Barbie Doll (poem)

Last updated

"Barbie Doll" is a narrative poem written by American writer, novelist, and social activist Marge Piercy. It was published in 1971, during the time of second-wave feminism. It is often noted for its message of how a patriarchal society puts expectations and pressures on women, partly through gender role stereotyping. [1] [2] [3] [4] It tells a story about a girl who dies trying to meet the unrealistic expectations that society holds for her. [5] It starts off talking about a little girl, and then continues chronologically through the girl’s life. Using strong diction, purposeful syntax, and various rhetorical devices, the poem hits on prominent feminist issues such as gender stereotypes, sexism, and the effect of a patriarchal society.

Contents

Background

Marge Piercy wrote this poem during an era of second wave feminism, a time in which women were concerned about sexuality, family, and the workplace. The poem expresses the stereotypes, sexism, and patriarchal influences that women were submitted to during the 1960s. Not only were women subjected to poor treatment because of their gender, women also experienced discrimination and unequal treatment because of their race. While this poem discusses the topic of gender and gender stereotypes, it is important to recognize that the development of the doll that inspired the poem has brought up the racial discrepancies woman faced during this time. According to Elizabeth Chin, “These toys were designed and marketed specifically to reshape a territory dominated by an assumption of whiteness, but paradoxically, they have integrated the toy world while at the same time fixing racial boundaries more firmly. [6] Although not addressed in this poem, the racial discrepancies that arose after the creation of the Barbie Doll, such as "hair type, facial features, and skin color” have been addressed throughout the years. [6] Therefore, the purpose of the poem was to display the struggle women faced because of these societal issues in hopes of changing them. The poem shows the idealist view that is created by the appearance of the doll that causes people to question social norms and expectations that seem to exist in society. [7]

Analysis

First stanza

The first stanza begins with a girl being born, fitting perfectly into a mold provided by the society she was born into. The stanza lists toys that any little girl might play with, such as dolls and miniature GE stoves and irons. She was also given lipstick, compared to cherry candy using a metaphor. [8] In a patriarchal society, women hold the positions of cooking and cleaning in the household. This, along with the makeup she was given, shows that from a very young age this girl was taught to conform to a specific gender stereotype, without even realizing it. [9] The doll is also an important part of this stanza, as well as the entire poem. The Barbie Doll has been a cultural icon since it was created in 1959, a little over 10 years before this poem was published. It is somewhat controversial whether it is viewed as a “role model for young girls, an icon of American culture, and a model of aesthetic perfection” or on the other hand “a tool of racism, classism, and sexism, and disparaged as a contemporary epitomization of the cult of thinness.” [10] In the context of this poem, the Barbie Doll ends up being a negative aspect of the girl’s life, creating a poor self-body image among other problems. [11] At the end of this stanza, the girl goes through puberty. Someone in the girl’s class commented negative things about her body, saying she had a large nose and fat thighs. This is the point in the poem at which her insecurities have been grounded. Throughout the rest of the poem, she grows up striving to meet unattainable societal standards that her Barbie doll represents.

Second stanza

The next stanza talks about the girl in terms of what attributes she held, but also how she and society did not see them. She was described as healthy, smart, strong, sexually able, and fast, yet she did not see any of these things. According to Robert Perrin, Barbie is described using "robust terms" throughout this stanza; however, she immediately apologizes for her positive attributes as if she was not good enough in the eyes of society. [7] She had learned from the time when she was a just a child that she had imperfections and was not good enough. She compared herself to her doll, and therefore apologized to society for her imperfections. She did not see the good in herself, only the comparison between what she was and what society says she should be. In this stanza, her qualities are listed one after another, which is then followed by her disapproval. This syntax helps the reader see all of the good aspects of the girl all at once, which then makes the reader question why the girl does not see them. The stanza finishes with saying everyone, meaning society, only sees her for her fat nose and thick legs, the same thing she was told by her classmate when she was a child.

Third stanza

The third stanza talks about the sexist expectations that patriarchal society has placed upon her. [12] As a girl, “she was advised to play coy, exhorted to come on hearty, exercise, diet, smile and wheedle.” [13] This list shows the expectations that are placed upon women in society. The patriarchal power within the society is what is responsible for the belief of certain “standards” of women. Women are expected to play nice, come across as good girls, be skinny, eat little, and be happy all of the time. Because of external pressures, they try to do all of it. There is sexism represented in these lines because only women have lengthy expectations to meet. Piercy’s diction in this stanza “create[s] a powerful vision of the way people exert their influence on impressionable young women, as well as undermine young women who, at heart, want to resist the influences of the dominant culture.” [14] The girl in the poem is easily influenced because she has conformed to society since she was a little girl. Because of this, she aims to meet all of these expectations, but cannot sustain them. She is worn down further and further “like a fan belt." [15] and eventually kills herself trying to become as perfect as society wants her to be. She finally gave society her nose and legs because she could not live in this way anymore.

