
Feminism first began in the 19th century when women began to overcome legal obstacles and fight for their rights. This movement is known as first-wave feminism and focused on the progression towards women’s legal equality, such as the right to vote. Similarly, in the 1970’s women continued to strive for complete equality through a movement called second-wave feminism. This movement took the first-wave further by fighting for social and cultural equality. American poet and novelist, Marge Piercy grew up during the second-wave feminist movement and produced a well-known poem “Barbie Doll” during this time. Although the poem was written during the 1970’s it clearly demonstrates gender and social expectations that were placed on women before these feminist movements, and is still relevant to women’s lives today. Although women had come a long way by receiving the right to vote in 1920, women were still struggling to be seen as equals in society. In times such as the 1950’s, before the second wave of feminism, women were still considered to be the care taker of the house and children, while their husbands worked and supported the family economically. Marge Piercy’s poem “Barbie Doll” not only highlights the progresses that second wave feminism made, but also shows what is was like for women before this feminist movement and addresses the inequality that women still face today.  

 Marge Piercy’s poem and the diction she uses gives the reader a glimpse into the harsh and unrealistic expectations that are set for women since birth. Before the second wave of feminism, women’s primary role in the family was to make dinner, clean the house and look after her husband and children. In the first clause of Piercy’s poem she refers to these premade assumptions about women by describing the type of toys the girl is presented, “dolls that did pee-pee / and miniature GE stoves and irons / and wee lipstick the color of cherry candy” (2-4). Although the girl has just been born she is already surrounded by the idea that her only purpose and interests are in taking care of children, cooking and looking pretty. This type of expectation was normal for women before second wave feminism began to question women’s role in society.  In an article examining the daily lives of housewives in the 1950’s, it clearly states that women grew up believing that a life in the house was their only option, “The role of women in the 1950’s was repressive and constrictive in many ways. Society placed high importance and many expectations on behavior at home as well as in public. Women were supposed to fulfill certain roles, such as a caring mother, a diligent homemaker, and an obedient wife. The perfect mother was supposed to stay home and nurture so society would accept them” (A Women’s Role in the 1950’s).  Women grew up not knowing that they had the option to a life outside of the house and in many cases were judged by society and considered selfish if they looked for jobs or a higher education. This expectation that was placed on women in the 1950’s is the same that is placed on the young girl in Piercy’s poem, and it was not until the 1970’s that women began to fight these expectations. 

Women were taught for centuries to be perfect mothers and wives until the 1970’s second wave of feminism that began to fight for social and cultural change. In Piercy’s poem the reader can sense her desire for social change through her use of dramatic diction and use of irony.  Piercy describes the girl in her poem as “healthy, tested intelligent, / possessed strong arms and back, / abundant sexual drive and manual dexterity” (7-9). The girl she describes is a strong and capable woman but instead “everyone saw a fat nose on thick legs” (11). Society doesn’t see that she is strong, confident and healthy but instead chooses to criticize her solely for her looks. Piercy uses this diction to show how negative society’s views of women are and to further express the point that women are more than just their appearance. In the end of the poem Piercy uses irony to explain just how harmful these expectations for women to be beautiful are. In the last clause the girl has died from cutting off her nose and legs which she was told by society were ugly: 

In the casket displayed on satin she lay 

With the undertaker’s cosmetics painted on,

A turned up putty nose,

Dressed in a pink and white nightie.

Doesn’t she look pretty? Everyone said (19-23).

This is the first time the girl is considered pretty. Throughout the poem the girl has only been described as ugly and fat, but when she has taken her nose and legs off and is dressed up in a dress with makeup, society thinks she’s pretty.  Piercy’s use of irony here shows just how misguided society views beauty. 

In the middle of the poem, Piercy expands on society’s absurd expectations for women by explaining how the girl is trained to act and behave, “She was advised to play coy, / exhorted to come on hearty, / exercise, diet, smile, and wheedle” (12-14). Women are taught to care only about their body and how they look and to reject speaking out and having their own opinion, “males are expected to be aggressive and rewarded for such behavior, while girls are expected to be very passive and should be discouraged from engaging in similar aggressive behavior” (Holt). Men are allowed to be in charge while women are expected to follow everything they say with grace and politeness. Piercy’s poem is effective in showing exactly what second-wave feminism was fighting for through her use of irony and diction. Piercy wants the reader to be able to see that although this poem is somewhat ridiculous it demonstrates that women are faced with impossible social expectations. Because of the women that took part in second-wave feminism and for those who spoke out against women’s social expectations like Piercy, women today are able to choose their own life. 

Although women have come a long way from first wave feminism, which changed many of their legal rights, and second wave feminism, which changed the way women are viewed socially, women are still fighting for true equality. Today women still feel many of these cultural and social expectations to be the prefect wife and mother. While many women are able to work and still take care of raising a family, many women do not receive the same amount of pay as their male equals. Women are only payed 80 percent of what men are payed. However, seeing the incredible change that women have already created can only promise that there will be more positive change to come. It is through movements such as the first and second wave feminisms, and writers such as Marge Piercy that women are able to have the legal and social independence they have today. 
