In Them: The Scare, the Raggedy Andy doll is something Edmund holds dear and becomes an important feature of him when he dies and returns as a ghost.
Athena, especially, is seen being afraid of the Raggedy Andy doll so much that she throws a complete stock of the dolls instead of opting to sell them at the shop she works at.
Edmund, on the other hand, is seen finding comfort in having that doll with him. It’s in the end, when Athena shares who Edmund is with Dawn, that it is explained that the doll reminds Athena of Edmund, whose spirit is now haunting them.
Edmund’s attachment to the Raggedy Andy doll
After revealing to Dawn that Edmund is her twin brother, Athena shares why she sent Edmund away. It had a lot to do with his stubborn nature, which was difficult to handle.
While explaining his behavior, Athena tells a story involving the Raggedy Andy doll. On their third birthday, Edmund came home with a Raggedy Andy doll.
Athena wanted to replace it with beautiful Black dolls in an attempt to teach Edmund and Dawn to love and respect themselves and tell them that they are beautiful.
However, Edmund threw a tantrum. He just tore the dolls up and kept clinging to the white doll. A frustrated Athena threw the doll away in the trash, but it was back the next day.
It’s when Athena finds her husband dead and Edmund playing with his father’s medications that she makes up her mind to send Edmund away.
The origin of the doll in Edmund and Dawn’s story
The finale of Them: The Scare reveals that Ruby Lee Emory is Edmund and Dawn’s mother. While parting ways with her kids, she left the Raggedy Andy and Raggedy Ann dolls for them.
Over the course of years, Edmund finds so much comfort in that doll that when he gives himself up to an evil entity, he returns in a form that has features of the Raggedy Andy doll.
Edmund looks bigger, and his red hair suggests that his look takes inspiration from that doll.
Edmund meets his end at the end of the season, when Dawn expresses her love for her brother. However, before dying, Edmund returns to his human form, which is distinct from that Raggedy Andy look.
Also Read: Edmund Gaines: Them: The Scare character explained