Imagine how hurt someone would be if they were told they don’t meet society’s standards. That would feel awful wouldn’t it? Society has placed different standards on women that have evolved over time, forcing them to be something they’re not. Not many people would be happy if they wanted to pursue a certain career but couldn’t because of their gender. Barbie Doll, by Marge Piercy, uses a perfectionism metaphor to expose the effect the stereotypical role of women in the 1960s and 70s had on girls of the time, which is also supported by the book, Feminist Theory Today. Barbie Doll grasps the unrealistic side of conformity that others can be oblivious to by exposing the reader to the hardships women face. 

During the 1960s and 70s, women were expected to work in the house and work for the family. Women were not looked upon to go to medical school, be business women, or any higher up position because that was against their stereotypical role. The numbers for workforce women were quite small, “The 38 percent of American women who worked in 1960 were largely limited to jobs as teacher, nurse, or secretary” later stating that, “Women were generally unwelcome in professional programs” (The 1960s-70s American Feminist Movement). Second wave feminism was brought about to create equal lives for women in areas such as education, work, politics, healthcare, and informing the public on the history and roles of women (Napikoski). During this time period, there was dispute over women’s control over their own rights and if they should be allowed to have the rights they have today, like abortion and the right to further schooling. Despite the controversy over current feminism, second wave feminism allowed women to have the rights that they have today. The results of second wave feminism created more jobs for women, feminism education and equal education, and more prevalent roles of women in society. In the poem Barbie Doll, Piercy focuses on the fact that the public eye forced women to be something they’re not, just like women were forced to only pursue certain career paths. Piercy and her poem had a great effect on the time because it opened the public up to the bigger picture and the abuse women were feeling because of the oppression. Although there are still problems, like equal pay, women would not be where they are today without second wave feminism. 

In the poem Barbie Doll, Piercy talks about women in a different way than usual. Piercy starts out by calling the girl in the poem a, “girlchild”, to emphasize the idea that others thought of her as different. Throughout the poem, the “girlchild” was expected to live under the preferences of others, not her own. Not until she got older did the “girlchild” feel hurt by what others had to say. The harsh criticism included, “you have a great big nose and fat legs” (Piercy), which emphasized how the girl was not suited for the public eye. At the end of the poem the girl finally conformed to the people by changing her body to satisfy them, resulting in, “consummation at last” (Piercy). Society finally thought of the girl as pretty after she changed her body to suit their needs, but eventually dies because of it. The woman’s death symbolizes how hard it can be for a woman to fit the standards of society, and it shows the toll this kind of abuse can take on them. The girl’s conformity is exactly what women faced during the 1960s, resulting in second wave feminism. Women were targeted by the harmful words of men and women because they were “different”. During this time, women were confined to certain looks, like having the perfect body, weight, and skin color, and also certain jobs, which made Piercy voice her opinions about the inequality. Second wave feminism worked for equality, along with Barbie Doll. Barbie Doll was aimed at the public to voice that women can be whatever they would like to be- they’re tired of the oppression. The expectations of women at the time were unrealistic, especially for all women to be the same in order to be pretty. Women were viewed as tokens of beauty and nothing deeper, which created this need to all be as attractive as possible which allowed for competition among women. Along with this competition was the need to please men, which drove the desire to be the best. The effort to be an ideal woman, shown in the poem Barbie Doll, can take over a women and lead to internal struggle. 

Judy Evans, the author of Feminist Theory Today, uses her work in order to inform and educate the public on second wave feminism, and it supports the analysis done by the poem Barbie Doll. Throughout the book, the ideals and focus of feminism are discussed, along with the history of the movement which included first wave feminism, a campaign for women’s suffrage. The book informs the public, allowing them to get a deeper sense as to what feminism is, and to also gain support for the cause. In the book, Evans expresses that there are two arguments of feminism: equality amongst genders and equality amongst treatment of women in society (Evans 13). Evans advocates for no gender preferences, like hiring not based on gender in the workforce, and fair treatment of women in everyday life. These two ideals are argued for in Piercy’s poem as an act to promote the rights of women. Piercy’s poem is a great example of how the thoughts and information from Evan’s book was expressed during the second wave movement. Evan’s work can be used as informational background to the roots of feminism and how Piercy’s poem pertains to the women of the 1960s society. The information provided in the book is useful when applying what setting the poem would be used in. The book gives further insight by stating the real goal of feminists, not just what the public thinks of them. The two works of literature work hand in hand with each other to promote equality amongst men and women. 

Second wave feminism accomplished a great deal, like equality between men and women and control over their own bodies, and the successes still continue today (Napikoski). The movement was successful, but not all of the problems are solved. In today’s world, women are still fighting for equal pay and stopping the criticism of body types. Currently, women are payed about 79 cents for every dollar that a man makes, which is the highest the number has ever been. The number started at 59 cents per dollar (Miller). These days’ feminism has taken different views and different styles, which is expressed in Feminist Theory Today. The social media feminism, which stereotypes feminists as easily offended women who hover over the internet waiting to start a fight on Twitter, can cover up the real importance of the movement. Piercy’s poem is still relevant in the current times because the physical critiques of women have not stopped. The poem still relates to girls going through school; the judgement over physical appearance is still present and alarming. If the poem was released today it would still have a positive effect on the topic of feminism because it expresses the feelings of women well to the public. Barbie Doll voices the opinion of women whether it’s today or back in the 1960s. Feminist Theory Today would still be effective in supporting the ideas of Barbie Doll no matter the time period because it offers reasoning and explanation to the poem. Although the book may not include the same history, it would still provide background and argue for the equality of women in the world.

Marge Piercy targeted the harsh standards for women in the 1960s and 70s with her poem, Barbie Doll. Piercy was a successful second wave feminist writer that sought out to speak for women. The poem supports the arguments of the movement at the time and further enhanced the motive for reform. Piercy was effective with her words and her fight for equality. Judy Evans’ book provides the background needed to understand Piercy’s work and the goals of the feminist movement. These works of literature have accomplished a lot, but the fight for women’s rights is still prevalent today with issues like equal pay. No matter the time period, the poem and book are effective in expressing the thoughts and feelings of women all over the world. 