Fourth stanza

The fourth and final stanza talks about the girl’s death. She ultimately died trying to be as perfect as her Barbie Doll, a cookie cutter woman molded by society. She died trying to reach something that was unattainable, yet encouraged, which is where the real problem in lies. She was displayed in her casket, all dolled up. Society had finally made her who it wanted her to be but at the cost of her life. Now that she was covered in makeup, reconstructed, and nicely dressed, she was considered pretty. The stanza finishes with the line “to every woman a happy ending." [16] This shows that in the end, this was all the girl wanted. She strove and strove to meet society’s unrealistic expectations and when she died trying, she finally did. Being viewed as pretty by society was her goal, and she accomplished it.

Conclusion

The girl in the poem was born in innocence and labeled "girlchild" but because of the society she was born and raised in to, she became corrupted. [17] This poem shows a sad case of girl who lived trying to be perfect and died trying. From the very beginning she was taught to cook, clean, and be who she was “supposed” to be, or in other words, who society told her she was. Because of these sexist and patriarchal influences, she was never completely satisfied with herself. The tortures of society cost the girl her life.

Other analyses of the poem

Barbie Doll’ and ‘G. I. Joe’: Exploring Issues of Gender

Robert Perrin uses his students to examine Marge Piercy's poem. " Perrin provides insight into how younger generations are affected by the stereotyping that is shown by the Barbie Doll itself. This journal gives an analysis on Marge Piercy's poem that can help the reader better understand her criticism. [7]

Related Research Articles

<i>Aint I a Woman?</i> (book) Book by American writer bell hooks

Ain't I a Woman? Black Women and Feminism is a 1981 book by bell hooks titled after Sojourner Truth's "Ain't I a Woman?" speech. hooks examines the effect of racism and sexism on Black women, the civil rights movement, and feminist movements from suffrage to the 1970s. She argues that the convergence of sexism and racism during slavery contributed to Black women having the lowest status and worst conditions of any group in American society. White female abolitionists and suffragists were often more comfortable with Black male abolitionists such as Frederick Douglass, while southern segregationalists and stereotypes of Black female promiscuity and immorality caused protests whenever Black women spoke. hooks points out that these white female reformers were more concerned with white morality than the conditions these morals caused Black Americans.

Feminist science fiction is a subgenre of science fiction focused on theories that include feminist themes including but not limited to gender inequality, sexuality, race, economics, reproduction, and environment. Feminist SF is political because of its tendency to critique the dominant culture. Some of the most notable feminist science fiction works have illustrated these themes using utopias to explore a society in which gender differences or gender power imbalances do not exist, or dystopias to explore worlds in which gender inequalities are intensified, thus asserting a need for feminist work to continue.

Science fiction and fantasy serve as important vehicles for feminist thought, particularly as bridges between theory and practice. No other genres so actively invite representations of the ultimate goals of feminism: worlds free of sexism, worlds in which women's contributions are recognized and valued, worlds that explore the diversity of women's desire and sexuality, and worlds that move beyond gender.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sexism</span> Prejudice or discrimination based on a persons sex or gender

Sexism is prejudice or discrimination based on one's sex or gender. Sexism can affect anyone, but it primarily affects women and girls. It has been linked to stereotypes and gender roles, and may include the belief that one sex or gender is intrinsically superior to another. Extreme sexism may foster misogyny, sexual harassment, rape, and other forms of sexual violence. Gender discrimination may encompass sexism. This term is defined as discrimination toward people based on their gender identity or their gender or sex differences. Gender discrimination is especially defined in terms of workplace inequality. It may arise from social or cultural customs and norms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gender role</span> Social role associated with gender

A gender role, also known as a sex role, is a social role encompassing a range of behaviors and attitudes that are generally considered acceptable, appropriate, or desirable for a person based on that person's sex. Gender roles are usually centered on conceptions of masculinity and femininity, although there are exceptions and variations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Femininity</span> Attributes associated with women

Femininity is a set of attributes, behaviors, and roles generally associated with women and girls. Femininity can be understood as socially constructed, and there is also some evidence that some behaviors considered feminine are influenced by both cultural factors and biological factors. To what extent femininity is biologically or socially influenced is subject to debate. It is conceptually distinct from both the female biological sex and from womanhood, as all humans can exhibit feminine and masculine traits, regardless of sex and gender.

Marge Piercy is an American progressive activist and writer. Her work includes Woman on the Edge of Time; He, She and It, which won the 1993 Arthur C. Clarke Award; and Gone to Soldiers, a New York Times Best Seller and a sweeping historical novel set during World War II. Piercy's work is rooted in her Jewish heritage, Communist social and political activism, and feminist ideals.

