Society is full of different kinds of people and always has been; people who do not fit into society’s normative standards are seen and treated differently. A.M. Holmes in his passage “A Real Doll” writes about a twisted main character who begins to have sexual relations with Barbie dolls. It starts out with just a silly intro of the main character dating a Barbie doll but then forms into a deeper situation. There are many descriptive details of sexual scenes that make readers want to shy away from reading or, may draw a reader in to the odd story. The doll has all the details and physical aspects of a plastic figure but can talk and move like any human to the character. The main character is a high focus in the passage and there are different ways readers try to explain his abnormal behaviors. These behaviors include obsessiveness over items, abusive relations towards sexual activities and drugs, imaginative creations of bringing dolls to life, and questioning views of sanity and sexuality. When readers first start to discuss the reasons why the main character exhibits these strange behaviors many say he may be a druggy or just a messed up young boy who may be neglected by his parents. After completing some research a new way of explaining these behaviors arises. The autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has not been around for that long in history and recent research proves that in the past society has not been handling people with the disorder in the best of ways. When sexuality comes into play, dealing with people with ASD is even more relevant. By researching information about the autism spectrum disorder and sexuality in adolescences readers can connect the relevant information to the main character in the text and start to make sense of certain behaviors.

The theory of the main character in “A Real Doll” having ASD comes from looking at minor details in the passage and researching about the disorder. To start off, Uta Frith talks about how people with autism exhibit social behaviors much differently and do not take in information the same way; they even seem to “live in a world of their own” and need to be taught in different ways (Autism). The main character socializing with dolls is a clear sign of abnormal social behaviors. He creates his own world of dating a doll while having conversations and a full-on relationship. Even the starting sentence “I’m dating Barbie” is a clear attention grabber that lets readers know there is something a little off (Holmes). It is not a small fantasy relationship either; full conversations are going on with Barbie having the ability to talk back. Readers know the main character is old enough to go out on his own but the age is unclear. This is not a little boy with a big imagination. The main character could be of teenage years or a grown autistic adult who still lives at home because he is not capable of having complete freedom. ASD people process information differently and do not have the same social skills they are “tuned in to other people, their actions, reactions, and the signals they give out to you and each other” (Autism). A male who is still capable of feeling sexual feelings as any human, but does not learn and process social information the same is bound to act differently. Also, Frith talks about how signs showing autism include repetition and obsession (Autism). The main character seems to have this sexual obsession with the Barbie dolls and repeatedly goes to “play” with the doll. It would be different if occasionally the main character would play along with his sister as a typical, caring big brother would do. In this case however, the younger sister is never around and the Barbie is played with every day in private as to not show any one the sexual relations that are going on. These signs are the details that lead readers to believe the main character has a form of autism. It is a different way of looking at the text but makes sense once thought out.

There are cultural connections to the way ASD people are treated and to the main character of the text. As research further advances, people are starting to become more familiar and aware of the small differences and way of thinking. There is more information and techniques on how to handle the different ways a person without ASD may take in and process information compared to a person with ASD. Twenty to thirty years ago the same information was not known and people with ASD were treated very differently. David Hartman addresses how people feared the differences and did not even deal with them at all (Sexuality and Relationships). This is especially of concern of parents with ASD children. It is important parents recognize their child’s differences and handle them accordingly. As evident in the story, the main character lives with his family but there was no sign of parental supervision. He was free to go out on his own and even abuse drugs that he was getting from a household medicine cabinet. This led to strange behaviors such as having sexual relations with a doll and holding conversations with them too. Another cultural connection to the main character is his sexual behavior. Sexuality can be a very awkward topic to teach someone especially someone with ASD. Omar Hatmins says, “Misinformation on the part of parents and failure to teach the child normal sexual concepts result in numerous psychosexual difficulties in adolescence and adulthood” (Adolescence in Sexuality). A.M. Holmes’ main character was strange in his sexual behaviors because he was not taught properly. This is evident when he is confused about whether he wants to be with the girl Barbie or the boy Ken doll. He shows these twisted behaviors that he may have learned from other sources than parents or teachers. For instance, television and media could have been a source of information for the character but those sources did not teach him proper ways and he took in and processed what he learned differently. All in all, the cultural connections of certain outcomes forming when parents neglect to address their ASD child’s differences and teaching their child about sex is shown in the passage through the main character.

 After researching about sexuality and autism “A Real Doll” is looked at differently. At first, a reader may think the main character is a messed up teenage boy with drug problems but after researching the story takes a different approach when thinking that the main character may be a young man with ASD. The way the character acts and behaves is closely looked at while comparing these behaviors to signs of ASD. These concepts turn some thoughts of the passage around. The cultural connections of parents neglecting to supervise and inform their child is shown in the passage and inform their child the proper way of socializing and handling sexual desires. Details of obsession, and abnormal social behaviors add to the provide further proof that the main character has a form of autism. The research helped to turn the story from a twisted event into an intriguing consideration. After the first time reading the text it is thought of as inappropriate and messed up. Readers ask what is wrong with this character and why is he like this. Without further research the questions asked will never be answered. Once there is more education about the back ground of the character readers read through the text differently. It takes away from the questions that were asked the first time and instead provides examples from what was additionally looked up. The text then proves and puts to life the information. Research behind a story makes an impact when analyzing a story.
