Dollishness

/ˈdɒlɪʃnɪs/ noun

Definition

The quality of being dollish; the state or condition of resembling or acting like a doll.

Etymology

From 'dollish' plus the abstract noun suffix '-ness.' This term developed in 19th and 20th-century criticism to describe the aesthetic and behavioral characteristics associated with doll-like qualities.

Kelly Says

Feminist critics in the 1960s-70s used 'dollishness' to describe a passive, decorative approach to femininity that they argued limited women's potential—reclaiming agency meant rejecting the idea of being a pretty ornament!

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