Barbie Doll- Central Theme

The central theme of "Barbie Doll" is that body image is establish early, but can have dire consequences on the young girls of America. By the title of this poem one would assume that is would be about the youthful joy of playing with that one special toy. But, almost from the start, it is clear that this is not the case. While discussing the toys the this impressionable little girl played with in her youth, the speaker focusses on the most steriotypic "women" roles, and these toys seem to describe the perfect woman. So when this girl grows up to be slightly less than the perfect woman she grew up idealizing, she feel inadequate. This is furtherd by others confirming her insecurities, because they to grew up in the same inviroment. So, dispite her trys to become the perfect woman, she fails to change her self enough to meat societies high standered, and finally gives up on trying. This message is aimed specifically to society, to wake them up to the reality that glamour is not as important as the lives of our youth.