Barbie Doll Poem Essay

Comparing and Contrasting "Barbie Doll" and "The Leap"
The poem "Barbie Doll" by Marge Piercy depicts a child that was once a normal girl child because
she looked reminiscent of a normal girl. She played with dolls and miniature stoves, which made
her, seem even more like a normal child. She then enters adolescent puberty which causes drastic
changes to her physical appearance, which ultimately cause her to become insecure about herself.
The poem "The Leap" by James Dickey also depicts a female character going through her
adolescence as a top runner within her grade level. The poems do have some similarities; however,
they also have several differences.
The poems "Barbie Doll" and The Leap depict two very different female...show more content...
Jane MacNaughton from "The Leap" poem is depicted by her boyfriend James Dickey as being an
athlete is the seventh grade. She excelled at her athletic skills often beating her male counterparts.
James Dickey seems to be mourning the loss of Jane because the poem discusses the many
memories that he has of Jane. Her abrupt leap from her hotel window leads to her untimely death,
which was surreal to James Dickey.
Both poems portray similar traits that relate to death; however, they are vastly different from one
another. The "Barbie Doll" poem initially starts off on a positive note just as "The Leap" does.
"The Leap" depicts Jane MacNaughton as an adolescent at first, and then progressing to her
adulthood. "Barbie Doll" is similar except that it is depicted in the opposite time frame that "The
Leap" is depicted in. The girl child with "Barbie Doll" is a young child because she is portrayed as
playing with dolls and miniature stoves and irons. These items are reminiscent of early childhood
toys, whereas Jane from "The Leap" is portrayed in an adolescent setting because she is depicted as
the fastest runner in the seventh grade. The girl child within "Barbie Doll" suffers complications
from her plastic surgery, which leads to a bittersweet ending. Jane MacNaughton on the other hand
suffers an untimely death because she commits suicide from leaping from a window. Jane's death was
intentional, whereas the "Barbie Doll" death was not intentional, and
Get more content on HelpWriting.net

Poem Analysis: Marge Piercy's Barbie Doll
"Barbie Doll"
"Barbie Doll", is a poem by Marge Piercy that published in 1971, during the second–wave of
feminism. Piercy writes poetry related to personal struggle as well as social and feminist rights.
Feminism is defined as the advocacy women take to have equal rights. According to Marge
Piercy she explains how her writing can be useful to women stating, "To find ourselves spoken for in
art gives dignity to our pain, our anger, our lust our losses" (560). This is a poem that gives Piercy's
view on how society believes a woman is supposed to look. The title is the perfect touch to how we
compare an average woman to the slender, blonde, classic beauty of a Barbie doll.
The poem is a twenty–five line open–form narrative poem. It is a free verse, which is free from
...show more content...
For example, the use of a metaphor in the third stanza compares the worn out feeling "the
girlchild" has on life to a worn out fan belt. The author uses a fan belt as an example of life
because, typically, fan belts wear out. Another example is the title itself. The Barbie Doll is the
classic example of the timeless beauty and the perfect body. The author is stating how the
"girlchild" is made fun of for her great big fat nose and fat legs, which she developed after the
change of puberty. The focus in each ending line of the stanza makes the reader judge the
"girlchild" for her looks rather than how intelligent and strong she is on the inside. By having the
visual judgement shows just how people in the society view people and it is not about what is
inside a person. In the last stanza, the author describes the funeral, and how beautiful she looks with
make–up, putty nose, and dressed in pink and white, symbolizing feminine purity. Once, the reader
sees the sarcastic tone in the end you will see how she finally never settled in with her own skin by
stating, Consummation at last / to every woman a happy ending

