The Price of Becoming a Barbie Doll Within our society there is an extraordinary want and need for women to be perfect on the outside. There is too much importance and too much anxiety placed on women to surrender to the image of being or becoming a Barbie doll. In the poem "Barbie Doll‚" written by Marge Piercy‚ I see evidence to this idea in the poet’s use of irony‚ her attitude on the subjects of both inner and outer beauty‚ and her attitude on the significance of words interfering with a woman’s
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The poem‚ "Barbie Doll"‚ is about a girl who was growing up in a society which regard highly of female beauty. The title illustrates that most females were expected to be like Barbie dolls. These dolls cast pressure on the girl to be like supermodel. In this story‚ the girl failed to meet the standards of society and viewed as a social outcast.The first paragraph describes a growing girl who was presented with dolls‚ miniature GE stoves‚ irons and lipsticks. This will ensure that the girl will know
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Society has a very strong mental image of what the ideal young woman looks‚ acts‚ and behaves like. Whenever a young woman fails to live up to these outrageous ideas they are belittled and told to change what they look like and how they behave. This is exactly what happens to the girl in Marge Piercy’s poem “Barbie Doll” (236). The pressure that society was putting on the shoulders of this girl became too much one day. She finally decided to give up on being herself and become who the world wanted
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“Barbie Doll” by Marge Piercy The poem “Barbie Doll’ by Marge Piercy dramatizes the conflict between stereotyping and perfection within society. The title accentuates the theme of the poem; the Doll symbolizes society’s interpretation of beauty and a reflection of how the girl’s ideas of this beauty shape her self-worth. According to Steven Ratiner‚ author of Giving Their World: Conversations with Contemporary Poets‚ it is Piercy’s realistic interpretations of life experience which develops the theme
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The Barbie Doll: Perfect in an Imperfect World Imagine long blonde hair‚ perfect tan skin‚ a tall slender body with perfect measurements and outfits that only accentuate the perfect features. It might be hard‚ or impossible‚ to bring to mind a human being who could fit these characteristics. If I were to say‚ long blonde hair‚ perfect tan skin‚ a tall‚ slender body with perfect measurements and outfits that only accentuate her plastic body‚ what comes to mind now? Young children have received Barbie
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Society’s Impact When you claim to be ugly society tells you that you’re beautiful and when you say that you’re beautiful society tells you that you are conceited. “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” (Ralph Waldo Emerson) Society tells us what we should be‚ who we should be‚ what we should look and act like and what is perfect. Too many woman try to fit this ideal of what we should be based on media and society in an imperfect
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Living in a Barbie World: Modern Stereotypes of WomenIn 1973‚ Marge Piercy wrote a poem that follows the life of a young girl growing up with modern expectations that she struggles to conform to. "Barbie Doll" uses different aspects of a woman’s life to express the different pressures on women today. The first aspect Piercy uses to emphasize the stereotypes attached to women are images‚ colours‚ and toys that are traditionally associated with girls; the main character of the poem‚ is given gifts
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trying years of our lives took place during the developmental stages. The times you were left lingering in the foggy valley between childhood and adulthood. Puberty. You would be lying if you said this period did not hit you like a truck. The poem “Barbie Doll” by Marge Piercy embodies the struggles that adolescence girls endeavor throughout this beautiful and natural season of their young lives. Speaking from a female perspective‚ “blossoming” was not as glamorous as our school nurses and
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The poem begins “This girlchild was born as usual”. As a young girl she received gifts such as: makeup‚ dolls‚ and miniature home appliances. Later‚ “in the magic of puberty‚” a classmate remarks adversely on how she looks‚ mocking her about her “great big nose and fat legs.” The young girl’s sexual drive‚ physical prowess‚ and intelligence are all expressed
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Barbie is the main target for feminists and women of all races. As a doll‚ Barbie is a first role model for kids‚ showing them what they should look like‚ how they should dress‚ and how much money she should have. She is given to girls at a very young age. Marilyn Motz’s essay‚ “Seen Through Rose-Tinted Glasses” says‚ “Most owners of Barbie dolls are girls ages of three to eleven years of age” (Motz 16). These children are too young to process and understand that real girls don’t look like her. She
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