot and characterization that engages readers from the very first sentence. She brings to the forefront conflict, aggression, and issues with sexuality. These subjects are essentially taboo in American society and Homes pulls no punches in her literature. All of the things that remain unsaid in our households are unapologetically exposed in this tale.  It is Homes’ use of similes and constant repetition in an informal manner, however, that creates the powerful imagery which brings all of the characters to life and blurs the lines between fiction and reality.

Homes’ use of similes in this piece builds visuals of the main characters and their relationships. While the protagonist, a boy who remains nameless in the text, is having a brief conversation with a Barbie doll Homes demonstrates how he responds to her. She provides the reader with a simile of the boys head “bobbing up and down like a puppet on a weight” (Homes 1). This simile gives us a visual of the boy interacting with Barbie despite her being a doll. Further, she provides us with another simile describing Barbie’s eyes as “sparkling blue like the ocean on a good day” (Homes 1). Assuming the audience has experienced “the ocean on a good day” this vivid imagery would bring readers face-to-face with Barbie. One could imagine being in the boy’s position, falling in love with a beautiful woman and gazing into her eyes. As their relationship becomes more intimate similes used later in the story help  develop a visual of the significant size difference between them. This brings attention to the reality of their situation while still embracing the idea of Barbie being alive and fully functional  and can be seen in the text  where Homes writes: “With Barbie caught in my shirt I slowly rolled over, like in some space shuttle docking maneuver.”(4), “[Barbie’s] fingers were like the ends of toothpicks” (4), and “Barbie crawled all over me like an insect” (4). The reader cannot help but to be confused and intrigued all while trying to make sense of this odd relationship, and eventually, coming to the conclusion that the text is fiction.

In addition to similes Homes uses repetition to add depth to her story and help readers understand its content. Contrary to other authors, her use of repetition is unlike that of the mocking bird approach where an author would simply repeat something in the exact some manner.  Instead, she restates some of her words and ideas in a more defined or explanatory fashion.  An early example of this repetition style is shown when the boy asks Barbie what type of Barbie she is and Barbie responds “I’m Tropical” (Homes 1), the boy then narrates “I’m Tropical” (Homes 1) and goes on to explain Barbie’s statement as “the same way a person might say I’m Catholic or I’m Jewish” (Homes 1). In the same paragraph Homes writes “Barbie squeaked. She actually squeaked.” (1). Then, she goes on to explain  “It turned out that squeaking was Barbie’s birth defect” (Homes 1). Understanding that humans are sometimes born with birth defects as a result of poor prenatal care, this statement adds an element  of reality to the story causing the reader wonder if Barbie was in fact conceived as a human would be or if she was produced in a factory like a toy. As the story progresses, so does the boy and Barbie’s relationship. Soon, they become sexually involved.  After they finish having sex for the first time and the boy reaches his climax the boy narrates “I came. I came all over Barbie, all over her and a little bit in her hair” (Homes 4) repeating again “I came on Barbie and it was the most horrifying experience I ever had” (Homes 4). Whenever Homes uses the informal statement “I came” (4) in this piece she goes on to elaborate what the statement entails, beginning with the statement and then adding to it. She does this again in the story when the boy and his family are having dinner and a conversation is struck up about his grandmother and whether or not she’s a “girl” (Homes 4). This conversation humors the boy’s father so much that he “chuckled” (Homes 4). Homes then writes “He actually fucking chuckled. He’s the only person I ever met who could actually fucking chuckle” (4), adding depth to the statement each time it’s used.

Throughout the story, Homes speaks to the audience using her characters and creates a very down-to-earth, informal tone. Her use of informal terms and simplifications makes it easy for the reader to not only read the words on the paper but comprehend and relate situations to their everyday lives. In some cases, such as a research article, an author’s creditability might be negatively impacted by using such an informal approach but Homes’ informalities build trust with her readers.  While Homes could have used the medical terminology in writing about the pills she mentions in the story she simply calls them by their brand name “Valiums” (1), and rather than saying penis when the  referring  to male genitals the term “dick”(Homes 4) is used. Other informal terms Homes uses in the story are “wow”(1), ”o.d.’ed”(1), ”faggot”(1), “ass crack”(4), “fucking”(4),  ”fuck”(6),  and “porno”(6) to name a few. Although these terms in particular can be found in the text, the informal vibe would still be prominent and just as effective without them.

The relationship between the boy and Barbie does not last as a result of Barbie undergoing a “[breast] reduction”(Homes7) and  being “ruined” by her owner, the boys younger sister, Jennifer(Homes 7).Despite the somewhat tragic ending Homes’ story is imprinted into the mind of the reader. Homes use of similes brings the characters to life and at the same time calls attention to the truth about Barbie’s size. While using similes to create visuals, her use of repetition adds depth and definition to the characters. Finally, Homes informalities throughout appeal to a down-to-earth audience making it easy for the reader to relate. Using the three devices collectively Homes paints a vivid picture, creates powerful imagery and blurs the lines between fact and fiction.    

