“Barbie Doll”

 The first few lines of this poem made me think that it would be primarily about the toys, and how gender roles work in them. It was a bit surprising that it shifted so quickly into growing up and body image and sexualization, but not that surprising given how often Barbies are used in arguments about them. The next two stanzas are about how she grew up with a lot of positive traits, but the only thing that anyone seemed to care about were her two supposed flaws, her “fat nose on thick legs” (11). This, again, is not particularly surprising. Having one or two prominent negative traits makes it very easy for everyone to zero in on them to the point where you think that they are much worse than they are because of how often they are pointed out.

It is especially ironic to me that in the last stanza everyone is focusing on her beauty at her funeral, which I suppose is the point. This is emphasized with all of the sexual imagery - she is laying on satin, “with the undertaker’s cosmetics painted on” (19) and “dressed in a pink and white nightie” (22) with her death being described as a consummation. While the satin and makeup are fairly standard, the specific inclusion of them makes it obvious what the author is trying to say, and having her wear a nightgown for her funeral really hammers the point in.

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