Barbie Doll is a powerful poem for the American poet Marge Piercy. Barbie Doll was written at a time that second-wave feminism in America was taking place obviously. Piercy was a very active woman in the society aspects, especially, women movements. When Piercy's Barbie Doll first published, it had seen as a result of the feminism that was dominant at that time, it talks about an ordinary girl being asked to play with dolls and to act in specific ways in order to please others or to be acceptable in the society. In addition, it shows many symbols that reflect feminism manifestations in the society. In The Carolina Reader, the writer said clearly: "Although "Barbie Doll" might be understood as a product of 1970s feminism," (Piercy 194). Also, the acquaintance of historical period in which a text had written might inspire the reader to know what is the writer means and what is he trying to show through his text. Thus, it will shape your reading of the text and change the idea that the reader thinks about the text.

Firstly, The United States of America suffered from a lack of feminism since the beginning of the 19th century; women were treated harshly and inhumanely because they were have few rights; and the majority of rights were against them. Since Barbie Doll appeared in the second-wave feminism, it shows some of the values that have changed from the first-wave and the values that remained. In a research tilted "Lunacy in the 19th Century: Women's admission to Asylums in United States of America" written by both Dr. Katherine Pouba and Dr. Ashley Tianen, it is said in the research that women faced harassments about their bodies and shapes. In addition, they were subject to asylums and mental institutions if they behave in ways the men do not like. Furthermore, there are symptoms that if a woman had it considered abnormal or insane. For example: the sadness and depression due to beloved one death, the using of offensive, insulting, and vulgar language, and lacking of menstrual cycle. Not only these symptoms, but also official diagnoses such as neurological disorder what known as epilepsy and nymphomania were reasons for admitting women into mental institutions (Pouba, and Tianen 95-96). We notice that there is no trace of such these symptoms in Barbie Doll; first-wave feminism has gone. Barbie Doll reflects the miniature second-wave feminism that took place in the late 20th century. On the contrary, in the both two eras, 19th and 20th century, women did not get their rights to live simply free live. They have small rights just in marriage and working, man can place a woman as his slave. Nevertheless, in marriage statues, Katherine Pouba and Ashley Tianen wrote: "Males were more likely to marry solely for their own personal gratification or for the women's reproduction abilities." (Pouba, and Tianen 97).  Also they gave an example of how a young girl would be treated when first time married by using a one source and they explained briefly that a young girl without any experience or idea when you gave her to a man he will be amorous and jealous and he aims to destroy her innocence and her affections to separate her from the world and even from her mother. Katherine Pouba and Ashley Tianen commented on this example and they said that this example shows "How the wife's sole purpose was to please the man. The role of a woman once she was married went from the role of an individual to her husband's possession." (Pouba, and Tianen 97). Similar to Barbie Doll, the male society is looking at women's charms. Piercy 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." (Piercy 194). This is obvious that the society looks for its own gratification. Not only this, but also Piercy said that the society is asking the women to do many things must be as the males want her to be. In Barbie Doll, she must be shy, do exercises, wheedle, and to do many things. (Piercy 194). But at the end, Piercy said: "Doesn't she look pretty? Everyone said/ Consummation at last/ to every women a happy ending/." (Piercy 195). That indicates something, which is the society is envenoming and distorting the girls' thinking just to have a happy ending by girls' death or having sexual intercourse. To sum up, Women must change many things in order to please men and fit in the society as wanted by the society itself. This is a clear effect of feminism that did not change and still a problem bothers Marge Piercy.

In the second place, knowing the historical period and the cultural situation in which a text or poem had written can change the way you analyzing the text and shape your understanding into what the author means. We have shown that Barbie Doll implies to many symbols and manifestations of feminism. For Instance, the girl in Barbie Doll had been presented to dolls: "And presented dolls that did pee-pee/ and miniature GE stoves and irons/ and wee lipsticks the color of cherry candy." (Piercy 194). Actually, these dolls that provided to the girl are symbols of feminism which the family want from the girl to grew up into them. It intend to show the girl what she must learn and what to work, the cocking and ironing. Moreover, it teaches the girl to adjust her outfits in order to fit on the society. The male society is present in the poem in the classmate character, and the classmate was asking the girl to act and behave in certain ways as I mentioned previously, the society want from the girl to be someone else rather than her real character.

In the last place, the poem titled as "Barbie Doll" and no Barbie dolls appear in the poem, so what is that means? An academic research called "Does Barbie Make Girls Want to Be Thin? The Effect of Experimental Exposure to Images of Dolls on the Body Image of 5- to 8-Year-Old Girl" created by Dr. Helga Dittmar, Dr. Suzanne Ive from University of Sussex, and Dr. Emma Halliwell from University of West of England talks about Barbie dolls affect and influence on girls' body image. One of the facts that revealed in the research, "99% of 3- to 10-year-olds in the United States own at least one Barbie Doll." (Dittmar et.al. 283). Yet, Barbie doll is very thin and her weight and body in fact are unobtainable and also unhealthy! Another study was about the impact of exposure a new doll shaped manually and accurately by the American Dietetic Association to enhance a positive body image for girls, and then exposure Barbie doll after that to the girls. The recent result was that "The desire for thinness emerges in the girls around age 6" (Dittmar et.al.283). To sum up, young girls show body dissatisfaction after exposure to Barbie doll but not after Emma doll because Barbie doll represent a destructive thin body ideal. Also, that can lead to tough aftereffects such as "depressed effect and unhealthy eating behaviors, particularly dieting, which, in turn, is a precursor of eating disorder." (Dittmar et.al.290) That what had happened exactly in the poem, the classmate was annoyed from her fat legs and her big nose, so she ended up by "She cut off her nose and her legs/ and offered them up." (Piercy 194). To go back for the previous question about the title, we can understand that Barbie doll is unrealistic and has strange perfection in thinness, hairstyle, and beauty. When the girls play with this toy they want to be like it. Also it infers that the society want from the girls to be like Barbie. Therefore, using Barbie Doll corresponds with the poem theme.

In conclusion, it is seen that feminism manifestations did not disappear completely; some of them had gone and some of them is still present in the time of Piercy. Moreover, looking at outside sources talk about a historical period in which a text had written would change and shape the way we think of the text and clearly enhance our understanding to the text. The external sources help us imagine and visualize images and themes in Barbie Doll poem.


Dittmar, Helga, Emma Halliwell, and Suzanne Ive. "Does Barbie Make Girls Want To Be Thin? The Effect Of Experimental Exposure To Images Of Dolls On The Body Image Of 5- To 8-Year-Old Girls." Developmental Psychology 42.2 (2006): 283-292. Academic Search Complete. Web. 5 Nov. 2014.

Pouba, Katherine, and Ashley Tianen. "Lunacy in The19th Century: Women's Admission to Asylums in United States of America." Rep. Vol. 1. Oshkosh: University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, May 2006. Pp. 95-103. Print.