The Poem ' Barbie Doll ' By Marge Piercy
The poem "Barbie Doll" by Marge Piercy in relation to diversity alludes to specific aspects of
gender, mainly targeting the female gender perspective and expectations. In the poem, Piercy is
writing about a young girl transitioning from a child to a women and how society and its idea of
beauty affects her. My interpretation of the poem is that the girl is basically crying out for help
saying look I am healthy, intelligent, and strong but no one sees or cares about those things
because the only thing they see when they look at her is her outside appearance and what society
considers to be the flaws that she possesses. Although this was written in 1936 Piercy accurately
describes the feeling of being defined or constricted by society to think, act, and look a particular
way which is similar to that of todays society which is fueled by social media, where some find
personal gratification and self confidence fueled from likes and retweets they receive." Barbie
doll " is the perfect title for this poem because for the longest time a Barbie was a sign of something
perfect and beautiful, a toy enjoyed by everyone and a conventional symbol for little girls all over
the United States. Similarly the girl was conforming to be sort of like the Barbie doll in a way
because of societal expectations and the want to be viewed in a particular light by ones peers.
The beginning of the poem or the first stanza has a lighthearted tone and then as it progresses it
begins to divulge into a deeper

Meaning Of The Poem Barbie Doll
In the poem "Barbie Doll," the evident theme is don't conform to society's standards of women.
When the girl in the poem is growing up, she was like all the other girls her age: "presented dolls
that did pee–pee / and miniature GE stoves and irons / and wee lipsticks the color of cherry candy."
(2–4). 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. They are given dolls that act like children which
are symbolic of the idea that the young girls can practice being mothers of their children they are
expected to have. The stove symbolizes how girls are expected to know how to cook for their
families, and the iron symbolizes how the women are expected to take...show more content...
The author uses a simile to compare the girl's good nature to a rubber belt in a car that makes the
engine run. The girl was always being called names and was made fun of and if it happens once
you brush it off but once it is repeated over and over again it starts to really affect you but she had
a good natured personality so she could live with the bullying, her good nature kept her alive this
is similar to a fan belt in a car because the rubber is constantly under a little bit of friction not
enough to affect it one time but over the course of years it slowly wears out but until it actually
breaks the car could still run normally. The use of this simile is extremely important because
rubber wears out if it is constantly being used to move the vehicle which causes friction.
Likewise, the girl's good nature was in constant employment because of people constantly
bullying her about her appearance, that it wore out and finally snapped. She stops wanting to
live because her good nature was keeping her life going so once it was gone so was her life.
When the fan belt on a car wears out and finally snaps, the car can no longer move either, the car is
dead like the girl. Also, fan belts are found on cars which you would associate with men so the
author uses it as the simile to show the reader how when someone isn't

Essay On Barbie Doll
After reading both Barbie Doll and Why I Want A Wife (WIWAW), I am taken away by how the
two authors conveyed the same message in two completely different forms. The message is that
women in society are completely objectified and told to conform to the whim of the opposite sex.
In Barbie Doll not only is it the opposite sex, Sharon Olds argues that it is also the unrealistic
standards that are taught to young girls by society at large. This specific messages can be tied into
the overall theme of gender roles because they collectively paint a picture of a society where the role
of a woman is essentially pleasing men, whether it be in marital instances or simply conforming to
the needs of a testosterone dominated society.
Sharon Olds...show more content...
In WIWAW, Brady essentially wants a Barbie Doll as described by Olds. She wants the robotic,
makeup wearing, homemaker that women are forced to become in society. She doesn't actually
want a wife, but this is her way of telling us that she certainly doesn't want to be one. The wifely
duties she focuses on are daunting and would repel anyone from wanting to assume the role. The
roles of a wife, as explained by Brady, are so unpleasant that "wife" would be substituted with
"slave" and the text would likely still make sense. She doesn't focus on the societal pressures on
women as much as Olds does, but she gives us a more specific look at what a woman's role is in a
marriage. Of course, things like cooking and cleaning are consistent with Olds' message, but what
is left out is the pressure to look a certain way while fulfilling the tedious task such as "passing out
hor 'dourves", but it can almost be assumed that being visually pleasing at all times is apart of the
role of a wife.
As a male I would hate to live in a world where I was always told that my sole purpose is to please
a woman at my own expense. Both Brady and Olds hit the nail on the head with the picture they
both painted. Olds shows us that it isn't enough to just apologize for being "abnormal", you also
have to die to survive. I think it's wrong because while conforming to a socially constructed role, all
individuality is lost along the way. Brady shows us that for women, even after

