Created by Cristina Matteis on Tue, 03/25/2025 - 14:00
Description:
Dolor's Toys as Representation of Disability and a Stand-in for Himself:
“While he was ill of the doldrums, his nurse, thinking it a good opportunity for putting things to rights, had made a grand clearance of all his “rubbish” – as she considered it: his beloved headless horses, broken cars, sheep without feet, and birds without wings – all the treasures of his baby days, which he could not bear to part with. Though he seldom played with them now, he liked just to feel they were there.”
Dolor’s beloved toys/treasures are “physically disabled” in some way – the horse is headless, the cars are broken, the sheep have no feet, and the birds have no wings.
Each of these “treasures” is without a portion of themselves, and as such, each toy’s mobility is hindered. Here, the toys very much reflect Dolor’s hindered mobility as well. Although Dolor isn’t interested in these toys as playthings, he does find their presence comforting, which emphasizes his connection to the toys as a representation of his own experiences.