Marge Piercy's The Barbie Doll

So, reading this, “Barbie Doll” had definitely been related to her experience. Although Marge Piercy did not exactly die the way the girl did in the poem, but I suppose she was dying to be herself on the inside. In most of Piercy’s poems and other literary works, she expresses change. She dreams of social change, and feminist revival. Feminism plays a vital role in Piercy’s works.

The “Barbie Doll” poem is an effective poem. The first thing that comes to my mind when I hear the words “Barbie Doll” is one of my favorite childhood toys. The main character of this poem is a young girl who was born in a judgmental world. She never had the opportunity to feel satisfied or happy with herself. She was trying to please others and make a way for herself to accept and feel confident within.

Janie thought to herself that the little girl on the milk carton looks like herself. She remembers the white dress that’s on the girl and that she looks exactly like the girl on the carton. She tried telling her friends and none of her friends believed her. So Janie cut the back of the milk carton off and kept the 1-800 number. She kept the number so she could call and ask questions about the little girl missing.

At the beginning of the book, Gilly would have loved that but when she moved away she understood that it was not what she needed. She finds disappointment in her new life and realizes what a great time she had with Trotter, William Ernest and Mr. Rudolph. The Great Gilly Hopkins is a book to reflect on. The characters and the whole story stick to your mind after finishing the book. The author accomplishes to transform Gilly into a real girl who cares about people; people who became her family and who had unconditional love for her.

Kristina Starr Professor McGhee English 152 23 September 2014 Insecurity In her poem “Barbie Doll”, Marge Piercy illustrates the way in which society sets unachievable standards for children, particularly young girls. In the beginning of the poem, the “girlchild” lives her life without a care in the world. As she advances into her teenage years, she is told how to act and how to look. Those around her pressure her to obtain a coquettish personality and a skinny body. Society influences the way many young girls feel about themselves, especially when they cannot live up to these unrealistic expectations.

This image is brought to everyone as soon as they turn on the television or go to the store and see a magazine. The idea of being beautiful is what many women strive, for that is what gave the poet Marge Piercy the idea for her poem “Barbie Doll”. Marge Piercy used being a woman and pressure of beauty during her time, of the 1970s, to bring about a poem that tells the story of a woman who has to change for society to be called pretty. The poem

In the poem “Barbie Doll”, written by Marge Piercy, there is a clear theme of the expectations of women in society. The poem starts by talking about a girl that was normal until she was judge when she hit puberty for having, “A great big nose and fat legs” (Piercy 533). This comment follows her for the rest of her life, until it is implied that she could no longer take the harsh criticism she felt from the world “her good nature wore out”, and because of this, she committed suicide “she cut off her nose and her legs/ and offered them up” (Piercy 534). Finally when she dies, everyone comments how pretty she looks, and the poem finishes with, “To every woman a happy ending” (Piercy 534). This line summarizes the theme that the poem was trying

The life of a women is difficult at all the stages of life, from birth to death, there is certain clothes they need to wear, they need to act a certain way, and do the chores that society feels are necessary for them to do. Society makes it clear that a woman is different from men and the tasks that they have are different. The author of “Barbie Doll,” Marge Piercy sheds a light of the difference on how people treat girls and women as they go from early childhood to adolescence. Piercy uses the connotation of different words, visual imagery, and the comparison between different elements in the girl’s life to ironize society’s social standards that lead to women’s suicides and deaths. The first element of figurative language Marge Piercy uses is the connotation of different words to ironize how women are treated, but in doing so, she sheds light on the wrongs that they face.

For the girl grew to be beautiful and gentle, affectionate and sincere, - the idol of Valmonde” (Chopin 1). Desiree not only had a new life, but she had someone who loved and cared for her no matter what. She was thrown out by her family and left to die but when Valmonde saw her and took her in she gave her a chance at life she gave her a chance to become something and somebody. Because Desiree comes from an unknown past her ancestry is unknown causing many people to be very cautious around her. Even though Desiree would’ve been expected to never amount to anything she

This poem has an influential and powerful message for its readers. The two words “Barbie Doll” is an essential part of a little girl’s vocabulary and most every little girl owns a Barbie doll. The doll represents an image of a perfect woman; however, in reality, women should not expect to be perfect. This is a narrative poem which summarizes the life of a young girl. The poem begins with “This girl child was born usual.” This line indicates that the child is born like any normal child.