"Barbie Doll"
By: Marge Piercy
In society, gender is constantly classified and idealized. People are challenged to conform to social expectations and fulfill what is expected of them according to their gender. "Barbie Doll" by Marge Piercy analyzes this ideal quality by presenting the challenges women face in patriarchal society to conform to the expectations of them as women.
The poem, divided into different sections, presents news ideas in each. For, in the first section, the traditional image of the barbie, the idea woman instilled in ideas of children as a toy, is presented. This stanza not only describes her looks, but also her actions and the way a woman is expected to be. Then, however, the real image of a living girl is presented with all of her flaws. The young girl, seen as having a big nose and fat legs, never measures up to the barbie doll expectations and gender role. In the final section, this pressure to conform leads to the an ultimate death. Ironically, this death leads people to describe the woman in the casket as beautiful although first seen as traditional and with flaws. While the irony of this statement hangs over the reader, I believe the statement serves an important role. For, through the ironic statement, the reader can infer that "To every woman a happy ending (836)," the narrator is not only referring to happiness, but the relief of not having to conform to social standings. I believe the death presented could serve as an metaphor for the escape of women from the patriarchal demands of conforming to freedom.
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