Analysis Of The Poem ' Barbie Doll '
In the poem, "Barbie Doll", we are not exactly sure who the narrator is, but we do get the sense
that the narrator supports feminism. The narrator is addressing the fact the little girls are
encouraged to only worry about looking "beautiful" according to society's view on how a
"perfect" woman should look. This poem also comments on how little girls are also encouraged
to worry about being a house wife and mother, instead of trying to make their own place in this
world and accepting themselves for who they are and what they look like. The general idea of this
poem is to point out the fact that from a young age, females are encouraged to make themselves
into "Barbie Dolls" by any means necessary. "This girlchild was born as usual and presented dolls
that did pee–pee and miniature GE stoves and irons and wee lipsticks the color of cherry candy.
Then in the magic of puberty, a classmate said: You have a great big nose and fat legs (Piercy, 533)."
The first stanza of this poem comments on how this little girl is treated just like every other girl.
They have baby dolls, play makeup, and play kitchen sets thrust upon them. Girls are taught to be
happy little homemakers and to look pretty by putting on makeup, even at a young age. Then when
girls grow up to be teenagers they start to worry more about their appearances. In the poem, the girl
has grown up thinking that she will be pretty by wearing makeup and when she gets to adolescence,
other girls comment on

Barbie Doll Poem Analysis
Within society a women desire to be flawless when it comes to looks. There's so much pressure
and eagerness when it comes to a female fulfilling that image of looking like barbie. In the poem
"Barbie doll," by Marge P, there is proof to this statement with the poet's use of irony, imagery and
the impact of words having a bad outcome on the self–esteem of females.
Piercy's use of irony is detected within the title itself "barbie doll". I envision it to revolve around
the ideal barbie image alot of people make great efforts to achieve. However, this is where the true
irony comes in. Barbies are popular for their unnatural slim bodies and perfect features and because
they are played with by little girls, that image becomes the image teenagers and girls look for. Yet, in
the poem the girl does not have barbie doll features." a fat nose on thick legs,"(835) is what she
was being teased about because she hit puberty. "Then in the magic of puberty" Puberty is when
your body begins to change into an adult and there's nothing magical about that, especially for the
little girl because it caused her to be teased for her appearences.
In the last few lines of the poem, piercy refers to a "happy ending" it is a depressing thought.
"Consummation at last. To every woman a happy ending"(24–25) is very sarcastic and pessimistic.
She is basically saying that at last the end has come and its a feeling of pleasure since the girl got
her wish, but at what cost did she become a barbie.
The

The Use Of Metaphors And Allegory In Barbie Doll
In some eyes, poetry is a work of art. When reading poetry it may take a few rereads until someone
could really understand what it is interpreting in the poem. There is also much more to poetry than
meets the eye. Some of the main things that go into poetry are metaphors, overstatements, and
allegory. Without some of these key points inpoetry, it would be basic. Adding these important
factors is what makes poetry such work of art. The meaning of the metaphor is simply saying
something but meaning the opposite. When reading "Barbie Doll" there are all kinds of metaphors
in that reading. When the author said, "Her good nature wore out like a fan belt" one knows she is
not talking about the fan belt at all there for it is a metaphor (Piercy).

