
Throughout the 1970’s and 80’s, many women were targeted for their appearances and behaviors as the second wave of feminism was spreading throughout American culture. This wave was primarily concerned with the social aspects of feminism that women faced and was also known as the “Women’s Liberation Movement.” Throughout this time period, many women were victims of sexual assault and were verbally abused for the way that they looked due to the amount of pressure being placed on women’s’ images.  The main goal of this movement was to eliminate the inequality that women faced. Body dysmporphic disorder, a mental disorder in which someone has a flawed idea of his or her body image, was also prominent in this time period. People with body dysmorphic disorder often imagined a flaw within their physical appearance and focused greatly on hiding it from society. Marge Piercy is a poet and novelist and dedicated a vast majority of her work during the late 1900’s to questions regarding the social issues of feminism. Her narrative poem “Barbie Doll” tells the story of a girl who is criticized for her appearance and is ashamed of herself, eventually leading her to take her own life. The poem raises awareness to all of the concerns of the cultural and social obstacles that women face. Looking deeper into the poem, it is evident that the girl suffers from body dysmorphic disorder and struggles to cope with it.

In the first two stanzas of “Barbie Doll,” the narrator discusses the birth of a “girlchild” and immediately is being associated with the stereotypes of girls. The use of the word “girlchild” is significant because it is labeling her beyond the point of just a gender and making it clear that she is not just a child, but in fact a girl.  From the moment the girl was born, she was already given a gender role that she is expected to fulfill. This can include something as simple as playing with dolls or liking the color pink. The narrator then continues to go into detail about the good characteristics that the girl possesses, but she is made fun of for her appearance and from then on is only focused on her flaws and how others see her.  Piercy writes, “Then in the magic of puberty, a classmate said:/ You have a great big nose and fat legs.”  This quotation reveals that females are held to certain standards for their physical appearance and other people are often judgmental about it. Once an outside source points out a flaw that may or may not actually be there, it becomes nearly impossible for a young girl to see anything different when looking in the mirror. This can alter their mindset on their self-esteem at a time when it is crucial to be accepting of oneself and potentially lead to the development of a serious disorder. According to Bhandari (a researcher of BDD) “Pressure from peers and a society that equates physical appearance with beauty and value also can have an impact on the development of BDD.” In other words, the expectations that society places on body image and the high standards for its importance can often lead to, or greatly influence body dysmorphic disorder. One instance of someone pointing out the girl’s flaws could be the beginnings of the development of the psychological disorder her. The idea of the “perfect girl” changed the way society viewed women and women viewed themselves. Women had unrealistic expectations of having the perfect, skinny body type and being completely flawless. Girls compared themselves to a real life Barbie doll, which led to detrimental effects both physically and psychologically because this was an unachievable and impracticable goal to be aiming for. 

It becomes evident that the girl in the poem is suffering from body dysmorphic disorder when she becomes extremely focused on her body image and how everyone sees her. Her obsession with her body image is seen through the repetition of each of her flaws. This disorder can result in severe anxiety and emotional distress. Negative thoughts regarding one’s image can often interfere with their daily activity when suffering from BDD. It is challenging to focus on anything other than their imperfections, which leads to a sense of lower self esteem. With the negative thoughts constantly circling around in her mind, the girl in “Barbie Doll” took extreme measures to change her appearance.  The lines, “Her good nature wore out /like a fan belt./ So she cut off her nose and her legs, and offered them up” depict s how she changes herself to be closer to the idea of perfection(Piercy349). She eventually grows tired of being unhappy with herself and pretending to be happy. By “offering up her body parts” it is assumed that she is going through the process of plastic surgery and is getting rid of her old self.  Someone with body dysmorphic disorder finds an imperfection in themselves and focuses on that one flaw constantly. The girl targets her legs and nose and is never satisfied with these features so in the end she decides to change herself. When suffering from this, it is common for people to attempt going through plastic surgery in an attempt to correct or hide their flaw, which is what the girl decides to do. Allan Mazur, a researcher of women’s studies, stated “Modern institutions of advertising, retailing, and entertainment now produce vivid notions of beauty that change from year to year, placing stress upon women to conform to the body image currently in vogue.” In other words, it is common for people with BDD to often want to change themselves to fit society’s standards. Media plays a significant role in deciding what women should look like and as this changes, women will want to change their image as well.

The last two stanzas of Piercy’s poem are important because they suggest how the woman in the story changes herself to meet society’s expectations. The way a woman looks can also make her be seen as an inferior in this society. Women constantly feel that have to change the way they are to please others. The last stanza of the poem reveals how after changing her body image, the girl is still not satisfied with the way she looks. Throughout history, females are always expected to look and act a certain way, and not meeting “society’s standards” could alter their mindset. She had little self worth and takes her own life because of this. The final lines of the poem state, “Doesn’t she look pretty? Everyone said./ Consummation at last/ To every woman a happy ending”(Piercy349). In these last lines, the women commits suicide and only then does everyone acknowledge the beauty of her. There is finalization in her death because there is an end to her disorder. Living with body dysmorphic disorder caused a constant battle of the woman struggling to be happy with her body image, and finds peace only with death. However, there is irony in the last line because she is only recognized for her worth after it is too late. The significance of appreciating the woman more in her death than when she is living reflects on the society of this time period.

During the time that “Barbie Doll” was written, social discrimination was prominent. Women were held to different standards than men and were experiencing unfair treatment. As the feminist movement was taking place, women were fighting for their equal rights throughout the United States. It was important to take further action to achieve gender equality and to ensure that women are being treated equally. Allowing more equality and respect for women could change the way society views women and could lower the standards that they are held to.  The unrealistic idea that society has regarding women’s body image and appearance lowers their self-esteem and this needed to change after this wave of feminism. To conclude, Marge Piercy’s poem “Barbie Doll” connects with the history in which it was written. Body dysmorphic disorder became well known during the 1970’s as women began to change themselves to fit in with society’s standards, which the girl in the poem reflects a perfect example of the struggle to overcome this disorder.
