Margie Piercy’s “Barbie Doll” and Lucille Clifton’s “homage to my hips” both critique body shaming in society. Piercy offers an example of how a female is body shamed and the negative effects body shaming takes mentally and physically. However, Clifton displays an example of empowerment and the acceptance of a non-traditional body standard. Which of these two works provides a better critique of body shaming? The answer is that Margie Piercy’s “Barbie Doll” offers a better model than Clifton’s “homage to my hips” because it presents issues that females experience in their lives, such as, gender roles and stereotypes, how women perceive themselves when they look in a mirror, and how women are expected to look beautiful all the time. Piercy’s
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Most women when they look in the mirror only see themselves by their physical features instead of who they really are. Women nitpick their appearance and judge themselves. In society, women are exposed to celebrities and models who look good all the time and most of them are a size two. However, in reality, most women in America are not built the way that models are. According to Dr. Pamela Peeke, “The average starlet is wearing a size 2 or 4 which is the sample size designers are making presently. Today, the average American woman is 5’4″, has a waist size of 34-35 inches and weighs between 140-150 lbs, with a dress size of 12-14” (Peeke). Women look up to celebrities and feel as though they have to model their bodies after them. In “Barbie Doll” Piercy states, “So she cut off her nose and her legs” (Clifton 17). Unable to look past her physical flaws, the girl felt as though she needed to alter her body to feel better about herself. Many women in American society are always worrying about what they look like and wishing they could change their appearance. Louise Deutsch analyzed “Barbie Doll” and stated, “However, while she is apologetic, those around her see her presumably physical flaws as who she is, not just something she has” (Deutsch). Deutsch is explaining here that she apologizes for …show more content…
However, societies standards changed and women then started to get plastic surgery to alter their bodies to be perfect by societies standards. Women believe that they must do anything to be perfect and pretty in societies standards. Whether that is to get plastic surgery and alter their appearance or kill themselves because they cannot cope with the pressure. On the other hand, Clifton in “homage to my hips”, explains how she will not conform her body to match societies standards and that she is already beautiful despite her big hips. Clifton writes, “they need space to move around in/ they don’t fit into little/ petty places” (Clifton 2-5). Clifton is stating here that her hips do not fit into the designer size 2 jeans and that is acceptable. She cannot fit into societies standards. Women, however, do not feel this way about their bodies. Most women are insecure and not as empowering as the women in “homage to my
Most women when they look in the mirror only see themselves by their physical features instead of who they really are. Women nitpick their appearance and judge themselves. In society, women are exposed to celebrities and models who look good all the time and most of them are a size two. However, in reality, most women in America are not built the way that models are. According to Dr. Pamela Peeke, “The average starlet is wearing a size 2 or 4 which is the sample size designers are making presently. Today, the average American woman is 5’4″, has a waist size of 34-35 inches and weighs between 140-150 lbs, with a dress size of 12-14” (Peeke). Women look up to celebrities and feel as though they have to model their bodies after them. In “Barbie Doll” Piercy states, “So she cut off her nose and her legs” (Clifton 17). Unable to look past her physical flaws, the girl felt as though she needed to alter her body to feel better about herself. Many women in American society are always worrying about what they look like and wishing they could change their appearance. Louise Deutsch analyzed “Barbie Doll” and stated, “However, while she is apologetic, those around her see her presumably physical flaws as who she is, not just something she has” (Deutsch). Deutsch is explaining here that she apologizes for …show more content…
However, societies standards changed and women then started to get plastic surgery to alter their bodies to be perfect by societies standards. Women believe that they must do anything to be perfect and pretty in societies standards. Whether that is to get plastic surgery and alter their appearance or kill themselves because they cannot cope with the pressure. On the other hand, Clifton in “homage to my hips”, explains how she will not conform her body to match societies standards and that she is already beautiful despite her big hips. Clifton writes, “they need space to move around in/ they don’t fit into little/ petty places” (Clifton 2-5). Clifton is stating here that her hips do not fit into the designer size 2 jeans and that is acceptable. She cannot fit into societies standards. Women, however, do not feel this way about their bodies. Most women are insecure and not as empowering as the women in “homage to my