In Marge Piercy's “Barbie Doll” we see the effect society has on women's expectations. A woman, like the girl described in "Barbie Doll", should be perfect. She should know how to cook and clean, but above all be attractive according to the impossible stereotypes of female beauty. Many women in today's society are compared to the doll's unrealistic waist and shape. The doll, over the years, has transformed from a popular toy to a role model for real women. The extremes to which women take this model are implied in this short but truthful poem. The poem begins with the line, “This little girl was born as usual,” which suggests that as soon as a little girl is born, society already expects her to learn the role she will soon fill when she reaches puberty (1). Thus, showing why as little girls we are given dolls to illustrate how we should act and look according to society. After learning all the roles we will soon take part in, “the magic of puberty,” strikes and girls immediately begin to apply the ideals to their lives (5). As if this attempt to conform wasn't enough, other people tell us that we don't have to perfect ourselves. “You have a big nose and fat legs,” a classmate tells the girl (6). This type of pressure can slowly but surely destroy even the little confidence women have in themselves. In the second stanza, Piercy describes the girl as healthy, intelligent, and strong (7-8). Yet these positive equalities alone could not stop people from criticizing her, so the girl feels inferior. “She went back and forth apologizing,” which demonstrates her breakdown of trust in the people she is surrounded by, who continued to humiliate her (10). She gives in to the hurtful things people say about her: “Everyone [kept] seeing a big nose on big legs” (11). The girl then lets people push her in the direction of society's beauty standards, instead of asserting her unique beauty. The third stanza begins by saying, “She has been advised to be shy, / urged to exercise, diet, smile and flatter” (12-14). In the girls' minds she is becoming completely false to herself to make the girl happy. society; this in turn makes her dissatisfied. She soon tires of pretending and “cuts her nose and legs (17).