Feminism arose during the 1970s in response to how women were being viewed and treated. Marge Piercy showcases feminist issues in her influential poem “Barbie Doll.” This poem tells the story of a young girl whose life was greatly determined by others and ended tragically. The reader is informed that the girl was intelligent, strong, and healthy but all of these wonderful qualities were overlooked and she was teased for having “great big nose and fat legs” (line six.) The young girl began to see herself as nothing more than what others saw her as. As time progresses, her authentic virtuousness was broken down. By the end of the poem, the "girlchild" removes her imperfections in order to satisfy other’s ideas of beauty and to gain a moment of being seen as attractive, resulting in her demise. After reading and analyzing this poem, I am compelled to wonder if the price of beauty is worth it? I believe Piercy’s purpose for her poem is to induce readers to contemplate the ways society normalizes expectations of women that aren't exactly "normal." 

This poem was written in the middle of a feminist movement in America that redefined the lives of many women. The poem was an important contribution the the second wave of feminism era because it gave readers a better understanding of how women were viewed and what the idea of “beauty” was. Marge Piercy got the title for her poem from the beloved toy doll, Barbie. Barbie was a controversial toy during this time period because the doll was an icon of beauty, one that was almost impossible to attain. The doll had a perfect face, perfect hair and a perfect figure. It was so controversial because it gave women the idea that, that is what they should look like, when in reality not many people do. The doll symbolized the changes in criteria and gender roles in American culture, it was a symbol that women were restricted to objects of beauty.   

There have been many advancements for women since this era, one being reproductive rights. The birth control pill became significant during the second wave of feminism. The pill gave females more jurisdiction over their own bodies, and more freedom to choose when and whether to have children. The penalties for sexual relations between women and men were not fair. The male population was rewarded for sexual competence and women suffered a damaged reputation, being told women were not supposed to engage in such actions. When you think about it, this is still kind of a double standard problem in today’s society. Men are praised the more sexual relations they have whereas females are deemed as immoral given names such as “slut.” During the early 1960s, birth control was banned in many states and if a pregnancy occurred, the woman was left with the responsibility. Leah Lawrence said that “with more choices about the timing of starting a family, women could complete or extend their education and then remain in the work force longer before having children.” The fight for birth control was important because it gave women the freedom to make choices about their own body and it extended the possibility for women to get a full education or be in the work force.

The historical and cultural information about this time period shaped my reading of this poem by, helping me perceive it as a symbol of how women were viewed. During this time period, women were seen as objects of beauty, or nothing more than a pretty face. This poem showcases that the young girl had many wonderful qualities saying, “She was healthy, tested intelligent, possessed strong arms and back, abundant sexual drive and manual dexterity” (lines 7-9.) However, these qualities were not enough to deem her “normal.” It was obvious that the young girl greatly cared about what others thought of her. This is evident in the second stanza when the speaker said, “She went to and fro apologizing” (line ten.) This line tells us that the girl felt discouraged and unaccepted so she apologized for not looking a certain way and ultimately took drastic measures to feel accepted. From this, we can see the monumental effects beauty has on a young girl’s life. The fight against this began with objections against the Miss America pageant in Atlantic City in 1968. Feminist mocked the pageant by holding a “cattle parade.” This mock parade was held to show that women were much more than their looks.  

Since women were only seen as objects of beauty, they were often not considered in the workforce. Piercy believe that girls could aspire to be more, putting time into things other than brushing hair and playing house, which is the idea that influence her poem. Females were often retained in the household or in low-paying jobs. Steinem and Betty Friedan, active leaders for the women’s movement, had a goal to raise women up from home and work situations that were considered less important. An unknown speaker once said, “The female doesn’t really expect a lot from life. She’s here as someone’s keeper—her husband’s and children’s.” This quote is hard to read because many women today are successful, educated, and influential people and it is sad to think that in earlier decades this would not have been the case. Hard working women and college students, organized marches and protests in order to gain equal rights in the workforce. The women’s movement activist fought to end the stereotype that women could only be the happy homemakers that was depicted in television shows in earlier decades. The role models for young girls growing up in the ’50s were the housewives in shows such as Leave It to Beaver, The Donna Reed Show and Father Knows Best. The women on these shows had career goals of getting the kids off to school and serving dinner on time. Although the workforce is still not completely equal, thanks to the feminist movement, women in the workforce have come a long way since the 60s. Today, women make up almost half of the U.S. labor force. This is what the feminist were fighting against during this second wave of feminism. They wanted to show America that women could be capable of much, much more.

Marge Piercy’s poem opened the eyes of the public about how women were viewed and treated. It also helped change how women saw themselves. Instead of sticking to the status quo of being a stay at home wife, whose sole purpose was to take care of the husband and family, Piercy’s poem, along with many other influences, showed women that they could be more. It showed them that beauty can be found in everyone and other’s ideas about beauty shouldn’t determine their lives. All though it is not perfect, women have come along way in America since the 60s. Reading this poem and studying this topic closer, makes me appreciate all of the rights I have today. The feminist movement and Marge Piercy’s poem showed America that women could be capable of much, much more.
