Barbie Doll

In “Barbie Doll” by Marge Piercy, it tells of the struggles of one girl that they pressures get to and she takes drastic measures to get the results she desires. She wants nothing more than for everyone to just say she is beautiful instead of pointing out her flaws. This can translate to males but it is in a slightly different way. For the most part, boys do not have as much pressure to look perfect as they are to act in a certain way or to excel in some kind of athletic sport. Where girls normally get caught up in looks, boys are normally more judgmental when it comes to athletic ability. In the poem she describes the main character by saying “Everyone saw a fat nose on thick legs.”(Piercy l.11) This would be very different if it were pertaining to a boy. They may say something like he cannot make this shot or this throw. Boys have a hard time as well but the pressures are different. They may not go to as far as an extreme in most cases but they will go out of their way to get the attention they seek.