Dory Fantasmagory

In Chapter 3, Dory, for the first time, seriously addresses the topic of maturity when she questions her own demeanor after the tantrum in the kitchen. Defining Maturity is difficult for Dory at her age, but she reflects on her behavior and wonders if her family is right, even though this realization is uncomfortable for her. Instead of staying in this feeling for long, however, Dory copes by creating Mr. Nuggy, a welcome distraction and a magical aid for her to use moving forward. This moment of reflection, however brief, suggests that Dory is beginning to develop a self-awareness she lacks at the beginning of the story. Dory, as is typical of her age, is largely self-centered and shows less empathy and self-awareness than her older siblings and mother. Ultimately, Dory’s issue in connecting with her family isn’t because of her interest in imaginative play, but rather her self-presentation and lack of awareness of what others need and how she affects them. This complexity, however, is simplified to the sibling hierarchy, where Dory feels less than her peers. This moment of reflection develops Dory’s character toward maturity and doesn’t detract from her creative personality.  

These two chapters signify a shift in the dynamics between Dory and her family and deepen and complicate these relationships. The first relationship to undergo a shift is Dory’s relationship with her middle sibling, Luke, incorporating the theme of Shifting Sibling Dynamics into a story where the rivalry of the siblings was previously static. After vanquishing Mrs. Gobble Gracker with one of Luke’s darts, Dory pretends to be a dog in an attempt to fool Mrs. Gobble Gracker should she return. To Dory’s surprise, Luke engages with her game and assumes the role of her owner, petting her, teaching her tricks, and generally giving her the attention she craves. For the first time in the story, Dory receives positive attention from one of her siblings, which she finds incredibly exciting. She learns a new detail about her brother—that he would love to be a dog owner one day—and uses the dog game to connect with him more deeply. Prior to this moment, Luke always follows Violet around, playing “house” with her or allowing her to paint his toenails. The reader can understand that Luke looks up to Violet in a parallel to the way Dory looks up to Luke, showing how older siblings tend to have more power in sibling relationships. Even when Dory finally convinces Luke to play with her, it’s within the framework of a game where Luke play-acts as Dory’s owner and Dory play-acts as Luke’s subservient dog. Even though their game confirms their power dynamic, Dory is so happy to receive the attention that she will happily continue to play.

However, Dory takes the game too far. In her excitement about connecting with Luke via the dog game, she finds herself in another situation where she is unable to regulate her behavior, leading to conflict with her mother. Dory’s mom tries to get her to drop the dog game to go to the doctor, but Dory refuses. Dory enjoys how she feels when she is a dog, a character Luke encourages and a character other than herself. Her mother is unimpressed by the game and drags her to the doctor, causing Dory to throw another temper tantrum. Dory’s mom considers Dory’s behavior to be embarrassing and inappropriate. This is the first time in the story that Dory’s imagination is on full display beyond the boundaries of the home, emphasizing the extent Dory will go to commit to her creativity. Dory’s mom takes her out into the real world where there are general rules of decorum, and Dory is unable to follow those rules or behave “appropriately.” As a result, Dory’s mom berates her and dismisses all her imaginative stories and games.

The doctor approaches Dory’s imaginative nature a little differently and tries to meet her on her level. Dory’s mom and the doctor represent two different approaches to parenting. Dory’s mom tries to discipline Dory and command her to change her behavior, while the doctor tries to negotiate with her on her terms, within the rules of her imagination. Dory latches onto a new imaginative game, transforming her lollipop into a shot to give one to the doctor, in a response to the shot the doctor gave Dory. This moment reveals how Dory uses her games to narrativize and understand the world around her, subsequently invoking the theme of The Incorporation of Imagination Into Narration. She feels that the way to communicate the fear and pain that comes from getting a shot would be to create a game where she can give one to the doctor. While the doctor still engages with Dory even after the shot, Dory’s mom considers this moment a serious transgression. Dory’s mom is responsible for the logistics of Dory’s day—getting her dressed, getting her to the doctor, looking after her health, etc.—and these games impede her ability to complete these goals. There is also a sense that Dory’s mom feels embarrassed by the bad behavior, implying that it reflects badly on her as a parent or on their family. After the episode at the doctor, the dynamic between Dory and her mother shifts, and Dory knows that she is in genuine trouble. Her language shifts away from the fantastical as she considers the reality of facing a time-out. In moments of heightened anxiety, such as in this instance and in the upcoming situation when baby Cherry is missing, Dory tends to shift into reality to manage her feelings. This negativity and worry brings out the reality in Dory’s mind, which first suggests that she can consciously differentiate between her imagination and the real world. This clarity of her ability to differentiate is developed further in the final section.