Inez García (1941–2003) was a Hispanic woman who became a cause célèbre of the feminist movement when she was charged with the 1974 murder of a man who had raped her.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Girls Just Want to Have Sums</span> 19th episode of the 17th season of The Simpsons

"Girls Just Want to Have Sums" is the nineteenth episode of the seventeenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 30, 2006.

Lipstick feminism is a variety of feminism that seeks to embrace traditional concepts of femininity, including the sexual power of women, alongside traditional feminist ideas. The concept emerged within the third-wave as a response to ideals created by previous movements, where women felt that they could not both be feminine and a feminist.

Sexualization is to make something sexual in character or quality or to become aware of sexuality, especially in relation to men and women. Sexualization is linked to sexual objectification. According to the American Psychological Association, sexualization occurs when "individuals are regarded as sex objects and evaluated in terms of their physical characteristics and sexiness." "In study after study, findings have indicated that women more often than men are portrayed in a sexual manner and are objectified. In addition, a narrow standard of physical beauty is heavily emphasized. These are the models of femininity presented for young girls to study and emulate." According to the Media Education Foundation's, Killing Us Softly 4: Advertising's Image of Women, the sexualization of girls in media and the ways women are portrayed in the dominant culture are detrimental to the development of young girls as they are developing their identities and understanding themselves as sexual beings.

<i>Woman on the Edge of Time</i> 1976 novel by Marge Piercy

Woman on the Edge of Time is a 1976 novel by Marge Piercy. It is considered a classic of utopian "speculative" science fiction as well as a feminist classic. The novel was originally published by Alfred A. Knopf. Piercy draws on several inspirations to write this novel such as utopian studies, technoscience, socialization, and female fantasies. One of Piercy's main inspirations for her utopian novels is Plato's Republic. Piercy describes the novel as, "if only...". Piercy even compares Woman on the Edge of Time and another one of her utopian novels He, She, and It when discussing the themes and inspirations behind Woman on the Edge of Time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Occupational sexism</span>

Occupational sexism is discrimination based on a person's sex that occurs in a place of employment.

Gender essentialism is a theory that is used to examine the attribution of distinct, fixed, intrinsic qualities to women and men. In this theory, based in essentialism, there are certain universal, innate, biologically or psychologically based features of gender that are at the root of observed differences in the behavior of men and women. In Western civilization, it is suggested in writings going back to ancient Greece. With the advent of Christianity, the earlier Greek model was expressed in theological discussions as the doctrine that there are two distinct sexes, male and female created by God, and that individuals are immutably one or the other. This view remained essentially unchanged until the middle of the 19th century. This changed the locus of the origin of the essential differences from religion to biology, in Sandra Bem's words, "from God's grand creation [to] its scientific equivalent: evolution's grand creation," but the belief in an immutable origin had not changed.

The social construction of gender is a theory in feminism and sociology about the manifestation of cultural origins, mechanisms, and corollaries of gender perception and expression in the context of interpersonal and group social interaction. Specifically, the social construction of gender stipulates that gender roles are an achieved "status" in a social environment, which implicitly and explicitly categorize people and therefore motivate social behaviors.

"The Matter of Seggri" is a science fiction novelette by American writer Ursula K. Le Guin. It was first published in 1994 in the third issue of Crank!, a science fiction – fantasy anthology, and has since been printed in number of other publications. In 2002, it was published in Le Guin's collection of short stories The Birthday of the World: and Other Stories. "The Matter of Seggri" won the James Tiptree Jr. Award in 1994 for exploring "gender-bending" and has been nominated for other honors including the Nebula Award.

Native American feminism or Native feminism is, at its root, understanding how gender plays an important role in indigenous communities both historically and in modern-day. As well, Native American feminism deconstructs the racial and broader stereotypes of indigenous peoples, gender, sexuality, while also focusing on decolonization and breaking down the patriarchy and pro-capitalist ideology. As a branch of the broader Indigenous feminism, it similarly prioritizes decolonization, indigenous sovereignty, and the empowerment of indigenous women and girls in the context of Native American and First Nations cultural values and priorities, rather than white, mainstream ones. A central and urgent issue for Native feminists is the Missing and murdered Indigenous women crisis.

Norma Bailey is a Canadian film writer, producer, and director whose work is rooted in feminist and intersectional film theory. Bailey has directed several films, both in English and French and in various different genres, including fiction and non-fiction films. Her prolific career within the film industry has awarded her various awards and professional accolades including being named to the Order of Manitoba in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Computer Engineer Barbie</span> 126th career version of Mattels Barbie doll

Computer Engineer Barbie is the 126th career version of Mattel's Barbie doll. In response to poll results indicating strong support for computer engineers, the doll set was created and introduced in 2010. In 2014, Mattel apologized for the accompanying book, I Can Be a Computer Engineer, after internet complaints that it represented Barbie as incompetent in the field, needing the help of men.