Barbie Doll Poem Analysis
Many people tend to overlook poems in favor of novels, however, I believe that poems deserve
more attention. Poetry allows people to express their deepest emotions and thoughts. Some
poems are influenced by the poet's life while some are not. All poems have an emotional effect on
the reader through the poet's use of imagery. Poems like Barbie Doll, On Turning Ten and I Am
Offering This Poem show how this form of writing can carry a powerful message in a few words.
The poems' main themes are feminism, love and life. I will be analyzing Barbie Doll, On Turning
Ten and I Am Offering This Poem. Barbie Doll was written by Marge Piercy in 1973 (Kelly 239).
The poem is about a young girl who is raised through female gender norms and is then bullied by a
classmate for having a big nose and fat legs; through her bullying she cuts off her nose and legs but
only when she is dead do people think she is...show more content...
The poem is about the speaker saying he doesn't have much, but offers the power/love poetry has to
his special one. The speaker compares his/her poem to materialistic things and says how
important his/her poem is. I really liked the poem since it shows how we always want
materialistic things, but sometimes the best things in life are the experiences we have with our
loved ones. I usually focus a lot on making sure I have money to get the things I want but the
poem made me realize that sometimes I have to care more about the people I love. Although the
poem didn't have difficult vocabulary, it was somewhat hard to understand. It was hard to
understand because the poem said to use it for physical comfort and as a focus for your life. After
every stanza the poem has the line "I love you" which shows how the speaker has a continuous
and immense love for his/her beloved one. The poem made me really happy since it showed me
that even a small thing like a poem can hold so much value and love (Kelly

Essay about Barbie Doll by Marge Piercy Analysis
Not Everyone is Made with a Barbie Doll Mold "Barbie Doll" by Marge Piercy is about a girl who is
a normal child growing up; playing with dolls, miniature kitchen items and pretend make–up. It
quickly takes an interesting turn when a pubescent child makes fun of her nose and legs and she was
advised to exercise and diet despite the fact that she was intelligent and healthy. The poem continues
on by the girl cutting her legs and nose and a bizarre visual of her laying in a casket with an ending
that states "to every woman a happy ending"( Piercy 791). This poem was written by Piercy in 1969
a year in which many women liberation groups were forming and the breaking of womanly roles
was taking place. The poem "Barbie Doll" by Marge Piercy,...show more content...
The classmate in this poem is a metaphor for society and how through puberty both sexes go
through changes and become more aware of one another as well as pass judgment between both
sexes, particularly more in women. The girl realizes that standards have been set for her and she
needs to look a certain way to be beautiful. However, according to society she is just a girl with " a
great big nose and fat legs" and thus affecting her emotionally which has negative effects on her
self–esteem and putting pressure on her emotionally ( Piercy 791). Beauty has been the focal
point throughout the poem. Throughout the poem Piercy emphasizes the "big nose and fat legs"(
Piercy 791). Society can be very shallow; only looking at the appearances rather than the person as
a whole. For example, one particular stanza states that " she was healthy, tested intelligent," (
Piercy 791). Though she did not fit into the mold of what society called beauty, she was smart a
quality that her critics overlooked. She also possessed other physical qualities such as having
"strong arms and back" ( Piercy 791). Society was so superficial that they didn't see other attributes
the young girl had. As the girl continues on to grow up she is continually facing challenges with her
confidence and thus affecting her emotionally and physically. For instance, one of the line states that
" she went to

Analysis Of Barbie Doll
Vying for Perfection (1a) The poem "Barbie Doll" written by Marge Piercy contains several
denotations and connotations throughout the work. Denotation, signifying the literal meaning or
dictionary definition, whereas connotation signifies the various meanings related to the word. In the
poem, the words "cosmetics" (20) and "happy ending" (25) stood out. The poet writes, "In the
casket displayed on satin she lay / with the undertaker's cosmetics painted on, / a turned–up putty
nose, /." (lines 19–21) Cosmetics as presented in Webster's Dictionary is "relating to or making for
beauty especially of the complexion." The reader could also interpret that word as maybe not just to
look better but to also mask the internal struggle that the individual is dealing with. Using make–up,
women more–so like to paint a facade to feel and look a certain way to attract others, as the woman
in the poem does. Going to the next phrase, "happy ending", denotes that it will end on a good
note for the protagonist. "To every woman a happy ending. (line 25)" Happy ending could also be
characterized, especially in this poem as the opposite. The woman throughout the poem is
struggling to appeal like a "Barbie Doll" on the exterior and wants to fulfill society's own
preference for beautiful causing the female to resort to physical harm. "She was advised to pay coy,
/ exhorted to come on hearty, / exercise, diet, smile, and wheedle." (lines 12–14) As emphasized she
was someone that she is not for

