"Barbie Doll" by Marge Piercy

Author bio:

Born in Detroit, Michigan during the 1930’s, young Marge Piercy fell in love with books at a young age. After earning her BA at the University of Michigan, and her MA at Northwestern University, she began to publish her writing. As of now, the feminist author has written 17 novels and 17 volumes of poems many on social issues.

Barbie Doll

By Marge Piercy

This girlchild was born as usual
and presented dolls that did pee-pee
and miniature GE stoves and irons
and wee lipsticks the color of cherry candy.
Then in the magic of puberty, a classmate said:
You have a great big nose and fat legs.

She was healthy, tested intelligent,
possessed strong arms and back,
abundant sexual drive and manual dexterity.
She went to and fro apologizing.
Everyone saw a fat nose on thick legs.

She was advised to play coy,
exhorted to come on hearty,
exercise, diet, smile and wheedle.
Her good nature wore out
like a fan belt.
So she cut off her nose and her legs
and offered them up.

In the casket displayed on satin she lay
with the undertaker's cosmetics painted on,
a turned-up putty nose,
dressed in a pink and white nightie.
Doesn't she look pretty? everyone said.
Consummation at last.
To every woman a happy ending.

Response:

“Barbie Doll” is a poem in which the speaker uses a satirical tone to criticize females’ outrageous quest for beauty. Throughout the poem, the speaker uses informal diction, such as “did pee-pee” and “as usual,” to convey her dismissive attitude towards the subject of insecure girls. Clearly the topic of teenage girls with low self esteem is so overused, that it bores the speaker. She discusses the normal pattern of female behavior: every girl is doomed to lose her self-confidence and go to drastic measures to perfect her flaws and conform to society. After presenting a standard little girl, the speaker tells us that during “the magic of puberty,” this girl was made fun of for “great big nose and fat legs.” In the second stanza, the speaker goes on to explain that even though she had many great qualities (healthy, strong, and nimble-fingered), the girl was uncomfortable with her own body and “went to and fro apologizing” because she felt that her awkward nose and heavy legs were the only thing that people saw her for. Unfortunately, her insecurities allowed her to be easily influenced. She took any advice given to her, changed her personality to please others, and even dieted and smiled until “her good nature wore out like a fan belt.” But these changes weren't enough. This girl felt she needed a physical change. She would not be happy with herself until she looked like a Barbie Doll.  “So she cut off her nose and her legs and offered them up.” Rather than live her life with her God-given features, this poor girl killed herself in an attempt to change her bodily flaws. Unfortunately, only when she lay in her casket with “a turned-up putty nose” did people remark that she looked pretty. The speaker ends the poem on the ironic note “to every woman a happy ending” to explain that this painful death was the way in which the girl found her happiness.