Sexism In Marge Piercy's Barbie Doll

Symbolism can be a difficult concept for many students to grasp. It is necessary to use “thought and feeling” when analyzing symbolic literature, rather than logic (Wellborn 89). The poem “Barbie Doll” is no exception. Marge Piercy uses the Barbie doll and girlchild as symbols for social standards and sexism. The poem starts out by telling the reader that girlchild was born just like every other girl. Right when she was born she was thrown into the standards society has in place for girls. She was given dolls, play sets, and lipstick. These are all symbols of the unfair expectations that are thrust upon girls. Even when they are brand new to the world, they are required to act and behave a certain way. It is just assumed that to be a girl, you must like “girly” things. This begins the theme of sexism that the poem conveys.

She is healthy, smart and strong. However, none of these things matter. She has minor physical flaws that over-shadow all of this. She is seen as inadequate. If she doesn’t have the desired appearance that society wants, the rest of her personality doesn’t matter. After being relentlessly teased about her physical appearance, she apologizes for not being what everyone wants. Society is cruel and can not see past her “fat nose on thick legs”. The next couple of lines go over all the expectations that society has for her. The world says she needs to be coy and hearty. They say that she needs to exercise and smile. Again, these are all symbols of societies expectations. Not only does she need to look a certain way, but she needs to act a certain way. However, she can not meet up to these expectations. She tries to become what society wants, and by doing so cuts off her nose and legs, therefore killing herself. This is symbolic of the pressure women feel to fit in and how far they will go to do so. It emphasizes the superficiality of