Margie Piercy's Poem, Barbie Doll
Margie Piercy's poem, "Barbie Doll" portrays the power that society holds on an individual's life.
The Barbie doll, not actually mentioned in the poem, is a symbol for the expectations society holds
a woman accountable for their entire life. Society expects women to put on this persona of the
perfect image; healthy, fit, well dressed, always putting the husbands needs in front of her own.
Piercy's poem exemplifies the standard that woman are held too and the horrors of how society can
change a person to fit the standard mold. This has created conflict between a woman's inner and
outer identities and because of this women have made a fake image. In today's world, what is on the
inside: intelligence, personality, goals in life are irrelevant to the image on the outside. Between the
makeup, hair,...show more content...
Overall, the doll is a melancholy exemplifying the tension between our inner and outer selves as well
as the superficiality of womanhood.
For generations, girls have been playing with "Barbie" dolls and many aspiring to be just like the
doll; the party girl, career woman, beauty expert, married to the most perfect man all wrapped up
into one person. In Piercy's poem entitled "Barbie Doll" foreshadows the theme of the poem, that
girls are entrapped in society's definition of the perfect woman and are forced to resort to
superficiality for means of acceptance. This is evident in the opening stanza of the description of the
"girlchild", "Presented dolls that did pee–pee and miniature GE stoves and irons," (2,3). These lines
show the stereotypical domestic housewife and how their only jobs is to cook, clean, and care for
the children. Woman are held to lower standards than their male counterparts and never expected to
excel outside the home. Piercy continues to show the shallowness of womanhood and how society
never submerges deeper than the outer shell. Margie writes the standards that a woman must hold
herself to in

Poem Analysis: The Barbie Doll
The poem begins with the sentence "This girlchild was born as usual" trying to make the reader
have the impression that she was born like any other normal child. The main character in the poem
is a girl who seems to never be content with herself and tries to please others and to accept her the
way she is. The 2, 3 and 4 lines in the poem are symbols of feminism that the family wants the child
to grow up into. The author illustrates that the girl was presented dolls, miniature stoves and
irons, and red lipstick. Also, repetition of words can be seen as the initial "and" in lines 2, 3 and 4
of the poem. There is not a direct mention of a Barbie doll in the poem. However, the reader may
think otherwise because of the title "Barbie Doll".
The

The Barbie Doll Poem
This poem is a very influential poem. The key character in this poem seems to me that she never
had the opportunity to live her life to the fullest because she was always trying to make others
happy and be acknowledged, in which she never got the chance to be herself thus having an unhappy
life. The toys provided to the girl are signs of feminism that the family wishes the adolescent grow
up into. In today's society a high level of expectations concerning women and their beauty, as girls
mature they are persistently provoked for not looking like the typical "Barbie doll". They start to rip
apart their own bodies within their thoughts, and too often conclude with defects such as feeling fat
or too thin, not tall enough or too tall, hair should

Analysis of Marge PiercyВґs Poem: Barbie Doll
Over the course of many years, society has slowly placed an unrealistic expectation of appearance on
women. Through television, magazines, billboards, and even toys, human minds have been
influenced into thinking women should look a certain way. One of the commonly recognized
symbols of the "perfect woman" is the Barbie Doll. For years girls have dreamed of being that
perfect woman and in Marge Piercy's "Barbie Doll", she satirizes that dream by telling a story of a
girl whose pursuit to become perfect ultimately leads to ruin. Her overall theme she's striving to
demonstrate is that " Girls are willing to kill themselves to live up to the unrealistic body images
society pushes on them..."(Booth) The poem begins by a seemingly normal little girl who was "...
presented dolls that did pee–pee and miniature GE stoves and irons and wee lipsticks the color of
cherry candy" (lines 2–4). By these gifts being presented to the girl, she was unknowingly being
forced into a way of life and a role in society. This poem was written during a time wherewomen
were confined to their homes, and in the poem, Marge Piercy leads us to imagine a girl with a stove
getting prepared for her man–made calling in life. Continuing in the poem, there's a shift in focus at
line five when "...in the magic of puberty, a classmate [says]: You have a great big nose and fat
legs." At this point in the poem the adolescent begins to experience society starting to shove her into
her place in society. Piercy

