Raggedy Ann Stories Book

Childhood classics are always dicey things. Sometimes they age better than others. Raggedy Ann falls somewhere in the middle of that spectrum, I think.

I mean, let's get this out of the way: Raggedy's mistress, Marcella, is a spoiled little upper-class white girl, complete with a stereotype of a black servant called Dinah. It was fine in 1918 I'm sure, but it's a bit more outmoded now than, say, the adventures of Peter Rabbit (who slightly predates Raggedy). Raggedy herself is implausibly sweet and patient and universally beloved by all who meet her, and would frankly make Pollyanna look downright pessimistic.

All the same, I can't help feeling a sense of nostalgia as I read these stories to my daughter. And though Raggedy Ann might be overly sweet, she's sweet in a way that I find endearing rather than obnoxious. Marcella might be spoiled, but Raggedy provides a much better example as she thinks through problems, owns up to her mistakes, treats others kindly and helps those in need. Her adventures are varied and inventive, whimsical without entirely losing a sense of realism. (Um. With the possible exception of the story where Marcella's new baby brother is delivered. By fairies, who fly him in through the nursery window. Sigh.)

Speaking of realism: One thing I found particularly interesting was the way Raggedy Ann acts in most of the stories. She is, of course, of the "the toys are secretly alive" genre, and sometimes that means that she and the other dolls get up and walk and talk and have adventures. Just as often, though, she acts like a perfectly normal rag dolly who goes through the same things that other dolls might. In other stories where toys come alive, I often have the sense that the human world isn't really that real, that it's an obstacle for the toys to overcome. That isn't the case here; the world of living toys and the world of the people who play with them are neatly balanced, with adventures happening in both spheres. Somehow it gives me a better sense of the toys needing their mistress (and the other humans) than all the "Ohmygod Andy might get rid of us!" freakouts in the Toy Story movies.