Conclusion: Constructing American Girlhood

Abstract

Zaslow reflects upon the central questions of this book: How does American Girl imagine, represent, and ultimately construct femininity, race, ethnicity, and national identity for girl audiences? How does a brand that is politically and socially motivated operate within an industry and company that is profit driven? How do we understand the consumptive and meaning-making practices of mothers and daughters who seek out American Girl because they crave representations of “smart, independent, powerful, wholesome” girls who teach them to “advocate” for themselves and to “stand up for what is right,” while also recognizing that the “company as a whole is not representing the full diversity of what America is and what American is becoming” and that the level of consumption can be “ridiculous”?