Marge Piercy's poem "Barbie Doll" is an illustration of the pressure that is put on today's women. Young girls are expected to look and act a certain way that is dictated by an unwritten set of rules of our society.
             Girls are taught very early in life what is expected of them. They are given dolls, miniature household appliances and "wee lipsticks the color of cherry candy" (4) as toys, preparing them for their future role as mother, housewife and pretty decoration on their husband's arm. The poem indicates that the girl is leading a normal happy life until she reaches puberty. Someone tells her that she has " a great big nose and fat legs" (6) which changes her whole life. These nine words will rob the child of her self-esteem and ultimately of her happiness. For the first time in her life she feels embarrassed about her body. The girl is described as having "strong arms and back, abundant sexual drive and manual dexterity" (8 - 9) which leads the reader to believe that she is somewhat of a tomboy and has a very straightforward personality. To fit into the typical female role, "she is advised to play coy" (12) and behave in a more ladylike manner. No matter what she accomplishes !
             from then on, she still sees herself as a misfit because of her physical appearance. She is described as healthy and intelligent, all traits that a person should be proud of, but she can only focus on her flaws leading to low self-confidence and her constant apologies for her shortcomings. The girl tries very hard to change herself by following the advice to "exercise, diet, smile and wheedle" (14). Her friendly and outgoing nature soon changes under the constant criticism. When she is not able to achieve the standardized ideal of beauty and femininity, she reaches a point in her life when she decides that she can no longer cope with the pressure. Sh
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