Term paper on Barbie Doll

Barbie Doll Essays

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Margie Pearcy's "Barbie Doll"

Margie Pearcy's "Barbie Doll" details the image that society projects upon and expects from its young female population. From an early age these young women struggle to conform to the standards that society has defined for them. The results often are disastrous, leading to emotional conflicts that are often difficult if not impossible to resolve.

Beautiful, flawless dolls such as Barbie are frequently the first source of association that little girls have with the values placed on them by society. Parents give little toddlers dolls, miniature stoves, and cherry-candy colored lipsticks (2-4) for playthings. This would seem innocent enough, but already the guidelines are being set for what society at large expects girls to be. At this young age, little girls cannot really differ from what is expected since they are under the complete influence of their parents.

Engulfed with these types of presents, the child is already learning her role in society. In puberty, during these most tumultuous years, the girl child is dealt a cruel blow by a peer who tells her she has a "big nose and fat legs" (5-6). Here we see the beginning of the conflict that will plague the young girl.

The second of stanza of "Barbie Doll" demonstrates the inner conflict these young girls are experiencing as they become acutely aware of how different they may be from what society perceives as the ideal female. Although a girl can be healthy and intelligent, it is not expected for her to possess the physical qualities of "strong arms and back, abundant sexual drive and manual dexterity" (8-9). These typify male traits, and young girls begin to perceive these as negative and unnatural for themselves. Feeling less than

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worthy or valuable, the girl feels she owes society an apology for possessing these

characteristics (10). Percy drive the point home by writing, "everyone saw a fat nose on

big legs" (11). This line emphasizes the ugliness the girl feels by not measuring up to be the perfect or ideal female, a standard set by society. At this point, the girl begins the struggle to achieve the ideal female persona , that Barbie Doll image with the perfect face, hair, and unrealistic figure.

Not only does society set standards for physical attributes, it also dictates stereotypical behavior of the female toward members of the opposite sex. The girl is told "to play coy, exhorted to come on hearty, exercise, diet, smile, and wheedle" (12-14) to attract men. She is to employ manners that are actually fake, not a true representation of what she is on...

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