Work Cited

Homes, A.M.  “A Real Doll.”  Barcelonareview.com. N.p. n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2011.  

Children in the Poor : essay by me

                                                                            Children in the Poor

Growing up in a poor environment plagued by pollution, lack of food, neglectful parents and reckless peers has been proven to have a negative effect on the learning ability and behavior of a child. As stated by Doctor Jennifer Baxt “The environment in which people live can have one of the greatest, lasting effects on a person for the rest of their life.” Children brought up in these predicaments tend to suffer more than their peers raised in wealthy, nurturing environments.

Robert Rector, author of the article “How Poor Are America's Poor? Examining the ‘Plague’ of Poverty in America,” mentions that in the United States of America approximately 37 million people are poor. Of these less fortunate Americans, material belongings are not the issue. Some of these families own homes and vehicles and at least 97% of these people even own at least one color television (Rector). However, 30% of poverty stricken Americans face over crowded homes, temporary hunger spells, and an extremely hard time finding and obtaining affordable health care for themselves and their families (Rector). Sadly, the only income in these homes is often the result of a single parent working part-time averaging only 16 hours a week, making barely enough to get by (Rector). The adults or parents in these circumstances are more concerned with providing for their families and “making ends meet” than spending time with their children and in turn the children are neglected.

In understanding the dilemma these unfortunate children face in relation to learning and behavior, it helps to be aware of different learning styles. C. Wade and C. Travis, authors of Psychology write about the different learning perspectives in the discipline of psychology. Two theories emphasized in the learning perspective of psychology are behaviorism, and the social-cognitive learning theory. In the behaviorism theory, Behaviorists study how the environment and personal experience affects a person’s actions. They believe that the environment alone can reward or punish an individual, causing them continue or stop certain actions and behaviors (21).  An example of behaviorism would be a person becoming more violent when their environment rewards them for it (21). On the other hand, social-cognitive learning theorists study not only behavior, but research on thoughts, values, expectations, and intentions. They believe people adapt to their environments and also do and think as their peers, learning not only from their surroundings but from others, as well. A social-cognitive theorist would view the act of violence in a way that a child exposed to a violent role model would be more likely to act in an aggressive manner than a child with a peaceful role model. In both cases, the environment plays a valuable role in a child’s learning whether a child learns directly from their environment or the people within it.  

Wade and Travis further elaborate on the relationship between the environment and intelligence. They explain that children faced with “poor prenatal care, malnutrition, toxins (such as lead paint), and stressful family circumstances” are subject to reduced mental ability based off of IQ scores and their ability to learn (23). Although the environment plays a large role in the effects of learning and behavior, genetics also contribute. However, only about a third of genetics can be related to behavior directly (86).

These children learn most from how their parents deal with stressful situations. In a home where the parents are constantly fighting or arguing, the children learn these behaviors (Baxt). If a young boy, for example, was to see his mother being abused by a man, and his mother stayed in that relationship, he would believe it was okay to put his hands on a woman or that it’s alright to mistreat his mother. However, a child who is raised in a positive, non-abusive environment, where a young boy saw his parents being affectionate with one another, that child may learn how to have a healthy relationship.   

 Children who are raised in poor neighborhoods are often exposed to violent crimes such as rape and murder. These crimes are committed by members of the community in which these children are raised. They attend sparsely funded public schools and are also influenced by older children in their neighborhood who drop out of school and have children or turn to selling drugs to illegally help their single parents provide for their siblings. A youth raised in such a negative environment may be inclined to partake in such criminal activities simply because they see their peers being rewarded for such actions that others would frown upon.  

According to Baxt these children grow up living with depression, post-traumatic stress, and hard social lives. They lead uncomfortable, worried lives as adults and often don’t know how to live their lives “the right way” (Baxt).

 Being raised in such a poor neighborhood or environment can not only have a negative effect on a child’s behavior and cognitive development but can also influence a child’s future. Poor children are often exposed to violent crimes, live in unsupportive homes, and attend underfunded public schools. Whether these children learn from the environment they live in directly or from their peers, one thing is for sure; they continue to learn despite their circumstances.     

                                                      Works cited

Dr. Baxt, Jennifer DMFT, NCC, DCC. “Does poor living conditions affect children”. Complete

Counseling Solutions 2011. Web. 10 Oct. 2011.

Rector, Robert.  “How Poor Are America's Poor? Examining the ‘Plague’ of Poverty in America.” The 

Heritage foundation 2007. Web. 10 Oct. 2011.

Wade, Carole and Carol Travis.  Psychology. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2011. Print.