Barbie Doll

"Her good nature wore out, like a fan belt." -"Barbie Doll" by Marge Piercy

      I saw many similarities to last chapter's "Pink Dog" in this poem. First of all, it is set up in a satire so that the cause of the subject's actions are blamed on society. The girl is complimented and acknowledged by the speaker but eventually the tone shifts to her indadequacies. Eventually she gets to a point at which it is absolutely nescessary she change her physical nature or suffer greatly. I inlcuded the quote above because it is a common occurance in today's society. We all have ideals and morals we strive to live up to. However, the test of time eventually wears on us. The fan belt kept her from becoming overly influenced by emotion due to her appearance. This wore out and she was left to abandon her ideals. I was also intrigued by the line about how she "offered them up," referring to her old physical features. It could be thought of as merely ridding herself of their curse, but I think it is used to display her regret. She is asking forgiveness for giving in to the belief that her body will always be adequate.

Regardless of looks, we all have parts of our inner selves we need fixed. I don't think we can ever repair something completely like the poem suggests, but over time we make it better.