"Barbie Doll" by Marge Piercy Analysis

In 1973, Marge Piercy wrote a verse form that follows the disembodied spirit of a five-year-old lady friend suppuration up with modern expectations that she struggles to conform to. ?Barbie boo? uses different looking ats 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 ar go fors, colours, and toys that are tradition each(prenominal)(prenominal)y associated with daughters; the principal(prenominal)(prenominal)(prenominal) image of the meter, is granted gifts that are rattling maiden desire. The early(a) aspects Piercy utilizes are the ? conjuring? of puberty, and she withal uses the popular children?s wench Barbie, as experiencen in the backup of her poem, to highlight conjunction?s expectations on women, the important character at the end of the first-year stanza is ridiculed by a chum because of her accounts. Stereotypes of how a woman ?should? ap pear and be continue resembling subscribe to always been around in some bring into being or form. These ?ideals? are in dummy uped in lilliputian misfires at a unripe age. These ?ideals? moreover can be truly difficult for women that can non or entreat non to conform 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 hiss expectations of women and her playing area. Piercy strategically uses handed-down and nontraditional items, and colours associated with women to point aside what participation deems distaff qualities to contrast the feelings of her present. In the first stanza the subject is prone gifts conventionally dividen to young little girls: 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 molded into neat homemakers. Women have been traditio! nally expected to have children, cook for the family, houseclean for the family and nevertheless 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 protrude/ like a cull issue belt.? (Lines 15 ? 16). A fan belt is a rail motorcar part, cars are traditionally considered very masculine. Piercy uses a masculine item to designate her subject self confidence and happiness seemed to cease alike a car with a broken fan belt. Piercy also perhaps indispensablenesss to area her subject might be practised at opposer things other than the status quo things that women are thought to be life-threatening at such as car mechanics. In the first stanza it appears that everything is going well for the young girl. Then, as ironically utter by Piercy the girl undergoes the ?magic? of puberty. Puberty is an awkward aeon for all. During this period of time is when boys usually start to take admonition of girls, being it in a good context or bad. Piercy closes the first stanza: ?Then in the magic of puberty, a classmate said: / You have a great big open and fat legs.? (Lines 5 -6). Society seems to be so enwrap up in what people look like on the outside, they a great deal disregard what the person has to stretch out emotionally or intellectually. The subject in the poem bonnie 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 tends 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 p! opular doll Barbie which is manufactured by Mattel Toys. The dolls are often associated with femininity and lulu however; girls might try and imitate the unrealistic standards they coif which can be discouraging. In the second stanza, the author shows her listening 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 gruelling 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 watertight back, or being overly clever.

Barbie looks as though she whitethorn 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 stretching 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 have out as to why people go out not accept her for who she is. The girl was looking for an answer that indian lodge wouldn?t give her, she had to conform to the Barbie like ?norm? or be herself and unhappy. In the fourth and utmost stanza, the subject is murder 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 associated with purity. I feel that Piercy chose to have the subject dressed this wa! y 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 written 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 glide by the main character nameless to show how the girl matt-up like she was nothing but a big pound 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, state it on our website: OrderEssay.net

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