Feminist children's literature is the writing of children's literature through a feminist lens. Children's literature and women's literature have many similarities. Both often deal with being seen as weak and placed towards the bottom of a hierarchy. In this way feminist ideas are regularly found in the structure of children's literature. Feminist criticism of children's literature is therefore expected, since it is a type of feminist literature. Feminist children's literature has played a critical role for the feminist movement, especially in the past half century. In her book Feminism Is for Everybody: Passionate Politics, bell hooks states her belief that all types of media, including writing and children's books, need to promote feminist ideals. She argues "Children's literature is one of the most crucial sites for feminist education for critical consciousness precisely because beliefs and identities are still being formed". The cover of hooks' book, drawn by Laura DeSantis, depicts children alongside adults, showing the importance of the youth. The presence of feminism in children's literature has evolved over the years, but the overall message and goals have remained consistent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Feminist comedy</span>

Feminist comedy refers to comedic acts and styles that further feminist principles, including gender equality and awareness of the social experience of gender. Comedy, the creative works with the intention of humor, has been historically dominated by men. The current comedy culture climate remains male-focused and is currently accepting of women comedians. The conversation surrounding gender-aware comedy has included articles and opinions from many male comedians and fans that are rooted in the idea that women aren’t funny, despite protest from successful female comedians and audiences. However, there is a difference between female humor and feminist humor. As a practice, feminist comedy is not solely comedy performed by women, as many women, especially early female comics, “served to reinforce… cultural stereotypes” and patriarchal views about women and gender. While some scholars have argued that this is because feminism may be antithetical to comedy, which is often described as an aggressive, necessarily masculine act in which the performer centers themselves, others have argued that humor's inclination to subvert hierarchies makes it a particularly effective communication platform for feminist comedians. Feminist comedy frequently references and discusses female-gendered issues and topics such as menstruation, rape, gender inequality, beauty norms, and machismo. Along the lines of intersectionality, which suggests that social identities and systems of oppression are interrelated, many feminist comedians also discuss homophobia, racism, and transphobia.

References

  1. ↑ Perrin, Robert (1999). "'Barbie Doll' and 'G.I. Joe': Exploring Issues of Gender". The English Journal. 88 (3): 83–85. doi:10.2307/821584. JSTOR   821584.
  2. ↑ Scimone, Anthony (2010). "Reading Poetry for Critical Reflection on Consumer Behavior". The English Journal. 99 (3): 33–36.
  3. ↑ Bell, Mebbie (2004). "There's something about Barbie1". Foundation for Curriculum Theory. 20 (2): 53–64.
  4. ↑ Piercy, Marge (1971). "Barbie Doll". Off Our Backs. 1 (19): 7.
  5. ↑ Piercy, Marge (1971). "Barbie Doll". Off Our Backs. 1 (19): 7.
  6. 1 2 Chin, Elizabeth (1999). "Ethnically Correct Dolls: Toying with the Race Industry". American Anthropologist. 101 (2): 305–321. doi:10.1525/aa.1999.101.2.305. JSTOR   683203.
  7. 1 2 3 Robert, Perrin (1999). "Barbie Doll' and 'G. I. Joe': Exploring Issues of Gender". The English Journal. 88 (3): 83–85. doi:10.2307/821584. JSTOR   821584.
  8. ↑ Piercy, Marge (1971). "Barbie Doll". Off Our Backs. 1 (19): 7.
  9. ↑ Perrin, Robert (1999). "'Barbie Doll' and 'G.I. Joe': Exploring Issues of Gender". The English Journal. 88 (3): 83–85. doi:10.2307/821584. JSTOR   821584.
  10. ↑ Bell, Mebbie (2004). "There's something about Barbie1". Foundation for Curriculum Theory. 20 (2): 53–64.
  11. ↑ Piercy, Marge (1971). "Barbie Doll". Off Our Backs. 1 (19): 7.
  12. ↑ Scimone, Anthony (2010). "Reading Poetry for Critical Reflection on Consumer Behavior". The English Journal. 99 (3): 33–36.
  13. ↑ Piercy, Marge (1971). "Barbie Doll". Off Our Backs. 1 (19): 7.
  14. ↑ Scimone, Anthony (2010). "Reading Poetry for Critical Reflection on Consumer Behavior". The English Journal. 99 (3): 33–36.
  15. ↑ Piercy, Marge (1971). "Barbie Doll". Off Our Backs. 1 (19): 7.
  16. ↑ Piercy, Marge (1971). "Barbie Doll". Off Our Backs. 1 (19): 7.
  17. ↑ Perrin, Robert (January 1999). "Barbie Doll' and 'G. I. Joe': Exploring Issues of Gender". The English Journal. 88 (3): 83–85. doi:10.2307/821584. JSTOR   821584.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.