Blossoming Beyond Beauty: Analyzing Puberty and Societal Pressures in Marge Piercy's 'Barbie Doll'

After reading and analyzing the poem “Barbie Doll”, I have found it to be my favorite one because it relates to the everyday life of a girl who is going through the transition of puberty. In this poem by Marge Piercy the interpretation made by the reader is how puberty transforms a young girl into a mature adult. This essay will analyze how the transformation from adolescent to adult makes one bloom in a variety of ways. Although the poem doesn’t specify that the girl is going through suicidal thoughts, that’s what I suspect is happening.

In the first stanza of this poem it talks about how a little baby girl was born and when she was a child, she would play with dolls, stove top sets and she would even play dress up.

She eventually must start school and as time passes by puberty starts to affect her body and, starts to change. Just like every other girl it’s embarrassing because our bodies decide to either get wide, grow tall, bottoms and if we’re lucky breast start to appear, acne and even our faces change.

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Some girls stay with small heads, some have larger than others, some girls have pretty noses, and some are crooked it’s just a part of life that every female goes through at one point or another this is called puberty. A classmate points out that she has “a great big nose a and fat legs” and her self-esteem suddenly dropped.

In the second stanza it states that the young girl was healthy, very smart and strong. After the comment made by one of her classmates she starts to believe and convinces herself that all people see when they look at her is a big nose and thick legs. She can’t control that puberty has changed her from being a child to a young lady. It’s not fair that young girls get bashed and shamed for the way they look because their bodies are maturing. Her low self-esteem is eating her alive and it is starting to make her distance herself from everyone because she thinks that she is fat with a big nose. Not only is her self-esteem affected by what she is going through but also herself love. How is she supposed to love the way she looks when people are being judgemental about her appearance.

In the final stanzas of "Barbie Doll," the poignant narrative takes a tragic turn, revealing the devastating consequences of societal pressures on the young girl. Unable to withstand the relentless scrutiny and criticism of her appearance, she succumbs to societal expectations and undergoes drastic measures to conform. The lines "Everyone saw a fat nose on thick legs" encapsulate the collective judgment that leads her to believe that her worth is solely defined by physical attributes.

The poem leaves an indelible mark by highlighting the pervasive impact of societal standards on an individual's self-esteem and mental well-being. The tragic ending serves as a stark commentary on the destructive consequences of unrealistic beauty ideals imposed on young girls during the vulnerable phase of puberty.

In essence, "Barbie Doll" stands as a poignant reflection on the struggles faced by girls transitioning into womanhood, grappling with societal expectations and the relentless pursuit of an unattainable standard of beauty. Marge Piercy's evocative language and narrative force readers to confront the harsh realities that many young girls endure as they navigate the tumultuous journey of self-discovery and societal acceptance.