The doll is an excellent example of an object which carries deep meaning which is kept alive by ritual and tradition. The doll represents fertility and the feminine call to motherhood. Even though the modern dolls may be made with plastic, they still carry the meaning they were given thousands of years ago. The cargo was labeled dolls to reduce shipping costs. The classification may be true, but the connotation of the words doll and action figure are very different.
Females learn nurturing and mothering behavior from dolls, which act as a baby.
Playing with a doll centers on the doll itself. Action figures are usually related to the more characteristically masculine traits of war, conflict, work, and competition. Perhaps Barbie could be called an action figure, since Mattel seems to market enough accessories to go along with the doll itself. The Che Guviera exhibit was an excellent example of a modern myth. The myth surrounds an historical, yet idealized character.