Doll:Busy Becky and Her Housekeeping Set

A cynic might think that Busy Becky and Her Housekeeping Set--complete with broom, dustpan, scrub brush, ironing board, iron, bucket, vacuum cleaner, and other tools of a clean home--was Mattel's sinister attempt to trick little girls into thinking that housework was fun. The appeal of the doll and her accessories was in that it gave a little girl the tools she needed to imitate her mother. And that has been a function of toys from the beginning: through play, children learn the roles they they will assume as adults.