Madison Levine

Mrs. Hawkins

English II

3 October 2013

  Marge Piercy’s Barbie Doll: The Perfect Woman

              In the poem "Barbie Doll" by Marge Piercy, Piercy uses symbols such as miniature ovens, crying babies, red lipstick, and the image of a big nose and fat legs to demonstrate how the belittling of an average girl can lead to serious unfortunate events. The fact that the girlchild grows up playing with miniature GE stoves and whining babies symbolizes how from the beginning, the girlchild is categorized into a strict, motherly class. The red lipstick also plays with the idea of how the girl is trying to fit into the cookie cutter "Barbie Doll" image that she is expected to portray. The image of a big nose and fat legs is also important in helping Piercy demonstrate the environment that the girlchild grows [1] up in, always striving to be something other than herself. In the end, all of the bullying causes the girlchild to take matters into her own hands. She ends up cutting off her legs and nose, obviously resulting in her death. [2] It is evident that symbols are used in the poem "Barbie Doll" to help illustrate the image that young girls feel they need to fulfill in order to be socially accepted.  [3] 

            In the beginning of the poem "Barbie Doll", Marge Piercy uses toys like miniature stoves and crying babies as symbols of the roles girls are expected to take on as they grow up. Piercy opens up her poem mentioning that "[The] girlchild was born as usual...[and given] miniature GE stoves and irons" (Piercy 1-3). As a young girl, the girlchild [4] is presented with play kitchens, introducing her to the early roles of womanhood and household responsibilities. Even the perfect "Barbie Doll" is depicted as having household duties, sometimes being shown with a pink kitchen set and even an iron for ironing Ken's shirts. Other Barbie dolls are seen as having professions such as a lawyer, doctor, or executive. As we grow up, we are repeatedly introduced to the roles and attitudes that young women are supposed to attain. Piercy [5] also mentions in her poem that the “Girlchild was born as usual and presented dolls that did pee-pee"(Piercy 1-2). Here, Piercy is referring to the early years of motherhood where a woman is expected to stay at home and care for her baby with little help. Women are constantly referred to as quiet, submissive and passive, expected to stay in the house and supply for the rest of their family. This[6]  has hurt the outlook that most people have on women and their position in the community. The symbols that Marge Piercy uses in "Barbie Doll" all relate to the idea of how girls from a young age are brought up with the sense that they will someday take on the average roles of a submissive women, allowing no room for individuality.[7] 

The red cherry lipstick is a symbol of the sophisticated and sensual attitude that the girlchild is trying to obtain. Piercy introduces the girlchild as being "Born as usual...[and given] wee lipsticks the color of cherry candy"(Piercy 1-4). The lipstick symbolizes the girlchild trying to achieve an unattainable standard of what a woman's features should look like. This image is representative of the basic principle that girls are lead to believe are the only way for them to become accepted, desirable, and successful. [8] The American culture [9] has put unrealistic expectations on girls today, leading them to make poor decisions in order to perfect their appearance. Our fast moving community has also aided in the rapid development as well as the poor decision making of many girls today. In "Barbie Doll", the girlchild is influenced by the people around her and is set[10]  up to believe there is only one way she should look, which ultimately leads to her demise.

            The visual imagery of a big nose and fat legs symbolizes the ideal body and corrupt image that the Barbie doll has created for young girls. Piercy writes how “In the magic of puberty, a classmate said: [to the girlchild]/ You have a great big nose and fat legs”(Piercy 5-6). It is evident that Piercy uses the Barbie doll figure as a model of what girls now a days aspire to be. The thin thighed, long legged, busty Barbie reflects what our culture has set up as the unreal feminine body type. This has had negative impacts for those that do not live up to these standards. Piercy also mentions how the girlchild “went to and fro apologizing”(Piercy 10) but “everyone saw a fat nose on thick legs”(Piercy 11). Whether it is in school or in the outside world, those who do not have the "Barbie doll" figure will be reminded of it each and everyday. Piercy uses imagery to describe the girlchild as having a big nose and fat legs. For all we know, this description could be in relation to the unrealistic Barbie doll. In that case, the girlchild could quite possibly be absolutely normal and could just be getting judged on America's ideal women, the Barbie doll. [11] Many girls, as does the girlchild in the poem, use the Barbie doll as a model of what they think they[12]  should look like. Along with the criticism from the people around her, the girlchild eventually takes her life knowing that she did not live up to her community’s standards by having a big nose and fat legs.

Through all of the symbols used in this poem, it is made clear how the girlchild finally gets to a point of helplessness and weakness, resulting in her actions to cut off her nose and legs. [13] Eventually, Piercy tells us that “her good nature wore out like a fanbelt. /So she cut off her nose and her legs and offered them up”(Piercy 15-18). The girlchild is pushed to the limit, stripped of her self-esteem and confidence. She deals with this situation by taking her life away.[14]  It is at this moment where she is told she is pretty. This symbolizes the corrupt environment we live in where you are not considered pretty until you look like everyone else, even if this means you are dead.

            In the end, we can infer that Marge Piercy uses symbols in her poem to convey an important message about young girls. We learn from this poem that from an early age, girls are set up to perform the standard jobs of a stay at home mom. Symbols that suggest this concept are the play ovens and whining babies, where the red lipstick symbolizes the mature model that young girls try to portray at an early age. Piercy reinforces what we already know about the iconic doll and explains to us how this unrealistic model has created an image engraved into young girls minds displaying what they should look like in order to be accepted and respected. From all of this, we can take away that it is important to embrace your individuality and be proud of yourself, regardless of what other people think.[15] 

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