The Poem Barbie Doll
The "Perfect" Women One would think growing up would be exciting and fun, and a happy
experience but instead we get critiqued for not being a "Barbie Doll.". Yes, growing up should
be, but that is not the case, especially for young women or women in general. As us girls mature
into young adults or women we realize we not only have to face the face that we live in a
patriarchal society, but also a society who is highly influenced by social media, and pressures we
face in social aspect of life, such as our looks and body image. Being as realistic as possible, no
one is born with a "Barbie Doll"mold, we are all different sizes and body shapes. Some of us more
curvier than others, some thinner than most. Point is that we all have different bodies that should
be accepted. In "Barbie Doll" poem, Piercy begins the poem by illustrating the speaker's normal
childhood: This girl child was born as usual And presented dolls that did pee–pee and miniature GE
stoves and irons and wee lipsticks the color of cherry candy . Then in the magic of puberty, a
classmate said: You have a great big nose and fat legs. (1–6) In the first stanza of the poem the
reader can see what the speaker is saying, abnormal girl, with a normal girl childhood growing up;
playing with dolls, easy beak ovens, and makeupe. It takes a turn when a classmate( which in reality
is society) makes fun of her nose and legs, later in the poem the girls is advised to exercise and diet
despite her intelligence. As I get older, I realized I could related to this poem but instead I was
judged for being skinner and thinner than everyone else. I was healthy and smart but I was a size
000. I was teased and harassed by society and was self–conscious about being my size. I was
constantly asked if I was sick. The best part was when I was judged at the beginning of every
school year from elementary school till 10th grade when introducing myself in class, someone
would say "You're so SKINNY!" who he'd bothered me. I would be asked if I was anorexic or
bulimic. There is so much competition amongst us girls, especially when growing up and
transitioning from girls to young adults to women and throughout most of our adulthood. I believe
instead of us being able to enjoy life

Barbie Doll by Marge Piercy Essay
The poem, "Barbie Doll," written by Marge Piercy tells the story of a young girl growing up
through the adolescence stage characterized by appearances and barbarity. The author uses
imagery and fluctuating tone to describe the struggles the girl is experiencing during her teenage
years, and the affects that can happen. The title of this poem is a good description of how most
societies expect others, especially girls to look. Constantly, people are mocked for their appearance
and expected to represent a "barbie–doll"–like figure. Few are "blessed" with this description. The
female gender is positioned into the stereotype that women should be thin and beautiful. With this
girl, the effects were detrimental. The first stanza describes the...show more content...
It's ironic that this particular word is used because puberty is actually a stage of emotional crisis'. A
hurtful remark was made towards the child, and she was described as having a "big nose and fat
legs." The second stanza also begins with the subdued tone mentioning the girls positive aspects,
such as being "healthy...intelligent...strong." These specific details are usually related to the male.
Once again, the gender characteristics play as an underlying factor. These qualities were not good
enough for a woman if they were not beautiful. The stanza then takes a turn like the first turning
away from the simplicity. The girl "went to and fro apologizing," while everyone still saw "a fat
nose on thick legs." Society places women into the mold where they begin to put on a facade and
apologize for their "misfortunes." In the third stanza, the girl was "advised to play coy...(and)
smile." Women are once again pressured to act in a way that is unreal, like a "barbie doll." The
"fan belt" mention in this stanza is used as imagery to describe how one's facade can wear out
over time, as hers did. She "cut off her nose and her legs," in response to this. The character Nora
in "A Doll's House," is a perfect example of how women are like dolls and do what they are told or
what society expects of them. It is only in the last stanza where the girl is dead and has
"consummation at last." She is finally given a compliment when someone said,

