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Before its transformation by the fairy, the Velveteen Rabbit, despite perceiving itself as real, was seen as fake, a mere stuffed animal.
"That (referring to the rabbit)?" said the doctor. "Why, it's a mass of scarlet fever germs!–Burn it at once. Get him a new one. He mustn't have that any more!"
"Ha, a plump, little plush rabbit. Just another of the boy's endless toy collection. I wonder if he'll ever play with it. In the meantime, this can sit in the corner."
The nanny carelessly threw the doll to the side.
Interestingly, the two adult figures in the story, the Nanny and the Doctor, both explicitly objectify and diminish the rabbit to an inanimate toy, as revealed through their language. The two represent society's definition of "realness," which conflicts with that of the boy's and the Velveteen rabbit's. Unfortunately, society's definition is shown as more powerful, since the rabbit is not considered real until it goes through a drastic transformation and fits those expectations.
Furthermore, even when the fairy transforms the rabbit, she says:
"You were Real to the Boy because he loved you. Now you shall be Real to every one."
The fairy acknowledges that becoming real involves "everyone," a fitting of expectations held by the wider society, beyond the Boy. Thus, acceptance from others is a pivotal aspect of one's realness, perhaps even the ultimate factor that allows one to be real.
Yet, this poses a troubling question: Is "realness" in the end then a subjective concept defined by society? Is there sucha thing as an objective standard for "real?"
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