Barbie Doll- Cause and Effect

A girl- perfectly healthy- is told that her body doesn't fit the image of society's perfect body; she slowly lets her bodily imperfections define who she is; she believes the only way to be happy with herself is to change. So she does. Sound familiar? Marge Peircy's poem Barbie Doll portrays a character who is described as "healthy, tested intelligent, possessed a strong arm and back..." (Piercy 835). However, healthy is not what society today advertises. Perfection is the goal. People were unable to look beyond the body of a girl to see a personality and a heart that yearned for love and acceptance. Because she let society's standards define her, she died. The title of Barbie Doll makes a statement. That image of a perfect person is not even living; a doll is inanimate. People are not; people have imperfections, they enjoy eating, some strive for intelligence, some strive for strength, and everyone is unique. To try and look like an inanimate object is ridiculous, and has negative outcomes, as we see by the innocent girl's death.

Lastly, the ending really struck me as ironic. Why is it that it is when she is dead that people see her as beautiful? Her death should not be a happy ending, and that is the satire of the entire poem.