Sad Irony

In Marge Piercy's Barbie Doll, there is quite a bit of sad irony and gender roles.  It begins with a girl who is, as many are, brought up to be beautiful.  She matured as many girls did, having typical girl toys, wearing makeup, and desiring to look pretty.  Yet, everyone saw her as an ugly being with "a great big nose and fat legs," (Piercy, 835).  This girl was smart, healthy, and had a great sex drive.  Seemingly having every important aspect, people still only saw her as ugly.  She tried desperately to become what people perceived as beautiful, but was unable to meet there expectations.  The poem culminates with her suicide.  It is sadly ironic that only here, after her death, do people begin to say she looks nice.  This poem exemplifies the society of today, in which a girl can be smart, charismatic, and nice, yet still not be wanted because she does not fit the mold of a woman today.  It is a reality that this poem seems to urge the reader to change in any way they can.