The Enchanted Doll by Paul Gallico
"The Enchanted Doll" by Paul Gallico is a poignant narrative set against the backdrop of New York City's Lower East Side, blending elements of fairy tales with a modern sensibility. The story follows Dr. Samuel Amony, who, while searching for a birthday present for his niece, discovers a captivating handmade doll in a local shop. This doll draws him into the life of its creator, Essie Nolan, a sensitive and ill young woman living under the oppressive control of her cousin, Rose Callamit. As Amony becomes enamored with Essie, he recognizes her artistic talent and the emotional toll of her circumstances, leading to a journey of love and healing.
The tale explores themes of beauty, cruelty, and redemption, as Amony is initially struck by the stark contrast between the exquisite dolls and the harsh reality of Essie's life. His determination to rescue her from Rose's grasp reflects a classic romantic quest, culminating in a revelation of love that transforms both their lives. Ultimately, "The Enchanted Doll" presents a narrative of hope and the possibility of happiness after hardship, suggesting that true love can lead to renewal and fulfillment.
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The Enchanted Doll by Paul Gallico
First published: 1952
Type of plot: Realism
Time of work: The late 1940's and the early 1950's
Locale: New York City's Lower East Side
Principal Characters:
Dr. Samuel Amony , the narrator and protagonistEssie Nolan , a young woman who is suffering from a mysterious illnessRose Callamit , Essie's cousin and guardianAbe Sheftel , a shopkeeper
The Story
Although the setting of "The Enchanted Doll" is a poor neighborhood in New York City's Lower East Side, the plot has many of the elements of a fairy tale: a handsome young doctor, a beautiful but helpless young woman, and an ugly old harridan. The tale begins when the narrator, Dr. Samuel Amony, sets out to buy a birthday present for his little niece in Cleveland. With a hurdy-gurdy playing "Some Enchanted Evening" in the background, Amony drops by Abe Sheftel's combination stationery, cigar, and toy shop. When the doctor sees a twelve-inch, handmade rag doll with a painted face, he reports that he feels an affinity with the doll as one might feel with "a stranger in a crowded room." The doll seems lifelike, mysterious, and feminine all at once. When quizzed, Sheftel replies that the doll was created by some red-haired amazon who lives nearby. Sheftel cannot quite recall her name, but he thinks that "Calamity" is close.
Coincidentally, Amony gets to meet the redheaded woman when she summons him to her apartment to make a house call. Her name is actually Rose Callamit, not Calamity, but the latter seems more appropriate. Amony reports that her voice is unpleasant, her hair is dyed, her makeup is overdone, and her perfume is both overpowering and cheap. He is offended to think that this vulgar woman is the creator of the charming doll that he sent to his niece. Her sitting room is cluttered with dolls, each of which is different but stamped with the same creative genius as the one that Amony first saw in Sheftel's window.
Finally, Rose leads the doctor through a connecting bath into a small back room, where her cousin, Essie Nolan, sits listlessly in her chair. In the best tradition of the fairy tale, Rose illustrates her cruelty by brutally pointing out that Essie is a cripple. The doctor notices, however, that not the lame left leg but some mysterious, consumptive disease is the cause of Essie's illness. Although puzzled by Essie's illness, the doctor is relieved to discover that the sensitive girl rather than the vulgar woman is the creator of the exquisite dolls, for Essie is surrounded by paints, material, and other equipment necessary for making the dolls. When the doctor looks into Essie's misery-stricken eyes, he is spellbound.
Leaving Essie's sickroom, Rose and Amony have an angry confrontation. When the doctor insists that Essie's deformity can be cured, Rose tells him to shut up. The doctor is convinced that the reason for Rose's reaction is not that she wants to protect her cousin from false hopes, as she says, but that she does not want to lose her lucrative income from the dolls. He apologizes to Rose, however, because he wants to be allowed to see Essie again.
A tonic and ten days' rest from doll making improve Essie's condition, but when Amony prescribes ten more days of rest, Rose dismisses him. Denied access to Essie, the doctor himself falls sick. He is slowly wasting away until he realizes that his disease is love. He is in love with Essie Nolan. That revelation rejuvenates the doctor, and he decides to rescue Essie. With the help of the shopkeeper, who tips Amony off when Rose leaves her apartment, the doctor rushes to Essie's bedside. Reaching Essie just as she is about to lose consciousness, he explains to the young woman that all of her love and hope have been leeched out by Rose, and, declaring his love for her, the doctor persuades Essie to let him take her home with him. She agrees, and he wraps her in a blanket and carries her through the August heat to his rooms behind the doctor's office.
The narrator frames his account by an explanation at the beginning and end of the story that this day is an anniversary for him and Essie. They are married, have one son, and now have another child on the way, but the anniversary that he cherishes the most is the day he first saw the doll in Abe Sheftel's window. He reports that Essie no longer makes dolls because she now has her own family to care for. The implication is that the young couple will live happily ever after.