Barbie Doll

In the poem "Barbie Doll" by Marge Piercy, I feel like everyone can relate to the pressures presented in this story. Barbie is a lie; no women could look like her, but that does not stop them from trying. The girl in the poem played with dolls and admired them like all little girls. When the time came for her to stop playing with dolls, she realized that she did not look like them. Even though, "She was healthy, tested intelligent" (Line 7), "Everyone saw a fat nose on thick legs" (Line 11). Even though she had many great qualities, society could not see past the physical "flaws" they labeled on her. I found it sad that she was so unhappy with her self that she felt that she needed to change her flaws, "So she cut off her nose and her legs" (Line 17). This action lead to her death, "In the casket displayed on satin she lay" (Line 19). In the end all she wanted was to be accepted, "Doesn't she look pretty? everyone said" (Line 23). So in once sense, there was a happy ending.