“Barbie Doll” Analysis

Directions

Read the background of the writer. Then, read and annotate “Barbie Doll”
and answer the questions under “Exploring the Text.” Provide evidence
from the text to support each answer.

Writer Marge Piercy

American poet, novelist, and activist Marge Piercy (b. 1936) grew up in
Michigan in a working-class family during the Depression. She graduated
from Northwestern University with an MA and went on to write more than
thirty books, including novels and volumes of poetry. She is known for her
highly personal free verse and her themes of feminism and social
protest. "Barbie Doll," from her 1973 collection To Be of Use, comments on
the popular icon - and children's toy - of the same name. It was published
during the second-wave of feminism.

Exploring the Text

1. Identify several stereotypes that Marge Piercy draws on in this poem. Why is girlchild
- one word - an appropriate term?

- When I looked up the definition of girlchild, it said that it was a term that was
used to make females feel inferior. There was no boychild, but girlchild was a
word. This was appropriate in this poem because it was written during a
feminist movement, and so Piercy was depicting the stark differences that still
existed between women and men and how they were each allowed to act.

2. What images and colors does Piercy use to depict the girlchild?

- Some of the images Piercy uses to depict the girlchild are that “[She had] a
great big nose and fat legs.” I’m assuming this isn’t actually true, but rather the
way society sees her. Later on in the poem, it describes the girlchild as having
strong arms and back. I think this was important to note because this wasn’t
something that was very normal for women in these times. Yes, they were
strong, but they were normally just supposed to be slender and quiet and just
smile at everything. They weren’t supposed to work a lot other than taking care
of their home and family, (which is a lot of work) but I thought it was interesting
that Piercy used these words to describe the girlchild.

3. Who is the speaker in the poem?-

- I think that the speaker in this poem is almost society. While this girlchild had so
many good qualities like her intelligence, her strength, her health, society only
 pointed out the few things that were wrong with her, and they weren’t even
anything bad. They were just the only flaws society could find about her, so
that’s all they talked about. This is similar to today. Especially with social media,
people take the time and opportunity to critique everything about everyone.
With world famous supermodels who are pretty much society’s definition of
perfection and beauty, people still criticize how they look and act.

4. How does the way the girl is encouraged to behave run counter to her natural
inclinations?

- The way the girl is encouraged to behave runs counter to her natural
inclinations because according to Piercy, she’s active, healthy, strong, and
smart. I’m assuming that as a result of these characteristics, she wants to do
something more than just sit at home like a prop for her future husband. She
probably wants to go outside and have fun, rather than learn how to sit still and
look pretty.

5. How does the speaker entwine other commentaries into the poem? Why? Are these
voices in the mind of the girlchild real or imagined?

- I think that these voices are more imagined than the voice of the real girlchild. I
think that they could be thoughts that she had about her two flaws, but I’m not
sure. I think it could have also just been whispers of the things people said to
her floating around her. In cartoons, they’ll have the words or something that
haunts a character show up in the background and then disappear, and that’s
what I imagine these other commentaries were.

6. What is the speaker's tone in this poem? What specific lines and images lead you to
your understanding of tone?

- I thought that the tone in this poem was disgusting. The author sounded
annoyed and disappointed by what the girlchild went through with some of the
words and phrases she used, and it almost sounded like she was really trying to
get the girlchild to feel better about herself. Piercy pointed out and highlighted
all of the good things about the girlchild, but the girl only ever saw what was
wrong with her.

7. So what? What is the purpose of this poem and what can readers learn from it?

- I think that the purpose of this poem is to teach readers about self-worth while
simultaneously pointing out what’s wrong with society. Everyone has flaws.
There is not a single person on Earth who is perfect, but society acts like there
is, and the only way to achieve that level is through drastic measures. While
doing this assignment I remembered something I read a long time ago about
some girl who wanted to be a human barbie, so she had tons of surgeries, had
ribs removed so her waist could be as skinny as Barbie’s, only ate soup and
liquids, and just went kind of crazy trying to get herself to that level. I think one
of the biggest things readers need to learn from this poem is that while there
may be things we don’t like about ourselves, or things other people don’t like
about us, always focus on the positive things because they mean so much more
and are way more important.
Barbie Doll

This girlchild was born as usual

and presented dolls that did pee-pee
and miniature GE stoves and irons
and wee lipsticks the color of cherry candy.
Then in the magic of puberty, a classmate said:
You have a great big nose and fat legs.

She was healthy, tested intelligent,

possessed strong arms and back,
abundant sexual drive and manual dexterity.
She went to and fro apologizing.
Everyone saw a fat nose on thick legs.

She was advised to play coy,

exhorted to come on hearty,
exercise, diet, smile and wheedle.
Her good nature wore out
like a fan belt.
So she cut off her nose and her legs
and offered them up.

In the casket displayed on satin she lay

with the undertaker's cosmetics painted on,
a turned-up putty nose,
dressed in a pink and white nightie.
Doesn't she look pretty? everyone said.
Consummation at last.
To every woman a happy ending.