Malinda Grimm

Grimm 1

English 101-21
Prof. Jennifer Gertz
February 26, 2015
The 'Barbie Doll' Mentality
The conclusion of the climactic stanza of Barbie Doll says this: So she cut off her nose and
legs/And offered them up (Seagull, 236). At first glance, this phrase seems utterly shocking and
unbelievable. However, a closer examination reveals that the expectations of today's society toward
women may cause them to take similar actions. The actual Barbie doll, a toy that has been criticized for
displaying an impossible standard for women, still has an affect on modern beauty standards. I can
observe these standards in advertisements, and the effect of these standards in people around me. The
poem, Barbie Doll tries to draw attention to the damage that can be caused by gender expectations.
Barbie Doll follows a young girl who does not conform to society's standards for beauty from
birth to death. The first stanza begins by stating that The girlchild was born as usual (Seagull, 236).
thus setting the stage for the rest of the poem by expressing that their was nothing unusual or wrong
with this girl at the moment of her birth. This stanza continues by describing how at a young age, she
conformed to the seemingly harmless gender expectations of her time by playing with dolls, toy stoves,
toy irons, and lipstick. Then, the final two lines relate this incident: Then in the magic of puberty, a
classmate said:/You have a great big nose and fat legs(Seagull, 236). This event defines the girl for
the remaining years of her life.
The second stanza briefly describes her other characteristics; she was strong, intelligent, and
coordinated. However, the next lines say this: She went to and fro apologizing./Everyone saw a fat
nose on thick legs(Seagull, 236). This suggests that even with her intelligence and strength, she could
not see past the mold that society had designed for her, and felt it necessary to apologize for her
perceived

Grimm 2
failures as a woman. Chris Semansky, another poet, mentions the fact that in her society, intelligence
and strength were seen as masculine characteristics (Poetry). The final line also illustrates how society
carelessly accepted the adolescent insult and used it to completely define this 'girlchild.'
The third stanza continues to chronicle the life of the this girl as she passes through
adolescence. The first half chronicles the techniques that people suggest in order for her to compensate
for what she lacks in physical appearance. None of these techniques utilize her intelligence or strength.
The second half shows how her attempts to fit into society's mold have exhausted her mentally and
physically, and how her good nature wore out/Like a fan belt(Seagull, 236). We have now reached
the climactic point of the poem, wherein the girl seemingly commits suicide while trying to remove the
parts of her person that society finds offensive.
The final stanza is perhaps the most painfully insightful one of the four stanzas that make up
Barbie Doll. If this were a fairy tale, one would hope that society would realize the error of its ways
after the death of the girl, and take steps to ensure that nothing of this kind would ever happen again.
Since this is a more realistic poem than that, the way that society deals with the death of the girlchild is
much different and much more disturbing. The girl is displayed in a silk-lined coffin, with a fake putty
nose, and dressed in a pink and white nightgown. This image further develops the connection to the
Barbie doll that society wanted the girl to be, instead of the living human being that she was. Everyone
comments on how pretty she looks, which is quite disturbing. These two lines conclude the poem:
Consummation at last./To every woman a happy ending(Seagull, 236).
I identify with this poem because I can see the effect of the thinking that is embodied in this
poem on people around me. I have not had much trouble with my body image due to the support of my
family and friends, but I know others who have. I believe that one thing that encourages this type of
thinking is the way that women are shown in advertising, and think this is also encompassed in the
poem's title. Many of the women shown seems like plastic dolls, due to the amount of image

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manipulation that their photos are subjected. Images like these reinforce the Barbie doll mentality,
where women are expected (and expect themselves) to achieve an impossible standard of beauty. This
thinking pattern can drive women to do truly shocking things to their bodies.
The literal meaning of this poem shows how the seemingly harmless gender stereotypes of
childhood can develop into harmful behavior patterns during the teenage years. However, the Barbie
doll symbolism that the author carries throughout brings forward many other elements that relate to this
issue. The next to last line, which speaks of consummation, seems to imply that the whole goal of the
girl's existence was to be admired for her conformation to society's standard of beauty. For her, this
could only be accomplished in death. Piercy draws attention to the strangeness of it all in her final line:
To every woman a happy ending(Seagull, 236), indeed.

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Works Cited
"Barbie Doll." The Seagull Reader: Poems, 2nd Edition. Ed. Joseph Kelly. 2.nd ed. New York: W. W.
Norton and, 2008. 236. Print.
"Barbie Doll." Poetry for Students. Ed. Ira Mark Milne. Vol. 9. Detroit: Gale Group, 2000. 32-42. Web.
25 Feb. 2015.

English 102
Essay Scoring Rubric: Personal Response Essay
Content (0-60 points)
___Establishes a well developed, clearly stated thesis that makes a clear claim about the poems theme
and its application to your own life.
___Establishes a clear purpose for writing and addresses an appropriate audience
___Purposefully incorporates multiple examples for support of main ideas and includes relevant, multilevel examples (from poem and literary sources) to address the thesis
___Evidence of critical thinking; ideas are logical, reasonable and clearly connected
___Sources are documented using MLA, including in-text citations and a Works Cited page
___ Meets all of the goals for the assignment
Organization (0-15 points)
_____Introduction provides engaging ideas for a hook and background relevant to the thesis
_____Paragraphs contain topic sentences that logically and clearly connect to the thesis
_____Sentences within each paragraph use multi-leveled support
_____A variety of logical transitions are used between sentences and paragraphs
_____Conclusion goes beyond summarizing the main points and provides an expanded thought that
continues to engage the reader
Style and Expression (0-15 points)
_____Uses language and sentence structure in a purposeful and compelling manner
_____Sentence structure includes skillful use of subordination, coordination, and parallel structure to
enrich meaning and style
_____Skillfully uses word choice, writes concisely, uses active verbs, and active voice
____ Uses MLA style correctly
Grammar, Mechanics, and Usage (0-10 points)
___Skillfully uses language to clarify ideas and regularly avoids errors in sentence construction,
grammar, and punctuation. No or few errors in the use of Standard English.

Point Summary: Content__________

Organization_________
Style/Expression__________
Grammar/Mechanics/Usage__________
Total:_________/100
Comments: