“Drugs are a waste of time. They destroy your memory and your self-respect and everything that goes along with with your self-esteem. They're no good at all,” (Cobain) Drugs are referring to the opinions of others. They take over our mind and we become addicted, which is the opposite of “being yourself.” In the 21st century, other’s words can make or break a person. Other’s words can lead to self confidence or self deprecation, depending on how you take the words. Other people’s opinions are created based off of social pressure and stereotypes. What we think of ourselves does not matter as much as how we want to be seen due to social pressure and stereotypes in our lives. In the 21st century, we’re shown as the ideas and theories of others. Although someone may not know everything about us, they will still assume or identity and past. In the poem “Barbie Doll” by Marge Pierce, the author shows that this figure was told to live her life in the way of stereotypes. Doing this to the figure, she started to lose everything about her. It stated, “She was advised to play coy, exhorted to come on hearty, exercise, diet, smile and wheedle. Her good …show more content…
So she cut off her nose and her legs and offered them up.” Based on the stereotypes for females today to be pretty, polite and skinny, this girl in the poem was having her identity taken away while she was trying to
But, we cannot forget about the tone that Marisa was getting out. She understands as a woman what it is like to be young and feel like nothing is pretty enough for the world we live in. So the tone set in this poem demonstrates understanding of the difficulties of being a girl in today’s society. She turned a not so perfect dress into one she was proud to wear, which shows courage to change the way we feel about things. Marisa describes that in the future she will meet someone who will see past all the vein things and say, “She is sublime, will be precisely right, and I will step / With incandescent shoulders, into my perfect evening.”
In both poems “Barbie Doll’ and “homage to my hips” the speakers focused on the same idea but had different ways of expressing those ideas. In the poem “Barbie Doll” written by Marge Piercy shows how a young girl is affected by the idea of a “perfect” body that society thinks a girl should have. A Barbie doll is a toy that young girls play with. Barbie is an unrealistic way of how a young girl should look and can ultimately lower one’s self-esteem. The company that makes Barbie decided that it would be beneficial for young girls to see the different body images one can have. On the other hand, in the poem “homage to my hips” the speaker Lucille Clifton is proud and appreciative of her hips. She is able to go against the standard norm of how society wants girls to look and gives her hips the importance that they are actual people themselves. Although “Barbie Doll” and “homage to my hips” have a similar theme while the poets used a different structure and literary devices to portray how society sees a young girls’ body image.
has conformed to their societal standards. Although she has gained society's approval, she has lost herself. Growing up, this is something that most everyone can relate too.
Tanya De La Riva Professor Rogers LAS 260 03 March 29, 2024 Week 9, 10, & 10: Oscar Season & Women In Film The readings on the "Barbie" movie and "NYAD" provide insights into two distinct narratives, each exploring themes of ambition, resilience, and the breaking of traditional barriers. " Barbie," directed by Greta Gerwig, is a live-action film that dives into the world of the iconic doll, portraying a story that likely challenges societal norms and expectations surrounding femininity and success.
The classmate in this poem is a metaphor for society and how through puberty both sexes go through changes and become more aware of one another as well as pass judgment between both sexes, particularly more in women. The girl realizes that standards have been set for her and she needs to look a certain way to be beautiful. However, according to society she is just a girl with “ a great big nose and fat legs” and thus affecting her emotionally which has negative effects on her self-esteem and putting pressure on her emotionally ( Piercy 791).
Negative self-image among women has been a struggle in society for a long period of time. Social media, magazines, and the pressures of society has caused many young girls to feel bad about themselves because they do not look like the clothing model on the runway or the bathing suit model on the front of a magazine. Females grow up with the pressures of having to be in shape, wearing the best clothes, and putting on a full face of makeup for a male to find them attractive. Society has deemed that only "fit" women are beautiful, and that idea has caused women to harm themselves, develop anorexia, and feel insecure of themselves daily. Two works of literature that discuss the struggles women face from society is Marge Piercy's poem "Barbie Doll"
The poem starts off just saying how the main character was “born as usual”. There is nothing wrong with the main character and she is just a normal girl that played with Barbie dolls. It is not until the fifth line that “the magic of puberty” finally hits the author. Sadly, it is during this time when the human mind is so fragile, that the high standards of the mass media on how a women should look start to bear down, crash, and take over a lot
The poem, "Barbie Doll," written by Marge Piercy tells the story of a young girl growing up through the adolescence stage characterized by appearances and barbarity. The author uses imagery and fluctuating tone to describe the struggles the girl is experiencing during her teenage years, and the affects that can happen. The title of this poem is a good description of how most societies expect others, especially girls to look. Constantly, people are mocked for their appearance and expected to represent a "barbie-doll"-like figure. Few are "blessed" with this description. The female gender is positioned into the stereotype that women should be thin and beautiful. With this girl, the effects were detrimental. The first stanza describes the
In the first stanza, “This girlchild was born as usual,” (1, 1), the reader learns that the girl was born like any other normal child and the following lines show that the girl child was “presented dolls that did pee-pee/ and miniature GE stoves and iron,” (1, 2-3). These kinds of toys represent the type of work woman are expected to do during this era. Take care of children, cook, and iron. They are also supposed to look good, as they are given lipsticks and makeup to play with. The girl soon experiences puberty and becomes self-conscious of herself when a classmate says, “You have a great big nose and fat legs,” (1, 6). This is when the girl begins to question her appearance.
From the time they are born, girls are influenced by society as to who they should be, how they should look, and how they should act. Americans believe that women should be to a certain standard; pretty, feminine, and especially, thin. The pressures derive from family, media, and friends. Marge Piercy’s poem, “Barbie Doll” depicts a girl who was never recognized for her character and spent her life trying to be accepted for who she was, rather than how she looked.
“ideals are developmentally ingrained in children and adolescents”( Englis 1). The idea of beauty and ideal looks are engraved into people at a young age. The little girl being given a Barbie doll shows this in the poem. The idea of beauty and how a woman should act are represented in the Barbie doll. The primary take away is beauty is not everything.