Meet Molly
YOU GUYS YOU GUYS, TERRIBLE NEWS. Well, okay, mildly unfortunate news. AMERICAN GIRL IS RETIRING MOLLY.
Molly, the 1940s girl who thirsts for glory and leadership and may someday achieve them if her tactlessness does not do her in first!
Pretty sure tactless is her middle name. When Emily the English refugee girl stays at Molly’s house, Molly is all friendly and welcoming and “Hello, refugee from the blitz! How about you come down in the basement and play fake bomb shelter with us! It will be fun!”
Emilly: O.O
Molly eventually realizes her mistake, and the two girls bond over their shared love of the two English princesses, only to almost destroy their friendship having a fight over Molly’s birthday party. They decide that it should be an English tea - only Emily, who despite being quite reserved is as stubborn as the day is long, wants it to really be a proper English tea, whereas Molly, though in theory enthusiastic about all things English, wants a proper birthday cake.
Molly is rather stunned that Emily won’t give in, partly because, after all, it is Molly’s birthday, and partly because Molly’s two everyday best friends generally follow her lead. Susan and Linda are all but indistinguishable, and I have the impression that - while Molly really does like them - she also likes the fact that she can lead them.
Molly, you see, is forever coming up with Plans. When we first meet her, she is trying to think of a way to convince Susan and Linda to be the ugly stepsisters to Molly’s Halloween Cinderella. This particular plan falls through, but fear not, Molly has plenty more! She wants to be the leader, the star: the guiding light to her class’s contribution to the war effort, the leader of her team in the summer camp game of capture the flag, the principal dancer in her tap class’s variety show.
This self-assurance - self-centeredness, even - is both one of Molly’s most winning qualities and her greatest flaw. Winning, because she has the talent and persistence to bring her Plans to fruition, and I admire that; but at the same time a flaw, because this is at the root of her tactlessness: she so wrapped up in herself that she often doesn’t seem to notice other people (and she positively sulks when she doesn’t win).
One of the things I love about Molly’s portrayal is that it does capture the duality of this quality: she’s great fun to read about because she’s always making things happen, but nonetheless this thirst for glory does lend a certain prickliness to her relationships with almost everyone in her life. She wants to be at the center of things; she doesn’t want to compromise!
But she does learn to compromise with Emily. In the end, they both apologize: Emily for taking over Molly’s birthday party because of her own homesickness, and Molly for losing her temper with Emily. It’s unfortunate that Emily and Molly probably never see each other again once Emily goes back to England. Maybe they could be penpals?
EPISTOLARY FIC. It could be a thing!
***
I have been thinking about American Girl against recently because there is going to be children’s and YA book fic exchange called fic_corner (the dreamwidth mirror community seems to be more active) (THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH EXCLAMATION POINTS IN THE WORLD TO SHOW HOW EXCITED I AM ABOUT THIS) and so I have been STRATEGIZING.
I think it is probably better to ask for fic about the American Girls who have been around longer (which, fortunately, tends to dovetail with the ones I want fic about...) because people are more likely to have the emotional investment to write for them.
Also the necessary canon knowledge. Caroline fic might be fun, but I am pretty sure I am the only person over the age of ten who has read her books.
Molly, the 1940s girl who thirsts for glory and leadership and may someday achieve them if her tactlessness does not do her in first!
Pretty sure tactless is her middle name. When Emily the English refugee girl stays at Molly’s house, Molly is all friendly and welcoming and “Hello, refugee from the blitz! How about you come down in the basement and play fake bomb shelter with us! It will be fun!”
Emilly: O.O
Molly eventually realizes her mistake, and the two girls bond over their shared love of the two English princesses, only to almost destroy their friendship having a fight over Molly’s birthday party. They decide that it should be an English tea - only Emily, who despite being quite reserved is as stubborn as the day is long, wants it to really be a proper English tea, whereas Molly, though in theory enthusiastic about all things English, wants a proper birthday cake.
Molly is rather stunned that Emily won’t give in, partly because, after all, it is Molly’s birthday, and partly because Molly’s two everyday best friends generally follow her lead. Susan and Linda are all but indistinguishable, and I have the impression that - while Molly really does like them - she also likes the fact that she can lead them.
Molly, you see, is forever coming up with Plans. When we first meet her, she is trying to think of a way to convince Susan and Linda to be the ugly stepsisters to Molly’s Halloween Cinderella. This particular plan falls through, but fear not, Molly has plenty more! She wants to be the leader, the star: the guiding light to her class’s contribution to the war effort, the leader of her team in the summer camp game of capture the flag, the principal dancer in her tap class’s variety show.
This self-assurance - self-centeredness, even - is both one of Molly’s most winning qualities and her greatest flaw. Winning, because she has the talent and persistence to bring her Plans to fruition, and I admire that; but at the same time a flaw, because this is at the root of her tactlessness: she so wrapped up in herself that she often doesn’t seem to notice other people (and she positively sulks when she doesn’t win).
One of the things I love about Molly’s portrayal is that it does capture the duality of this quality: she’s great fun to read about because she’s always making things happen, but nonetheless this thirst for glory does lend a certain prickliness to her relationships with almost everyone in her life. She wants to be at the center of things; she doesn’t want to compromise!
But she does learn to compromise with Emily. In the end, they both apologize: Emily for taking over Molly’s birthday party because of her own homesickness, and Molly for losing her temper with Emily. It’s unfortunate that Emily and Molly probably never see each other again once Emily goes back to England. Maybe they could be penpals?
EPISTOLARY FIC. It could be a thing!
***
I have been thinking about American Girl against recently because there is going to be children’s and YA book fic exchange called fic_corner (the dreamwidth mirror community seems to be more active) (THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH EXCLAMATION POINTS IN THE WORLD TO SHOW HOW EXCITED I AM ABOUT THIS) and so I have been STRATEGIZING.
I think it is probably better to ask for fic about the American Girls who have been around longer (which, fortunately, tends to dovetail with the ones I want fic about...) because people are more likely to have the emotional investment to write for them.
Also the necessary canon knowledge. Caroline fic might be fun, but I am pretty sure I am the only person over the age of ten who has read her books.