Barbie Doll

I thought Marcy Piercy's poem Barbie Doll was really depressing.  Maybe the saddest part is that the poem reflects the reality for many girls today.  Girls, from the start of life, are trained to be beautiful.  They are presented with all shades of pink objects, to show them what color they are to like.  They are given Barbie dolls and kitchen toys, to give them an example of what they are to look and act like.  Girls are expected to fit a certain stereotype, and, if they fail to do so, they are ridiculed and mocked by their peers.  "She was advised to play coy, exhorted to come on hearty, exercise, diet, smile, and wheedle" (Piercy, 836).  I think this poem shows the unrealistic standards that society sets for girls/women.  This poor girl in the poem, because she did not fit into the mold set for her by society and her peers, was tormented throughout her life because she was different.  She probably didn't think there was anything wrong with her until one of her classmates pointed out her every flaw.  Many girls are not given the opportunity to discover who they are, because they are constantly being told who they ought to be.