Barbie Doll Idealism

The characters in the poem and short story “Barbie Doll” by Marge Piercy and “The Birth-Mark” by Nathaniel Hawthorne can both relate to one another in the fact that the public sets expectations for women. “Then in the magic of puberty, a classmate said:/ You have a great big nose and fat legs.” (Piercy 5-6) This quote from the poem “Barbie Doll” is an exceptional example of our general society making fun of an adolescent, who does not meet the societal expectations that have been set for women, until a tragic event happens. Another superb example of this negative concept would be, “Georgiana,” said he, “has it never occurred to you that the mark upon your cheek might be removed?” (Hawthorne 341) This direct quote comes from the short story “The Birth-Mark” and implies that appearance is a great example of a societal expectation. Society shapes the lives of many women by implying the importance of behavior, appearance, and success.

Many women are judged because they do not meet these expectations that we have set in society. These expectations often create a negative influence towards women. If women are not good enough or do not meet our ideal societal expectations, they are often down-graded even more then they might have been

In “Barbie Doll” by Marge Piercy, all women can relate to the author’s representation of a “girlchild”. From infancy a girl is already assigned her gender role in life, and in time her gender will face restrictive roles as she faces adulthood. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s work “The Birth Mark”, Alymer’s moral standard is present when his interest in science and use of nature causes him to want to create perfection in his love and physical attraction with Georgianna. Instead of creating perfection in her character, he destroys