"The Barbie Doll" by Marge Piercy is a poignant and thought-provoking poem that touches on the societal pressures and expectations placed on women, particularly regarding their appearance. Through the use of the iconic Barbie doll as a metaphor, Piercy highlights the ways in which women are often judged and held to impossible standards of beauty.
The poem begins with the speaker describing the "perfect" Barbie doll, with its "long blond hair and her eyes with long black lashes." The speaker then goes on to describe how the doll is "dressed in white lace pants, a pink sweater, and high heels," emphasizing the doll's conventional beauty and femininity. This image of the doll serves as a representation of the narrow and unrealistic ideals of beauty that are imposed on women.
As the poem progresses, the speaker begins to question these ideals and the impact they have on women's self-esteem and sense of self-worth. She asks, "who told us, starting early, that beauty is the rarest commodity a woman possesses?" This line serves as a commentary on the way in which society places a great emphasis on physical attractiveness and often judges women based on their appearance.
The speaker also touches on the destructive nature of these beauty standards, stating that "we cut and dye, skip meals and bleach, and wax, and smooth" in order to conform to these ideals. The use of the verb "cut" suggests a violent and self-harmful aspect to the pursuit of beauty, further emphasizing the damaging effects of these expectations.
In the final stanza, the speaker turns her focus to the impact of these standards on young girls, stating that "we tell little girls, we tell little boys" that beauty is important. This line highlights the way in which these societal expectations are perpetuated and passed down from generation to generation.
Overall, "The Barbie Doll" is a powerful and thought-provoking poem that serves as a commentary on the unrealistic and damaging beauty standards imposed on women. Through the use of the Barbie doll as a metaphor, Piercy highlights the ways in which these expectations can have a harmful impact on women's self-esteem and sense of self-worth.
Poem Analysis: Barbie Doll By Marge Piercy
One was addressed to her father and the other to her mother. The ending of the poem is particularly powerful as all the observers finally find the woman pretty when she is lying in her coffin. Then when the girl hit puberty, one of her classmates said that she had a great big nose and fat legs. Society had finally made her who it wanted her to be but at the cost of her life. And in the final stanza, the speaker resigns herself to the fact that Barbie will always be the perfect doll, and she will never be able to measure up. They are patronized into being submissive and are expected to be soft, shy, enticing, and physically slim.
Barbie Doll (poem)
You need something more than just material possessions to make your life complete. What is the significance of the title Barbie Doll to the overall poem? The poem resumes in a neutral manner, but not as blandly as it did before. But little do you know, that as you grow older, the dreams you are forging for yourself is no longer achievable. The girl was advised to play cool, be charming, eat healthily, and exercise in order to succeed. However, the speaker is not aware of her feelings about what is happening. The next symbol is her great big nose and fat legs.
The poem, Barbie Doll, written by Marge Piercy t Essay Example
Beyond poverty, these dolls represent the effects of the stereotypes that society has implemented to women. As they grow up into teenagers and adolescents, they are subject to peer pressure, becoming more conscious of their physical appearance. The form of this poem is in free verse. She was healthy, tested intelligent, possessed strong arms and back, abundant sexual drive and manual dexterity. However, the 3rd stanza makes quite clear that the woman is at the mercy of that which is expected of her by others. The poem was written in the point-of-view of a third person narrative.
Meaning Of The Poem Barbie Doll
Joe': Exploring Issues of Gender". This statement depicts a harsh reality where impressionable young women are taught to adopt a particular notion of beauty, subjecting many of them to peer pressure. And yet, the resolution of this stanza is the juxtaposition which tells of a woman who is apologetic for those features divergent from female idealization. Barbie is the kind of doll that is given to almost every little girl at a very young age her and in mind she sees that this doll is perfect in every way, perfect beautiful face, perfect long blonde hair, perfect very unrealistic shaped body, and of course there are so many career titles that Barbie has achieved…. Piercy describes this phenomenon in many ways, but most importantly she shows how unrealistic female beauty standards are by explaining that a In conclusion, Piercy states that women cannot be expected to feel good about themselves if they aren't given credit for their abilities as human beings first and foremost. You fill your world with fairy tales or Barbie dolls that inspire you to believe that the sky is the limit. The major theme of the poem is how the life of a person can be destroyed by the accidental loss of self-confidence.
Barbie Doll
The girl in the story is not the only one who found suicide an escape from the ridicule of society. Stereotyping their role in society as a mother, homemaker, or a pretty object. I figured out the theme because of the author's use of figurative language and the outcome of her plot. Her good nature wore out like a fan belt. The poet continues, saying that when the girl reached puberty i. This poem explains to the reader the dangers that exist in the society of forcing people, especially women into restrictive roles and ideals. What is the theme of Barbie Doll? In the quote, the author uses symbols to show that girls are supposed to act a certain way, primarily as housewives or stay at home moms.
