Summary of the Lost Doll
‘The Lost Doll’ is a supernatural story about the rebirth of a dead person. In this story, Maria Del Carmen died at the age of four because of sickness. She was a single daughter of Roberto and Rosa Soto. All villagers involved in funeral rites. They said that she looks like a little doll. A few days later, Rosa all playthings and clothes of Carmen to the local priest. But Roberto did not like her activities. Rosa gave all those because they were informed that she could not give birth to any children. But Roberto had still hope. He thought that God did not provide then next baby as Carmen was there to look after. Roberto asked about a doll that Carmen used to play but all were unaware of it.
After a year, Rosa gave birth to a baby. They put her name, Evangelina (Good news). She was equally lovely, beautiful and bright to Carmen. The only difference was that Carmen was sick by birth but Evangelina was healthy. Villages thought that God returned Carmen by treating her.
Read more summaries:
When Evangelina was about four, she told her mother that she was very sick a long time ago, Rosa did not know about her sickness. But Evangelina insisted she was sick. One day Rosa’s sister came to visit from Bogata. Evangelina still told them she was very sick before. She also informed them about the lost doll.
At first, Rosa and her sister didn’t believe. But later Evangelina asked them to follow her into the backward. Pointing to the ground, Evangelina told her mother to dig up. When Rosa started to dig a few inches under, the saw a beautiful doll with blue eyes and a red dress.
At first, Rosa and her sister could not believe in their eyes. Rosa asked Evangelina to tell her detail. According to Evangelina, she was very sick, the priest came and prayed with his hand on her head. A nice man woke her up and told her that she could not take dolly with her as it was not needed her. Later he helped to put the doll under the ground. She also knew that he didn’t have even a shovel. By listening to this all, Rosa almost fainted.
Meaning of Doll
The doll has two different meanings. Villages call Maria del Carmen a lovely, beautiful and bright girl. For Roberto and Rosa Soto, Carmen us like a beautiful doll. When Carmen dies, she is decorated is like a beautiful doll. After her death, villages and parents lost their doll (Carmen). Next side, the doll is a plaything having blue eyes and a red dress, which Carmen used to play. It is also lost after Carmen’s used to play.
It is also lost after Carmen’s death. But later both of them (Carmen & doll) are found. Carmen gets birth again and named Evangelina and doll which was buried in the yard is taken out.
Some Importance Questions of the Lost Doll:
a) What evidences are there in the story to show that the Sotos were poor?
Ans: The story ‘Lost Doll’ is about the poor Soto family was poor. There are some indications to say that the family was poor. The first indication is that the Soto family didn’t treat their child in the hospital. Maria Del Carman, whom they loved so much, has been sick for years. Had they been rich they would have taken her to the hospital for the treatment. The second indication is that they are the farmers living in the village. Roberto appears in the story with his rough hand and working in the field. Another fundamental indication is that they don’t have money to buy new clothes for the next baby if they get any. When Roberto Knew that Rosa had given all the clothes and playthings to the priest from another villager, he was not happy. He, be hopeful by getting another child, wanted to preserve for it. If they were rich, they would not have bothered bout it thinking that he would buy the new ones. These indications in the story make us believe that the Soto Family was a poor family.
b) Describe Carmen.
Ans: Carmen’s full name is Maria Del Carmen. She is the only daughter of Robert and Rosa Soto. In this story, ‘The Lost Doll’ Carmen appears in the beginning as the sick child. She is described as a loving, beautiful and attractive but frail child. She is sick by birth. Everyone in the village loves Carmen very much. She is like a little doll. Unfortunately, the sick child dies at the age of four. Everyone in the village gather and part take in her funeral ceremony. The Soto family really god disappoint at the loss. Rosa Soto, Carmen’s mother gave all her playthings and clothes to a priest from another village.
c) Why did Rosa Soto give clothes and playthings to a priest from another village?
Ans: Maria Del Carmen died at the age of four because of sickness. She was a single daughter of Roberto and Rosa Soto. All villagers involved in funeral rites. They said she looked like a little doll. A few days later, Rosa gave all the playthings and clothes of Carmen to the local priest. She believed what the doctor said about the future possibilities of having another child. If she saw the playthings, again and again, she would be more troubled. So to avoid the recurring of Carmen’s memory she gave her playthings to the priest from another village.
d) What evidence is there in the story to show that Carmen and Evangelina were alike?
Ans: The story ‘Lost Doll’, a story of reincarnation, presents two similar children of Rosa and Roberto Soto. These children are Carmen and Evangelina. Carmen is their first child who dies at the age of four. After the first anniversary if Carmen’s death they have another child named Evangelina. These two children have many similarities between them. The character behavior and attitudes of Carmen are similar to Evangelina. Like Carmen, Evangelina is attractive and loving. She is kind and liked by everyone. The priest from another village, Rosa’s sister from Bogata and even Rosa believed that they have been given the child by god after the treatment. Only the difference between is that Evangelina is healthy whereas Carmen is a nit. Despite this, Evangelina and Carmen are alike in all their manners, attitudes and behavior.
e) Rosa said to her husband, “False hope is not good”. When does hope become false?
Ans: Roberto Soto is a hopeful husband of Rosa. So by being hopeful about the next child, he says the doctor does not know everything but who knows is God. Hearing Roberto, Rosa says, “False hope is not good”. The hope becomes false when it does not come in to form. And it doesn’t come in form when one imagines something impossible. Roberto’s hope for Rosa is false because he imagines impossible for her. She is the one who believes not in the faith but in the doctor. Roberto actually has not hoped impossible. He is a young man living with a young wife. Being hopeful of getting a baby cannot be false He hopes that he will have another child. He even doesn’t believe in a doctor. He has total faith in God and in himself. And on the first anniversary of Carmen’s death, he gets what he hopes. Here, Rosa is not right. The result comes in Roberto’s favor and Rosa knows that his hope has not been false.
f) Make a comparison between Roberto and Rosa Soto.
Ans: Roberto Soto and Rosa Soto are the husband and wife in the story, “Lost Doll”. They are loving parents and a good couple. By emotion, they are one. They have similar love and affection to their child and have a similar desire to get the baby. Despite this, they have differences too. Roberto is quite religious in nature. He is very optimistic and practical. He believes in god. But on the other hand, Rosa is pessimistic. She never thinks that they will have another child. She believes in god. She is very much faithful to the doctor. Rosa doesn’t look foresighted. She even doesn’t believe what Evangelina says too her about her previous life. She is realistic whereas Roberto is spiritual. So Rosa and Roberto are the matching couples despite some of the differences between them.
