Authors such as Marge Piercy and Lucille Clifton reflect the feminist movement in their poems “Barbie Doll” and “homage to my hips.” Both of these poems were published in the 70s and 80s, and they are just as relative in today’s society as when the authors wrote them. Both poems reject of society’s expectations of women to have a slender physical appearance. Each poet condemns the traditional feminine stereotypes of body image and self-esteem; however, Marge Piercy provides a more effective critique of social expectations about body image. Marge Piercy is a poet who often writes about women’s movements. During the 1960s, she was involved with Students for a Democratic Society, but her interests in the women’s movement became the focus of her writing. This focus is apparent in her poem ‘Barbie Doll’ where she expresses her feminist views of the image society portrays of the perfect woman. Piercy’s description of the girl in ‘Barbie Doll’ is a reflection of herself and her personal experiences with sexism in life. However, unlike the girlchild in “Barbie Doll,” Piercy did not allow herself to be driven by society’s male driven image of what the perfect woman should be. Instead, she used her writing as a platform to speak out against such sexist stereotypes ("Barbie …show more content…
However, the speaker in the Clifton’s poem “homage to my hips” has an attitude that conveys self-confidence and self-praise. Her noble character shows when she says, “these hips are mighty hips. / these hips are magic hips” (ln. 11-12). The poem ends with a speaker demonstrating that what is society sees is a weakness and disadvantage; she sees as a strength and advantage “i have known them / to put a spell on a man and / spin him like a top” (ln. 13-15). In the poem, Clifton carries a powerful message that no one should stop any woman from achieving her
In the first few lines Clifton says, “these hips are big hips / they need space to / move around in”(lines 1-3). These lines immediately invoke an idea of hips, implied women, needing opportunities and room in this world to make a difference. Women will not fit into societies molds predetermined for them simply because of there gender. Instead, women need the same opportunities for advancement and success that men are given. These lines begin to allude to the fluid movement of the poem that is similar to hips swinging. The movement of the poem is amplified by the poet’s significant choice to use free form instead of a more traditional form. Clifton’s decision to use free form is another way for her to show women breaking tradition with success and grace. The movement and free form in this poem also symbolizes the way in which women are approaching the male dominated world. Women are attempting to break down stereotypes while proving they are capable and intelligent, in order to reiterate that gender has no affect on one’s intelligence or
In the beginning of “Barbie Doll”, pleasurable and unpleasurable imagery is given so that the reader can see the extremes girls go through to be considered perfect.
The treatment of females from the 18th century through the 21st century have only gotten worse due to society’s ignorant judgment of the gender. Of which, is the change from the previous housewife like actions to the modern day body figure. This repulsive transaction is perceived throughout literature. From the 19th century’s short story, “The Story of an Hour” written by Kate Chopin in 1894 and the 20th century’s poem, “Barbie Doll” composed by Marge Piercy in 1971.
"Homage to my hips" by Lucille Clifton encourages Black women to embrace their femininity and body. Throughout the poem, Clifton uses her “hips” as a means of showing African American women resilience and strength in society. She states that her Hips are big and therefore cannot “fit into little petty places”. She also writes that her hips “have never been enslaved.” Both demonstrates Clifton’s confidence in herself, as well as her feeling empowered. African American women have always been disrespected and degraded. So it is not a surprise that many will feel worthless. However, Clifton wants to uplift them and show that it is okay to be a Black women. It didn’t matter, if they were different or went against society expectations. What is important
Hippie Barbie, written by Denise Duhamel uses the symbols of the contemporary life of the fairy-tale lifestyle into reality. The words and ideas used in this narrative poem give fantasy a different perspective. It is inferred that the speaker is a female Barbie specialist, who reflects her knowledge by using the popular Barbie doll as the main character. Throughout the poem, she gives key points that have female perspective; for instance, kissing Ken, thinking about having mixed-race children, and walking a poodle. She establishes a story-telling tone, which introduces Hippie Barbie as a real woman. The speaker is trying to address to all Americans that know deeper into Barbie doll life. By using the word “hippie” she gives a sense of rejection, opposition and liberalism towards things. Hippie Barbie reveals the ugly truth about the society based on appearances that we live in.
Every woman grows up knowing that they one day want to be beautiful. In Marge Piercy’s “Barbie Doll” she gives an in depth look at what negative effects the concept of beauty can have on an individual. From infancy to a full grown adult woman, beauty has been a way of thinking and lifestyle. As a little girl you are given petite shaped, blonde, blue eyed dolls. While boys are given brawny soldiers and mechanical toys.
Millions of girls around the world are dressing their Barbie dolls in skimpy designer outfits and high heel shoes, and slide her slender legs into a bright pink convertible next to her male counterpart, Ken. These same girls will gaze into the mirror, staring at their thighs and hair, and attempt to balance themselves in a pair of their mother’s high heel shoes. They will wonder why they do not look like Barbie. They will wonder today, just as I wondered years ago. As the years of make-believe with the American plastic icon of girlhood nostalgia passed, I discovered Barbie’s hidden effects. Although Barbie lent herself to fond memories of childhood, she also influenced my early ideal image of the female body. As I began to realize Barbie’s false representation of a real woman, I dis...