Analyzing The Poem 'Barbie Doll'
The poem "Barbie Doll", resonated with me as a parent and one who works with adolescents. The
speaker mentions the role of gender–driven toys as the beginning of the process to limit and channels
what individuals see them self's as and as a tool to gauge where they fit into society. I have
struggled with this at times with my daughters. This Halloween our youngest wanted to be a witch
and the older told her that witches were ugly, she suggested she should want to be a princess
instead. I did not intervene and let the whole thing play out, the little one held fast and the older one
continued to try to "cute up" the little one's costume. As I watch this I thought of this poem and tried
to figure out what if anything could be done, not for

Barbie Doll Figurative Language
The American Poet, novelist and social activist Marge Piercy, wrote the poem "Barbie Doll" in
1969, a year in which many women's liberation groups were forming and feminism was rising
around the world. "Barbie Doll" explores many themes to do with womanhood, and leaves a
significant influence on the reader. The poem uses tone and imagery to convey the idea that it is
absurd that society portrays appearance to be the most valued quality in a woman. The poem also
uses figurative language, such as similes, to convey that for many young girls, growing up seems to
not be about becoming yourself but rather about fitting in, and becoming what society wants you to
be. Piercy has explored the irrationality of the idea that society seems to be constantly...show more
content...
All of her other attributes such as her intelligence and the fact that she was healthy, are
disregarded, because she isn't what society sees as beautiful. She is so insecure about these
'imperfections', she believes that if she cant be 'perfect', she might as well not 'be' at all, so she
disposes of what she thinks are the ugly things about her, but ends up dying in the process of
trying to please the world around her. She does all of this just to try and fit the mould society has
set for her, to make sure her exterior appearance is 'perfect'. This longing to be perfect ties in with
the metaphor of the title "Barbie Doll". Evidently, Barbie dolls have nothing but their appearance,
and this metaphor perfectly frames the absurdity of the idea of appearance being the most important
element in a woman. Throughout this poem, sarcasm has also been used to reinforce this idea. In the
last stanza, during the resolution of the poem, the line "Doesn't she look pretty?" is particularly
significant in the development of the resolution of the poem. Even though the girl has died and lying
in her casket as they speak, her appearance is still the thing that is

Analyzing Marge Piercy's Poem 'Barbie Doll'
The poem Barbie Doll draws on the ever–present issue that women face striving to be accepted in
terms of beauty by society's standards. Throughout this poem, the author, Marge Piercy,
communicates, through theme, form and meaning the dangers of giving into society and their
expectations of women throughout each line. Barbie Doll is a free verse poem broken into four
stanzas. Each stanza carries a different tone. The shift in the tone of the separate stanzas is due to the
different actions of the girl in every stanza. When her actions change, that is where the stanzas
separate. And with each separate stanza comes a different tone and mood. Each stanza in Barbie
Doll carries a different tone in order to help the reader better understand the meaning and importance
of the poem....show more content...
"In the casket displayed on satin she lay / with the undertaker's cosmetics painted on, / a turned–up
putty nose, / dressed in a pink and white nightie." (19–22) After her death, the girl is placed on
display in the coffin for people to see her. After doing her makeup, the mortician has given her a
new nose that now looks flawless. "Doesn't she look pretty? Everyone said. / Consummation at last."
(23–24) Everyone who saw her in the casket talked about how pretty she looked. She was finally
accepted for her looks. "To every woman a happy ending." (25) This is the very last line of the
poem and is also one of the most important. The line proves that to women everywhere, if at the
end of life, they look beautiful and that others are raving over their looks, even in death, that's the
ultimate happily ever after. This line perfectly sums up the meaning of the poem, however it's also
ironic. It justifies the point Piercy is making; that at the end of life, in the eyes of society you
personality never mattered and that appearance is everything. The irony lies in the fact that the girl
was finally accepted for her looks, but only after her life was

Barbie Doll Poem Essay

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

More from College Paper Writing Service Reviews

More from College Paper Writing Service Reviews (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Barbie Doll Poem Essay