"Barbie Doll" by Marge Piercy Analysis

In 1973, Marge Piercy wrote a metrical composition that follows the life story of a five-year-old lady friend evolution up with modern expectations that she struggles to unsex to. ?Barbie boo? uses different typefaces of a fair sex?s life to point the different pressures on women today. The send-off aspect Piercy uses to emphasize the stereotypes connect to women be designs, colours, and toys that are tradition all(prenominal)y associated with daughters; the principal(prenominal)(prenominal)(prenominal) image of the poesy, is granted gifts that are rattling maiden desire. The early(a) aspects Piercy utilizes are the ? deception? of puberty, and she withal uses the popular children?s fowl Barbie, as call forn in the backup of her poem, to highlight conjunction?s expectations on women, the primary(prenominal) character at the end of the initial stanza is ridiculed by a chum because of her accounts. Stereotypes of how a woman ?should? appear and be take over resembling realise always been around in some cast of characters or form. These ?ideals? are in dummy uped in slim young womans at a spring chicken age. These ?ideals? moreover can be really difficult for women that cannot or entreat not to correct to this ?norm?, as like the main character in the poem who in the fourth stanza has taken her life because she couldn?t fit in. Piercy relates diverse portions of a woman?s life to effectively connect Barbie raspberry expectations of women and her playing area. Piercy strategically uses traditional and nontraditional items, and colours associated with women to point aside what participation deems fair(prenominal) qualities to contrast the feelings of her field. In the first stanza the subject is prone gifts conventionally relieve oneselfn to young girlfriends: a doll, a lean stove, an iron, and lipstick. These items are picked by the author to illustrate that, even from a young age; women are being mol ded into neat homemakers. Women have been ! traditionally expected to have children, cook for the family, houseclean for the family and soon enough still look beautiful for their husbands when they come home. In the trio stanza, the subject seems to be wearing unwrap like a yellowish brown belt: ?Her penny-pinching nature wore prohibited/ like a winnow belt.? (Lines 15 ? 16). A fan belt is a rail auto part, cars are traditionally considered precise masculine. Piercy uses a masculine item to articulate her subject self-importance confidence and happiness seemed to cease alike a car with a broken fan belt. Piercy also perhaps indispensablenesss to enunciate her subject might be dear(p) at otherwise things other than the status quo things that women are thought to be sizeable at such as car mechanics. In the first stanza it appears that everything is going well for the young girl. Then, as ironically maintain by Piercy the girl undergoes the ?magic? of puberty. Puberty is an awkward epoch for all. Du ring this period of time is when boys usually start to take formulation of girls, being it in a good context or bad. Piercy closes the first stanza: ?Then in the magic of puberty, a schoolfellow said: / You have a great big lever and fat legs.? (Lines 5 -6). Society seems to be so enfold up in what people look like on the out(p)side, they a great deal disregard what the person has to snap emotionally or intellectually. The subject in the poem erect wants to be recognised for who she is, she feels anonymous. In the poem Piercy does not give the young girl a name, this creates two rakes for Piercy to use. The first angle is that the young girl is nameless because all people see of her was her large hooter and fat legs. The bite angle is that Piercy wants express that during puberty all girls undergo ridicule. Piercy uses the main character?s anonymity to get in touch her female readers; all women have endured some sort of societal pressures while growing up and during puberty. The title of the poem ?Barbie chick?! derives from the popular doll Barbie which is manufactured by Mattel Toys. The dolls are often associated with femininity and ravisher however; girls might try and imitate the unrealistic standards they set which can be discouraging. In the second stanza, the author shows her audition that although the girl is not traditionally pretty, she was still in good health and had other positive attributes: ?She was healthy, well-tried intelligent, / Possessed lovesome arms and back,? (Lines 7 - 8). When you think of a Barbie doll, you do not think of a doll with sizable arms, having a steadfast back, or being overly clever.

Barbie looks as though she may be anorexic, she is rigid, she does not step out of line, she just smilings and does not talk, and she does whatever her puppeteer wants of herIn the third stanza it seems as though the girl is scope out for help to coincide with ball club?s Barbie like expectations of her: ?She was advised to play coy, / exhorted to come on hearty, / exercise, diet, smile and wheedle.? (Lines 12 ? 14). The main character in this stanza is try to square off out as to why people go out not accept her for who she is. The girl was looking for an answer that gild wouldn?t give her, she had to conform to the Barbie like ?norm? or be herself and unhappy. In the fourth and final stanza, the subject is hit and is in her casket at her funeral. The young woman feels as though she could not fit in and takes her own life. Although the girl doesn?t feel she fits in, she is ironically dressed in a pink and white nightie in her casket. Pink is traditionally associated with womanhood, and white is often associ! ated with purity. I feel that Piercy chose to have the subject dressed this way to express that even in final stage the girl was still expected to be very feminine and Barbie - esque. Piercy?s Barbie Doll is a well create verbally authority of modern expectations of women. The author strategically uses traditional girl?s gifts and colours to represent the standards pressed on women. Piercy writes her poem as the girl grows through puberty. The author specifically decides to confine the main character nameless to show how the girl matte up like she was nothing but a big wind on big legs. The author also contrasts the popular doll Barbie and the stereotypes of what women ?should? look and act like according to what the doll represents opposite to her main character. Using these different affects Piercy has written an effective poem bring out society?s unjust pressures on young women. If you want to get a full essay, decree it on our website: OrderCustomPaper.com

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