Sometimes these are quite isolated from each other and from sickness, and sometimes all follow in due course. Of all the returns available under this rubric, 90 children mentioned burial, their average age being nine; 80 mentioned funerals, 73 imagined their dolls dead, 30 dug up dolls after burial to see if they had gone to Heaven, or simply to get them back. Of these 11 dug them up the same day. Only 9 speak of them as dying naturally of definite diseases. 15 put them under sofa, in drawers, attics or gave them away, calling this death; 30 express positive belief in future life of dolls, 8 mentioned future life for them without revealing their own convictions, 3 buried dolls with pets and left them, 3 bad or dirty dolls went to the bad place, 14 to Heaven; 17 children were especially fond of funerals. 12 dolls came to death by accidental bumps or fractures, 1 burst, 1 died of a melted face, 2 were drowned (1 a paper doll), 1 died because her crying apparatus was broken, 1 doll murdered another, was tried and hung. Dolls of which children tire often die. 30 children had never imagined dolls dead. This parents often forbid. 1 boy killed his sister’s doll with a toy cannon, 3 resurrected dolls and got new names, 5 out of 7 preachers at dolls’ funerals were boys, 1 was the doctor; 3 doll undertakers are described. 22 cases report grief that seems to be very real and deep; in 23 cases this seemed feigned. The mourning is sometimes real black and sometimes pretended. 19 put flowers on dolls’ graves, 1 “all that week”; 28 expressly say that dolls have no souls, are not alive, and have no future life. In 21 cases there was death but no burial; in 10, funerals but no burials; in 8, funerals but no death.
From “A Study of Dolls” by A. Caswell, Ellis and
G. Stanley Hall, Journal of Genetic Psychology Vol. 4,
Granville Stanley Hall, Carl Allanmore Murchison
Journal Press, 1897