Dolls, Dummies, Surrogates, Pygmalion, and Plugs

The reanimation of a doll, puppet, or sculpture is a common topic in love and horror stories alike. Ventriloquists produce the illusion of reanimation by throwing the voice (breathing) from one body to another. In Greek mythology, Pygmalion falls irredeemably in love with an ivory sculpture he makes of a woman. Upon kissing it, he feels the warmth of her lips and realizes his creation is alive. In the Bible’s Genesis, God creates human life by breathing into a dust figurine.