The overall theme of "Barbie Doll" was that society holds certain standards for the definition of pretty and individuals are pressured into conforming to them. Lines 12-14 express some of the things that the speaker's acquaintance was making herself do to conform to society.
"She was advised to play coy,
exhorted to come on hearty,
exercise, diet, smile and wheedle."
This girl started out normal but soon changed her ways to become "pretty" according to society. When puberty begins, everyone becomes self-aware and judges others. This creates a lot of pressure on young women to reach the expectations of everyone else. The excessive dieting and exercise and the need to be skinny are huge factors in today's world. The pressures of society are extremely hurtful and cause so much stress, especially on women. Sometimes it becomes so hard to deal with that we "[wear] out like a fan belt," (line 16) just as the woman in the poem did.
No comments:
Post a Comment