Primitive dolls are often associated with health or fertility and the conviction that one's desires could be accomplished by proxy. Neither alive nor dead, they can represent either state and bridge the gap between fantasy and the physical world. A sleeping doll is very satisfactory because it does it so well. The particular joy of a doll is it's malleability. The doll waits for it's owner to enliven it, being unable to move at will. However, once the doll passes from immobility into life, as in the case of Pinnochio or Coppelia, it is out of control and has the ability to manipulate it's creator.
In Ancient Greece, bell-shaped Adriadne dolls were hung from fruit trees in order to ensure a good harvest. It was believed that somehow these envoys could achieve their owner's desires. Similarly, funereal dolls were buried to assist the dead in the next world. Originally, both tasks were performed by human victims. Children's use of dolls is equally powerful. Often the doll becomes the Transitional Object.