Dorothy is Dibs’s younger sister. Dibs’s mother often describes Dorothy as a “perfect child,” and she and Dibs do not get along. Because of this, Dibs’s parents send Dorothy away to a boarding school during the week. Dibs expresses hostility toward Dorothy during his play sessions, as well as toward their mother and father. He sometimes wishes that Dorothy would get hurt, and he talks about poisoning her. Over time, however, Dibs becomes more empathetic toward Dorothy, explaining that it’s probably lonely to spend so much time away from the family. By the end of his sessions, he also takes the nursing bottle and holds it up to the “sister” doll’s lips, illustrating a new sense of responsibility and deep care for Dorothy.
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Dorothy Character Timeline in Dibs in Search of Self
The timeline below shows where the character Dorothy appears in Dibs in Search of Self. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1
...well-known scientist, but none of the teachers have met him. Dibs also has a younger sister named Dorothy, whom his mother claims is a “perfect child.” The school staff have finally...
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Chapter 3
...free to get in touch. The two women then make further small talk about Dibs’s sister Dorothy, whom Dibs’s mother refers to as a “perfect child.” Axline notes that Dibs’s mother...
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Chapter 8
Dibs’s mother goes on, explaining that she had Dorothy in the hopes that another child could help Dibs socialize better. Because Dorothy was a...
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Chapter 9
...an airplane, but then he suddenly stops, listens outside the room, and says, “There is Dorothy.” Dibs becomes very sad, explaining that it’ll be time to go soon, even if he...
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Before Dibs leaves, he expresses his hope that the doctor will stick his needle into Dorothy and that she will scream and scream. Dibs will be glad if Dorothy gets hurt...
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Chapter 11
...and his grandmother go to church, but his father and mother don’t, so he and Dorothy don’t go. Dibs then asks how many minutes are left, and Axline says eight. He...
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Chapter 17
...anymore, he looks at them and speaks to them directly, and he even plays with Dorothy sometimes. Dibs’s mother says that Dibs is beginning to feel that he belongs to the...
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Dibs’s mother says she sent Dorothy away to school so she could focus on Dibs, but she wishes she had let...
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Chapter 20
...that he’s going to get rid of her by poisoning her. Sometimes he’s afraid of Dorothy when she screams and hurts him, he says, and sometimes he scratches and hits her...
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Dibs comments that Dorothy is going to attend his school next year. He’s glad that she’s coming home because...
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Dibs then returns to the doll representing Dorothy and holds her. He says that he’ll take care of her, holding the nursing bottle...
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Chapter 22
...office is on the first floor of the jail. He also places his mother and sister in jail.
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