Which of the main characters did you develop the most sympathy for? Are there any minor characters who stood out?
I definitely developed sympathy for Ruth Handler. She was a tough woman who let her ego get in the way of running an efficient and clean operation. If she had delegated more she would have potentially been able to keep an eye on the financial aspect of things. In addition, she may have been able to develop easier relationships with her children. I did not have even a shred of sympathy for Jack Ryan.
Stevie was a sympathetic character. She thought her dream of designing was over because she could not finish school. She was designing fashionable clothes, in miniature but still felt that was not good enough. It was rather ironic that Bob Mackie eventually became involved in designing Barbie dolls and their clothes. Stevie fell in with Jack, but was strong enough to realize it was going no where, after she saw his wife and daughters.
Jack was the character for which I had the most sympathy- he clearly was struggling psychologically and there was little help or misguided help for manic depressives during the Barbie book period.
I developed the most sympathy for Ruth Handler. She was a pioneer in the industry and had to fight hard to establish herself among the men who underestimated her. Later on in her career, she had to struggle against the Wall Street types who wanted control.
Ruth also had all the conflicts that working women often suffer from. She had a consuming career, and her daughter resented her for that. The classic conflict of work vs. family was a big challenge for her. Luckily, her husband was supportive of her work and always had her back, at work and at home.
Stevie stood out as a minor character who was sympathetic.
I had sympathy for Ruth. She was a pioneer, being a creative, smart and driven professional woman when women were not legally given equal rights along with recognition.
I also want to give a shout out to Elliott. He supported Ruth, appreciated her qualities and did what he could do to help her be successful. He also picked up the slack for raising their children,
Don’t we all need an Elliott in our life? Someone who provides love, support and a dose of reality that will tell you when you have gone too far?
I had sympathy for Ruth. She was so successful, but didn’t know what she was missing by not having a close bond with her daughter or other friends.
I felt sympathy for Ruth. No matter how powerful she became in the business world, her home life was kind of a mess. She just couldn’t figure out how to take care of all areas of her life and family