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1) The title of the poem
Barbie Doll
2) The full name of the poet with accurate spelling
Marge Piercy
3) Paraphrase the poem simply, in one paragraph
This poem is about the life of an unnamed girl, from her birth to her death. She is born in the 'usual' way - she is just an ordinary baby girl. She leads a normal life until someone says to her that she has a big nose and fat legs. From then on starts her efforts to be beautiful. Even though she has many qualities such as manual dexterity and abundant sexual drive, she acts in a way that is not like her such as wheedling and playing coy. She keeps this facade up until her 'good nature snapped like a fan belt', finally committing suicide.
4) Provide some explanation as to who the "speaker" is
The speaker of the poem is just an observer, he or she is telling the story from an uninterested point of view.
5) Provide some explanation in what "setting" or context within the poem does the speaker appear
The speaker seems to be watching the girl's life offhandly. He or she has no influence over the girl's life.
6) Explain something about the theme of the poem
The theme of this poem is in brief; 'there are more things to a person than external beauty'.
7) Explain something about the point/meaning of the poem
The author is trying to criticize how society sets a standard of a woman's qualities and expects everyone to conform to it. She uses descriptive examples such as how the girl ignored her other qualities in pursuit of synthetic beauty.
8) Explain something about the attitude or tone of the author
The overall tone of the author is very sarcastic. Her use of sarcasm reaches a climax on the ending two lines. The author uses words such as 'consummation' and the phrase 'to every woman a happy ending' to describe the girl's unhappy ending. Marge Piercy is being explicitly sarcastic when she does this.
9) State some facts about the life and times of the author
Marge Piercy was born in 1936 and is still alive. When she was a young girl she suffered from German measles and almost died. After this bout of sickness the once pretty Marge Piercy was transformed into a sickly and skeletal-like girl. This was when she strted to delve into books. She eventually won a scholarship to the University of Michigan, where she got her doctorate degree. After two unhappy marriages she is now settled in Cape Cod with her third husband. Some of her famous books include anthologies of poetry such as 'The Moon Is Always Female'.
10) State why did you like it or not like it, relating your own personal anecdote.
Personally, I am stout. This is why I grimaced when my friends, who are much thinner than I am, obsess in trying to lose weight. I feel sad when I see them trying to fit into the standards of beauty set by the society. I believe that there are many more qualities to be considered about a woman than her beauty. This is why I felt a sense of fellowship when I read this poem. 'Barbie Doll' is talking about how there is much more to a woman than just external beauty, and I heartily agree with that.
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