Barbie Doll by Marge Piercy

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Barbie Doll by Marge Piercy

• 49314012 ???

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Marge Piercy

• Detroit
• B.A. from the University of of Michigan and M.A.
  from the Northwestern University
• Teacher
• Feminist and political
• Love of nature Jewish heritage

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Barbie Doll

• This girlhood was born as usual
• and presented dolls that did pee-pee
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• and miniature GE stoves and irons
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• and wee lipsticks the color of cherry candy.
• ????????????
• Then in the magic of puberty, a classmate said
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• You have a great big nose and fat legs.
• ?????????????

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• She was healthy, tested intelligent,
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• possessed strong arms and back,
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• abundant sexual drive and manual dexterity.
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• She went to and fro apologizing.
• ?????????
• Everyone saw a fat nose on thick legs.
• ?????????????????

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• She was advised to play coy,
• ????????,
• exhorted to come on hearty, ??????
• exercise, diet, smile and wheedle.
• ??????????????
• Her good nature wore out ?????????
• like a fan belt. ????????
• So she cut off her nose and her legs
• ????????????
• and offered them up. ??????????

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• In the casket displayed on satin she lay
• ???????????,
• with the undertakers cosmetics painted on,
• ???????????,
• a turned-up putty nose, ???????,
• dressed in a pink and white nightie.
• ???????????
• Doesnt she look pretty? everyone said.
• ????????? ?????,
• Consummation at last. ?????????
• To everywoman a happy ending.
• ????????????????

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(No Transcript)
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Translation

• She was born a common girl. The General Electric
  Company nourishes her. She has lovely plum color
  lips. Owing to the age of puberty, she has big
  nose and fat legs. She is healthy, smart and
  strong. For these reason, people laugh at her.

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• They want her to play coy, be earnest, doing
  exercise, on a diet, smiling and smooth-tongued.
  Then, she has an anaplastic operation. Hence, she
  becomes a beauty. She lies in exquisite box. She
  has an elegant nose, she put on make up and she
  wears pink and white dress. Everyone says shes
  beautiful. And this is a perfect ending to
  everywoman.

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(No Transcript)
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Comment

• When talk about Barbie Dolls, what comes to
  your mind directly? Beautiful? Lovely? Colorful?
  They are toy that brings happiness to girls all
  over the world. In this poem, although it
  describes normal features, something got weird.
  Barbie Dolls are described neat but ignorant in
  the poem. Shes compliant, doing what the others
  tell her. And her physical condition was been
  made of. It looks like that Barbie Dolls are only
  superficial. Wheres the real Barbie?

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• In fact, Barbie has aroused many discussions and
  debates. The first Barbie Doll was made in 1959
  by Mattel Company. No matter girls or boys, young
  or old, almost everyone loves Barbie (at
  sometime). Nowadays, topics that are related
  Barbie are many. Such as reification,
  bodybuilding, love view, feminism and etc. Barbie
  are not just dolls, she has more power than we
  normally think.

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Reference

• M. G. Lord?,??? ? (2005) Forever Barbie
  ??????--??????????????????
• http//barbie.everythinggirl.com/index.aspx
• http//www.maccosmetics.com/
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbie