The Narrator and Sam Cavanaugh: Dolls to Control? Dolls surround us. G. I. Joe, Barbie, Poke-mon, and action figures. Prior to our plasticene friends we had paper dolls, marionettes, and delicately featured porcelain dolls. These cold, lifeless objects that look so much like ourselves strangely fascinate us. Children clutch them and create elaborate scenes, while adults are content to simply collect, allowing them to sit, motionless on a shelf, staring coolly back at their live counterparts. Which brings an interesting point and to us, are people simply dolls for other people to play with and control