A little girl sometimes needs comforting from a stressful day. Perhaps big brother or big sister yelled at her, the dog upset her tea party, or a favorite possession broke. Often a doll provides that important psychological comfort. I believe the Raggedy Ann doll is better for little girls than the other dolls that are or have been on the market.
As I touched upon earlier, psychological comfort plays a major role. A doll must be "approachable", therefore, must have a "inviting" face. Raggedy Ann does: two freckles, triangular nose, beaming smile, shiny black eyes and her warm red heart. That perpetual smile radiates the assurance of a hopeless optimist. I can read many things into that face: concern, sympathy, confidence, joy. The Barbie doll has a facial expression somewhere between mild excitement and blankness. As for Holly Hobie, I don't know what lurks underneath that concealing bonnet. The child sees no face to identify with. Her spin-off, Strawberry Shortcake, has a nondescript face. I admit the baby do-this-or-that dolls generally have cute faces but I don't like dolls whose eyes close every time you move them. The so-called international dolls wear eye-catching costumes but have a decidedly blank look about them. The dolls ladies make and sell at bazaars often have faces out of proportion due to stitchery and/or stuffing errors. Part of being "approachable" deals with the child's attitude toward the doll. I am sure a little girl feels differently unloading her grievances, wishes, and feelings on, let's say, a Barbie or baby doll than to a Raggedy Ann. The other two dolls represent something from the adult world but Raggedy Ann rests more on the child's level.
I would classify Raggedy Ann as a neutral doll. Her red yarn hair doesn't prefer blondes to brunettes or orange hair to black. Unlike Barbie's plucked eyebrows and eyelashes, Raggedy Ann's are simply lines and small triangles. She doesn't uphold one ideal of female beauty, blond hair and blue eyes. A little girl with dark eyes and hair can cherish a doll that isn't fair of hair and blue of eye.
I think bringing a doll to bed is absolutely essential. Otherwise, it's like having an allowance and not being able to spend it. Raggedy Anns are made with soft stuffing and cloth, not out of hard rubber like Barbie and some baby dolls. A little girl couldn't take one of those elaborately costumed dolls to bed; it would ruin the doll. A Barbie would jab. Unlike Holly Hobie and Strawberry Shortcake, Raggedy Ann is three-dimensional--not a pancake of sewn together cloth. She's like hugging a little person.
For all her attributes, Raggedy Ann is comparatively priced. She doesn't come with a whole list of accessories like the Barbie doll. This can be desirable or not, depending on whether you are the parent or the manufacturer. Her lack of accessories makes her a safer doll, less things that might be swallowed. If Raggedy Ann gets dirty, Mommy or Daddy can wash her. One can't really "wash" a Barbie or one of those baby dolls.
Unlike most dolls currently on the market, Raggedy Ann's adventures originate, not from television, but from a much richer source -- a ten plus volume adventure series written solely about her and for her. None of the other dolls roam an enchanted land while her mistress sleeps. Raggedy Ann walks amid cookie bushes, meets princesses, fairies, royalty, and friendly animals that talk and dress like people. She makes taffy, enters quests for precious objects and lost items, has parties, and travels with companions like the hobby horse with the wrinkled knees. She conquers "bad" forces with her kind disposition and warm candy heart. She protects Mommy mice from "bad" kittens and unselfishly bestows magical wishes she earned on others. Ah, the list is endless. The books build a whole mystique around her. If a child reads or is read the Raggedy Ann series, the child gets an added plus. Despite all the wonderful adventures Raggedy Ann has while her little mistress sleeps, Raggedy Ann always returns by morning, always. She places herself exactly as her little mistress put her, giving no hint of her travels except a special twinkle in those shiny black eyes. This adds stability to the child's life like eating cereal out of the same bowl every morning. For most dolls, television defines their "adventures". Books provide the general outline. The child paints the picture; the child develops an imagination. Television draws and presents the whole picture.
One of the objections to Raggedy Ann hinges on this magical world. Some other dolls convey more of a sense of reality. Take Barbie and the baby dolls for example. Barbie's activities include dressing up, dating, and traveling, activities little girls will eventually do. The baby dolls attempt to prepare a child for motherhood by wetting diapers, saying "mommy", and crawling along the floor. I can raise other objections. Raggedy Ann can remind some people of trolls. The doll certainly isn't "modern" but "old-fashioned". Parents who buy their little girls this doll may seem non-conformist or fundamentalist to their "modern" acquaintances.
Unlike most of the "modern" dolls, I can say this--her charm lasts through childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. In fact, teenagers and adults still decorate with her. Her simple clothing done in warm cheery colors won't clash with most decor. She plops down anywhere, no stiff arms or legs to move. Raggedy Anns seem more socially acceptable than displaying a Barbie doll or Baby Walking Along. I think a little girl's doll should be hugged, cherished, and cried over. I believe Raggedy Ann fits those qualifications. I know I'll always cherish my Raggedy Ann. We've been through some tough times together; the day I lost my favorite stuffed Smoky the Bear, the time Mommy went away to the hospital, Christmas vacation with the measles in first grade, and, finals week in college. Her appeal is timeless.