Barbie Doll

This was probably my favorite poem in this unit because I feel like it sends a really strong message. In response to question 6 (What is the central purpose of the poem?), i think the poet had one central thought/ idea he wanted to get through to her readers. I believe this poem is about how a person "dies" when they do everything they can to change their appearance. The girl in the poem is clearly unhappy with how she looks because people always pointed out the negative things about her. She was smart and healthy but after awhile these things werent enough to satisfy her and therefore she had to change her appearance. lines 15-18 "Her good nature wore out like a fan belt. So she cut off her nose and her legs and offered them up." The final stanza describes her body in a casket and how people are commenting about how pretty she looks. I took this to mean she wasn't literally dead, just figuratively. The old her was dead and she is now this flat unhearty and sad person whose only wish is to please other people through her appearance. I thought the overall tone of the poem was very negative. Basically the author's point is don't let your insecurities change who you are. This girl thought she would finally be happy when she changed how she looked, but she lost herself instead.