Doll-namics: Decoding your American Girl Doll Personality Part VI

Cityscape

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Samantha Parkington

Circa: 1900s

Location: Upstate New York / New York City

Samantha is a wealthy orphan living with her classy Grandmary in upstate New York until her attratice Uncle Guard and new wife Cornelia take her to live in New York City with them. Samantha is all gilded age glamor and the original material girl, but through living with her forward-thinking aunt and uncle she is exposed to the fight for women’s suffrage and through her bestie Nellie, the horrors of child labor.

After Samantha moves into the swanky mansion, she apprehensively begins to attend women’s suffrage meetings with Aunt Cornelia. At first, she doesn’t understand the meaning of the movement or why women even would want to vote, but she soon recognizes the importance of having your voice heard. Samantha is interested in the new world evolving around her and is often found impressed in the face of new inventions, such as the novel and intriguing shower! In school, Samantha discovers a talent for public speaking and persuasion which, as far as we know, she uses for good.

Samantha met Nellie when she moved in with the former’s neighbors to work as a maid. Samantha is a bit perplexed as to why a girl her age would be working instead of playing and going to school, but she does not yet understand class consciousness. The girls become fast friends in between Nellie’s duties, and Samantha even teaches her how to read. Unfortunately, Nellie's parents die of consumption (otherwise known as the disease that makes actors in period pieces cough into a handkerchief and shamefully stow away after sighting blood), leaving her and her two sisters orphaned in a home for unhoused girls. Conditions in this home are horrendous and Samantha is forced to sneak things such as food and blankets to her friends, so they do not starve. When the girls are told they are soon to be separated, Samantha acts and sneaks them into the attic of her aunt and uncle’s home.

Unfortunately the maid is strict and suspicious, discovering the girls and exposing them to Uncle Guard and Aunt Cornelia. Samantha begs her aunt and uncle to make sure the girls are not separated or forced into the factories. The girls are sent to bed, not knowing their fate come the next morning. When they awake and gather for breakfast, Uncle Guard, being the perfect man he is, announces that he and Aunt Cornelia have decided to adopt all four girls (because that is something super wealthy people can just decide to do), meaning they will never have to live or work in such squalor conditions ever again- much to the jubilation of all.

If your favorite doll is Samantha, you obviously have good taste. You are passionate about remedying injustices and find that the best way to vent your frustrations is through talking about them. You are incredibly empathetic and are always looking for ways to help others. 

You love the arts, especially painting and literature. Samantha girlies are always the best dressed, but you do not seek to boast about what is obvious. You probably went through a Titanic or Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire phase (maybe even both!) and can still rattle off facts about the events. Did you know that one of the smokestacks on the Titanic was faked to make the ship seem even more impressive? Or that the employees of the Triangle Shirtwaist factory only had one exit, which led to the devastating fire deaths?

Of course you did, you’re a Samantha girlie.