Took: A Ghost Story

Erica’s doll, Little Erica, symbolizes isolation. When Erica is in possession of Little Erica, she only talks to the doll. What starts as attachment stemming from fear of a new home transforms into overreliance. When Daniel attempts to engage with Erica, “she had nothing to say. Every question produced an ‘I don’t know’ or a shrug of her shoulders” (53). However, “Her conversations with the doll grew longer and more frequent” (54). When Daniel confronts Erica about her behavior, she explains that “She listens to me. Nobody else does. She talks to me, too. Nobody else does that either” (55). Again, Erica’s dependence on the doll symbolizes the isolation she feels from her family and school.

When Erica is “took” and Selene is released, the latter becomes the new owner of Little Erica. Selene becomes attached to the doll because it reminds her of Old Auntie, and she wants nothing more than to return to Auntie. This desire causes her to isolate from those who want to help her. When Mr. and Mrs. O’Neill try to show Selene photos of her past, she has “her face turned away from the photo album” while “she continued to comb Little Erica’s hair” (181).