“Barbie Doll” by Marge Piercy

Figurative language

• Simile – a comparison using “like” or “as”

• Metaphor – an implied comparison

• Imagery – making pictures with words

#1 What is a stereotype?How do the first four lines represent

stereotyping?

• Stereotype is attaching traits of an individual to an entire group of people.

• The little girl is given typical girl toys:– Dolls that pee-pee– Miniature appliances– Candy lipsticks

#5 What image is portrayed of her when she is asked to be“coy” and

“hearty” and to “wheedle”?

• The other girls are trying to teach her to “come on” to the boys.

#6 What is the simile in the poem and why is it appropriate?

• “Her good nature wore out like a fan belt.”

• It shows that she endured the criticism for a long time before she “broke.”

#7 How is her death explained in metaphorical terms?

• She does not actually “cut off” her legs and nose. It is a metaphor for her sacrificial suicide.