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"Emily" redirects here. For the doll, see Emily Bennett (doll).

Emily Bennett is the third Best Friend Character released; she is the English friend of Molly McIntire.[2]

In June 2013 American Girl announced that they would archive Molly's entire collection; she, Emily Bennett, and their collections were later archived in December 2013. Molly's books (including Emily's) and the movie remained available for purchase until BeForever changes.

Molly's rerelease in 2022 did not include Emily. Thus, like all other Best Friend characters, it is unlikely that the Emily doll or collection will ever be available again.

Personality and Facts[]

Emily is a English girl from London, England and an only child. She is smaller than Molly--Linda points out that she is awfully little in Happy Birthday, Molly, and Molly notices her thin legs and overall thin body--and is pale-skinned with gingery-red, wispy straight hair cut short and pale blue eyes the color of robin's eggs.

Emily's father is a doctor and has been drafted into the military, something she has in common with Molly.[3] The effects of World War Two on England and the risk of the Blitz has resulted in Emily being sent to America by her parents to stay with her Aunt Primrose so as to remain safe. When Aunt Primrose becomes ill with pneumonia near when Emily arrives, she asks the McIntires to take Emily in for a few weeks while she recovers,[4], so it is Helen who picks her up. Unlike Molly and her friends and peers, the war has affected Emily greatly; England has been in the war for longer than the US--since 1939--and not only has had stricter and longer rations but taken on many more immediate dangers due to its proximity to Germany and Italy; for Emily, the war has gone on since she was five years old. Because of this, Emily has traumas from enduring London bombings that she initially doesn't reveal to Molly. Emily has seen houses destroyed including her own, lost her pet dog in a bombing, and had to frequently take shelter with others in the subway during air raids. Because of this, the game Molly plays of "Bomb Shelter" upsets her, and she is very upset during one of the blackout drills the family conducts (even though they are not at actual risk and it is only practice). She confesses at the start that she feels like a coward for having left England, and that if she was brave she would have stayed with her parents, who are still at risk.

She initially came to America with stereotypes of Americans--she thought Molly would resemble a movies star like Shirley Temple--and Molly and her friends have stereotypes as well, thinking she might resemble a princess or be raggedy like children in Life magazine. Molly initially finds her standoffish and quiet and thinks she likes things neat; Helen explains that English children are taught to be reserved and polite and compares her to a crocus who isn't sure if it's spring yet. Emily remains distant, especially as Linda and Susan ask her questions about the war in England. It's not until Molly comforts her during the family's air raid drill that Emily starts to warm up. As Emily warms up, she and Molly learn that they share an interest in puns and the English princesses Elizabeth and Margaret Rose. They later come to conflict over Emily's ideas for Molly's birthday when Emily points out the many ways Molly's plans are not how a proper English tea is done, and so Molly feels she is ruining her birthday plans. The fight escalates when they argue over a song playing--Emily knows it as "God Save the King"[5] and is upset that American news media says that America is "saving" England in the war when England has been fighting much longer, going as far as to call Molly a spoiled child and that Americans think they are more important than everyone. They eventually make up on the morning of Molly's birthday and even dress alike in matching pinafores.

Emily is expanded on in her book, Brave Emily. She grows to admire Molly a lot and so tries to impress her and her friends. Emily is often afraid of not fitting into American society and desperately wants to return home to England. She is very quiet and shy and takes time to open up to people, especially about her worries; she is a little disturbed by the overall loudness and direct attitudes of the older McIntire children--though she gets along with Brad, who tries to comfort her--and finds many things different in America from England such as speech patterns and word use. She has been asked by her family to act like a brave little soldier and do what she can to both be brave and help America from England; her Grandy (grandfather) has said that British people grin and bear it, and so she does not show her emotions as directly as Molly. She does not like being made fun of or embarrassed, or to be the center of attention, and often misunderstands what Molly and her friends are saying and their over-exaggeration. She is also by the brightness and warmth of the McIntire home and the higher food rations--and more exotic foods--that she does not have back in England. Ricky calls her smart for a girl for her math skills and listens when she points out mistakes in his labeling images of war planes.

She is skilled in math--stating that numbers are exact and don't lie--and has an interest in gardening. She always sits up straight rather than sprawling and does not take up much room, and unlike Molly does not say everything as she's thinking it. She likes dogs and is given a new Jack Russell puppy as a gift during Molly's birthday when they hold a dual party--while her birthday has not passed, they agree to hold a party together so she can make up for all the parties she has missed since the war started. She names him Yank as an abbreviation for Yankee--he is a good American dog--and also in honor of Molly. When she goes back to England, she and Molly agree to keep in touch.

American Girl characterizes her as "brave" and "shy."

Family and Friends[]

Family[]

  • Mum
  • Dad
  • Grandmum
  • Grandy
  • Aunt Primrose
  • Yank

Friends[]

Book[]

Brave Emily

In Molly's Series[]

Emily is initially only seen in Happy Birthday, Molly!. She later has a prominent role in additional stories, including a major role in The Light in the Cellar.

In Molly: An American Girl on the Home Front[]

Emily is given a much more prominent role in the film, but much of her personal story is changed. Emily's father is a bus driver instead of a doctor and the family lived in an apartment above a candy store. Emily's mother was killed when the block her home and the candy store was bombed. Emily also remains with the family long enough to attend tap classes and participate in the "Hurray for the USA" performance; she is brought to the McIntires after the family she was staying with has their son return home after injuries, and she is not stated to have an aunt she is to return back to.

She is played by Tory Green.

Doll[]

Main article: Emily Bennett (doll)
Emilydollface

The Emily doll.

Collection[]

See Emily's Collection

Trivia[]

References[]

  1. American Girl, see discussion page.
  2. Molly's two best friends are Linda Rinaldi and Susan Shapiro; Emily is not techincally a best friend and was marketed as "Molly's English Friend".
  3. Brave Emily, pg. 12: "My dad's a doctor, too!" said Emily, happy to have found something in common with Molly besides puns and princesses.
  4. Happy Birthday, Molly!, pg. 2-3: "No, just until her aunt gets better," said Molly. "But Mom says she'd be with us for a couple of weeks at least, and that means she'll be here for my birthday."
  5. At the time, the English Sovereign was King George VI, so the song was God Save the King; the song name and lyrics are adjusted depending on the monarch's gender.



Best Friend Characters
1770s

Elizabeth Cole

1900s

Nellie O'Malley

1930s

Ruthie Smithens

1940s

Emily Bennett

1970s

Ivy Ling

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