"Barbie Doll"

“Barbie Doll” by Marge Piercy

Question 1

Barbie dolls are supposed to be the superficial beauty that every girl dreams of being. Barbie’s are stick thin, have long legs, and a perfect face. A classmate said to the girl, “You have a great big nose and fat legs,” (Piercy, 835). The girl “possessed strong arms and back,” (Piercy, 835). The girl having strong arms and back indicate she is not stick thin, but full and healthy. Barbie dolls are lifeless and therefore do not possess human qualities. The poem describes the girl as lifelike and human through words such as “intelligent,” “healthy,” and “apologizing.” Because people only saw appearance in the girl, she strived to become more like a Barbie doll. The lifelessness of a Barbie doll is emphasized through diction in the poem. For example, “In the casket displayed on satin she lay with the undertaker’s cosmetics painted on,” (Piercy, 836).