Cordelia Kewatt
Ms. Eichten
AP English Period 3
3 January 2023
“Barbie Doll” lit analysis
Marge Piercy's "Barbie Doll" illustrates the damage done to young women who are ridiculed for their appearances because of the value society places on physical beauty. This is conveyed through the use of both dramatic and situational irony used in the poem. The speaker frequently makes mention of the young girls' problems but shows no emotion or sympathy for them. This tone furthers the idea that when placing importance solely on looks women are unable to live up to the standards -these standards frequently lead to young women engaging in self-destructive behavior.
The dramatic irony conveys the idea that when women are forced to adhere to strict physical
…show more content…
The third stanza lists some of these expectations the unnamed girl faces in the poem, “exercise, diet, smile, and wheedle”(line 14). She was ‘advised’ to play coy for what she wanted and maintain these standards. When it became too much to bear she “offered” (line 18) up the parts of her that were ridiculed as imperfect. She was seen as her “fat nose” and “thick legs' ' instead of her character and she cut them off in a desperate attempt to get away from those standards. The casual tone of the speaker mentions this turn of events as if it is a common occurrence, the opposite of what one would expect. The poem employs this difference between expectations and reality in the form of situational irony, mainly within the last stanza. The unnamed girl died most likely due to her self-inflicted injuries and the expected outcome would be sadness or guilt for her passing. However, the indifferent speaker accurately relays everyone’s reactions as admiration for her “turned-up putty nose”(line 20). This turn of events creates a jarring realization that this may truly be something commonplace for some. The poem ends with an ironic statement “to every woman a happy ending”(line 25). The last stanza’s situational irony serves to enforce the point the author is trying to make- that no