The Pressures of Self-Image In recent decades, society has changed its perception of physical appearance and self-image. People place more importance on becoming physically perfect, however, this creates a large amount of pressure to achieve this unobtainable goal. In Marge Piercy’s poem, “Barbie Doll”, she focuses on an adolescent girl who was driven to commit suicide as a means to rid herself of the stress of being perfect. The poem brings to light the issue of suicide due to the pressures of self-image because the teenager’s life seemed perfect, excluding two minute physical insecurities. This embodies many teenagers’ feelings because they can try to make their life as unflawed as possible, but some characteristics cannot be changed. “Barbie
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The main character in “Barbie Doll” first experiences self doubt through peer pressure: “Then in the magic of puberty, a classmate said: / You gave great big nose and fat legs.” (Piercy 5-6). By specifying the main character recently went through puberty, readers learn that she falls into the teenage age group, where adolescents are highly susceptible to peer pressure. Before reaching the age of puberty, the adolescent girl in the poem was happy and content with her physical appearance, not noticing any flaws in herself. However, after a classmate criticized her, she became self-conscious and had a more negative self-image. Many will consider this a form of bullying for insulting one’s physical appearance, which has long lasting effects on the victim: “victims of peer aggression have lower self-esteem and further suggested that they tend to accept negative actions towards them to a greater degree than individuals with higher self-esteem” (Fox and Farrow). Many teenagers today face peer pressure and are often scarred by its severity. Bullying from peer pressure leads to adolescents having a lower self-esteem, which can ultimately lead to them committing suicide for not meeting others’ expectations of their appearance. In recent years, young adults changed their perception of perfection due to a change in society’s changing opinion of physical beauty becoming more materialistic and
The main character in “Barbie Doll” first experiences self doubt through peer pressure: “Then in the magic of puberty, a classmate said: / You gave great big nose and fat legs.” (Piercy 5-6). By specifying the main character recently went through puberty, readers learn that she falls into the teenage age group, where adolescents are highly susceptible to peer pressure. Before reaching the age of puberty, the adolescent girl in the poem was happy and content with her physical appearance, not noticing any flaws in herself. However, after a classmate criticized her, she became self-conscious and had a more negative self-image. Many will consider this a form of bullying for insulting one’s physical appearance, which has long lasting effects on the victim: “victims of peer aggression have lower self-esteem and further suggested that they tend to accept negative actions towards them to a greater degree than individuals with higher self-esteem” (Fox and Farrow). Many teenagers today face peer pressure and are often scarred by its severity. Bullying from peer pressure leads to adolescents having a lower self-esteem, which can ultimately lead to them committing suicide for not meeting others’ expectations of their appearance. In recent years, young adults changed their perception of perfection due to a change in society’s changing opinion of physical beauty becoming more materialistic and