The Definition of Perfect
As a young girl, I played with Barbie Dolls. My dolls lived in large pastel houses with bright plastic convertibles, perfect boyfriends, amazing wardrobes and perfectly styled hair. I always thought that when I grew up my life would be as perfect as my dolls, and I would go to lavish parties with sparkly mini dresses and heels every night. As I grew up I began to realize that nobody has a life of that grandeur, but society expects us to. People judge us with these unrealistic standards throughout our lives. In the poem “Barbie Doll”, Marge Piercy uses understatement, irony, and symbolism to convey the theme of unrealistic standards, and how society always expects women to be their specific definition of perfect.
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One of the more shocking ones is, “So she cut off her nose and her legs / and offered them up” (17-18). The cutting off of body parts is stated so nonchalantly as if this is a regular occurrence for young girls. It is as if they are just used to it and it doesn’t even phase anyone anymore, making the situation seem less important or serious than it actually is. Also, the phrase “exercise, diet, smile and wheedle” (14), is thrown in without any emphasis to it. This further portrays how common this way of thinking or judging oneself really is. This cruel way of thinking has gone so far as to manipulate its victims into thinking it is totally