“Barbie Doll”: Women Against Society
We have all heard the saying at some point throughout our lives that, “Beauty is pain,” or, “It hurts to be beautiful.” In today’s society, the image of what is believed to be how a beautiful girl looks is everywhere. Magazines, television shows, billboard advertisements, and social media platforms all include images of women that fit the beauty standards that society has placed on them. Margie Piercy’s poem “Barbie Doll” demonstrates how these beauty standards affect women starting from their early childhood years into adulthood. Piercy delivers this overall message of women versus society by the use of symbolism, imagery, and irony to contribute to the overall depressing tone.
Margie Piercy uses symbolism with the title of “Barbie Doll” as a way to reflect the deep meaning the poem conveys. When most people hear the words “barbie doll,” they connect it to the popular children’s toy that coined the name. Piercy uses the term with a meaning that differs from one’s everyday interpretation of the word. The author uses the phrase to support the idea of the unrealistic standards that society holds on the way the women should look and behave. A barbie doll often has the perfect hair, perfect body, and perfect facial features, as most of the women in the media portray, which is what society believes to be beautiful. A doll, or “dummy,” can also be referred to as an object that acts in whichever way that it is made to. This interpretation of the word barbie doll relates to how society expects women to act and represent themselves. In this way, the title given to the poem perfectly matches the theme and tone.
Margie Piercy beings “Barbie Doll” with the opening line, “The girlchild was born as usual,” (1) which identifies who the speaker is following throughout the entirety of the poem as girlchild. The tone of the first line is light and does not spark any concern in readers, which differs from the tone introduced in the lines to follow. Piercy continues talking about the childhood of girlchild, mentioning that she grew up with the same toys that most little girls desire in the lines, “and presented dolls that did pee-pee / and miniature GE stoves and irons / and wee lipsticks the color of cherry candy,” (2-4). Margie Piercy lists these toys in particular because they play an important role towards the stereotypes that society has on women. Piercy does so in order to support that these standards are often forced upon girls at a very early age in their lives. Toys such as these are often referred to as “girl toys” and are seen as how girl children should play rather than with toys designed for boys.
The lines, “Then in the magic of puberty, a classmate said: / You have a great big nose and fat legs,” (Piercy 5-6) indicate the beginning of the depressing and ironic tone that the poem carries. Irony is shown in the lines when characterizing puberty as magical. Magic often includes a surprise that is fascinating which is not what going through puberty as a child relates to. In addition to the feelings provoked from the changes that girls’ bodies endure during this time in their lives, comments from their classmates, or society, can have a strong effect on one’s self-esteem and body image. These lines present in the first stanza of the poem introduce the issue of women versus society that Margie Piercy is trying to convey throughout her writing.
In the second stanza, the lines, “She was healthy, tested intelligent, / possessed strong arms and back, / abundant sexual drive and manual dexterity,” (Piercy 7-9) give a glimpse as to what the author deems to be beautiful through an upbeat tone that contrasts with the rest of the poem. Putting the body through excessive and extreme dieting and exercise in order to maintain the “perfect body,” or the body of a barbie doll, can often be extremely unhealthy. Most likely, the body that girlchild has is healthy in relation to her age and height but does not fit the perfect, unrealistic standards that her fellow classmates have learned from the media or from within their households. The other qualities listed by the speaker to describe girlchild are ones that society views as masculine. Having much knowledge, strength, sexual drive, and work ability are often perceived as traits that women lack, although is not the case. Women are stereotyped to be nothing more than housewives that tend to the children, clean, and prepare meals, therefore it is frowned upon for women to carry many of these “masculine” characteristics. The following lines in the second stanza, “She went to and fro apologizing. / Everyone saw a fat nose on thick legs,” (Piercy 10-11) show the impact that the negative input from her classmates has made on girlchild’s self-image. Disregarding the impressive qualities that girlchild does in fact possess, society only goes to notice what it views as negative, such as her nose and legs, which do not identify a person. Girlchild results to apologizing for her appearance not being ideal and believes that everyone she encounters holds these same views when they lay eyes on her. The comments made by girlchild’s fellow classmates (society) will hold a strong impact on the way she views herself for the rest of her life.
“She was advised to play coy, / exercise, diet, smile, and wheedle,” (Piercy 12 & 13). Among the feelings that girlchild has about herself, she is told to remain modest, to exercise, to diet, to keep smiling, and to be flattering in order to get her way. The words mentioned in these lines relate to what society deems is the acceptable way for women to act. The lines that follow in the third stanza, “Her good nature wore out / So she cut off her nose and her legs / and offered them up,” (Piercy 17-18) portray that girlchild has let the opinions and expectations of society have way too great importance in her life. Girlchild has given up on trying to act the part and decides to “cut off” her nose and legs.
The last stanza of the poem best reveals the depressing tone that it carries. Margie Piercy incorporates irony and imagery in the lines as a way to contribute to the tone. From the opening line, “In the casket displayed on satin she lay,” (Piercy 19) it is clear that girlchild’s life has come to an end. Piercy’s choice of words in the following lines, “with the undertaker’s cosmetics painted on, / a turned- up putty nose, / dressed in a pink and white nightie,” (20-22) allow readers to picture girlchild’s appearance as she lay in her casket. Readers can envision the beautiful cloth that lie in the casket, the beautiful makeup and facial features applied to girlchild, and the beautiful, feminine outfit that she is laid to rest in. “Doesn’t she look pretty? everyone said. / Consummation at last. / To every woman a happy ending,” (Piercy 23-25). Irony is portrayed in these lines because although girlchild is now dead, she finally looks the part of a beautiful woman. The word consummation used in line twenty-four of the poem, meaning to be complete, is ironic to the rest of the poem because it offers the idea that girlchild died with everything she wanted, giving her a happy ending despite the pain she suffered her whole life trying to meet society’s standards. She was finally given the nose that she and society wanted her to have by the morticians. Although she is dead, she is now recognized as pretty by society.
“Barbie Doll,” written by Margie Piercy, is a very real and relatable representation of the constant battle between women and society. Society sets unrealistic expectations for how women are supposed to look and act. These standards are introduced to women in the early stages of their lives by the toys they are expected to play with as well as the media and their households. From this time in their lives until life is no longer, women struggle to become a person that society will accept. Margie Piercy’s poem provides a raw example of how far one can take their life when trying to fit these harsh expectations. This poem is extremely eye opening on the conflict of women versus society.