In “Barbie Doll” the reader can see that societies unrealistic expectations for girls and women contribute to their subordination, as many of them cannot live up to these standards. Just as in “Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers” her husband caused the subordination of Aunt Jennifer because he was holding her back. These poems were not made to pity women; they were made to empower them. From “Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers” and “Barbie Doll” women should take home the message that life does not have to be that way. What one does with their life is up to them, not their husband or classmates. The more we as a society talk about the unfair treatment of women, the more it becomes a problem. That does not mean it needs to be brushed under the rug, it means that no gender should be victimized.
Author, Marge Piercy, introduces us to a young adolescent girl without a care in the world until puberty begins. The cruelty of her friends emerges and ultimately she takes her own life to achieve perfection in “Barbie Dolls” (648). At the time when all children are adjusting to their ever changing bodies, the insults and cruelties of their peers begin and children who were once friends for many years, become strangers over night caught in a world of bullying. A child who is bullied can develop severe depression which can lead to suicide; and although schools have been educated in recognizing the signs of bullying, there is an epidemic that has yet to be fully addressed within our schools or society.
Sexual discrimination in different time periods and on too many continents has always affected women terribly. Women live and modify themselves to keep up to the expectations of society. Whether they decide to follow society’s ideas or not, many of them still have an unhappy ending. Two poems which demonstrate the repercussions of this type of stereotyping and discrimination are Marge Piercy’s “Barbie Doll” and Gwendolyn Brooks’ “Sadie and Maud.” The story of Sadie and Maud proves that impossible standards that are set for women whether they follow the stereotypes or not will eventually be shunned and looked down upon like Sadie, or become alone and unhappy like Maud. Piercy’s work demonstrates how females
Her poem, “Barbie Doll,” tells the story of a young girl who was short-lived. She was beaten down by society's expectations of what she should be. The poem was a major eye-opener for many, especially considering the time period it was written in. It helped to put the inappropriate and materialistic standards that women continued to be held up to on full display. It broadcasts the effects of these insane standards with an uncensored, real and raw approach.
Urla, J., & Swedlund, A. C. (1995). The Anthropometry of Barbie: unsettling ideals of the feminine body in popular culture. In J. Terry & J. Urla (Eds.). Deviant Bodies. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
Marge Piercy wrote the Barbie Doll poem in 1973, during the woman’s movement. The title of the poem Barbie Doll, symbolizes how females are supposed to appear into the society. In the poem Barbie Doll, the main character was a girl. She was described as a usual child when she was born. Meaning that she had normal features that any person could ever have. Piercy used “wee lipstick the color of cherry candy” as a smile to describe the child before she has hit puberty. After the character hit puberty, the classmates in her class began to tease her saying “you have a big nose and fat legs.” (Piercy pg. 1) Having a big nose and a fat leg is the opposite of what females are supposed to be presented as in the gender stereotype. In the society that the girl lives in, follows the gender stereotypes that presented females as a petite figure with a slender body. These expectations made the character go insane. She wanted to fit into the society so she “cut off her nose and legs and offered them up.” (Piercy pg. 1) Even though the girl was “healthy, tested intelligent…” (Piercy pg. 1) no one saw that in her, but her appearances. In the end of the poem the girl end up dying, a...
Lucille Clifton is a great poet, she wrote many great poems regarding women. Homage to My Hips is one of her famous creations that has brought many attention. Yet, instead of making a great poem about equality, what she made is a complete single-sided opinion of oppressing men and putting women on top, and controlling others. In conclusion, her poem is masked as an innocent woman’s body promotion, but the whole poem could be reread as a self-centered, manipulative sexism and hypocrisy promotion of extremist feminism. From the beginning, she used “big hips” because women have bigger hips than men for easy childbirth, which she described as a woman.
Barbie, a doll manufactured by Mattel, Inc., encourages an unrealistic body image, racial insensitivity, and contradictive goals, and it is having a negative influence on young girls everywhere. Launched in March 1959 by Ruth Handler, an American business woman and president of Mattel, Inc., Barbie quickly became popular and has gone on to sell three dolls every second, in over one hundred and fifty countries. However, Barbie’s rise to success has not been wholly positive – there have been numerous controversies, parodies, and lawsuits, all addressing a number of issues. One such issue is how Barbie promotes an unrealistic and unobtainable body image. For example, to scale, Barbie is five feet, nine inches tall, has a thirty six inch chest, eighteen inch waist, and thirty three inch hips. Had Barbie been a real person, she would not be able to walk, much less hold her head up. Secondly, Barbie is racially insensitive and perpetuates stereotypes. “Mexico Barbie,” from Barbie’s “ethnic” line, comes with a passport and a Chihuahua, as well as stereotypical red lace ribbons in her hair. Lastly, Barbie portrays goals that are both unobtainable and contradictive. Barbie has had a variety of careers, such as being a doctor, astronaut, and President of the United States, but also engages in stereotypical domestic activities, such as cleaning and baking. These characteristics are affecting young girls in a time when they are most developmentally susceptible, and teaching them a number of negative lessons.