From the moment they are born, girls are influenced by society on who they should be, what they should look like, and how they should act. Americans believe that women should be held to a certain standard; pretty, feminine and above all slim. Pressure comes from family, the media and friends. Marge Piercy's poem, "Barbie Doll," describes a girl who was never recognized for her character and spent her life trying to be accepted for who she was, rather than what she looked like. We live in a society with rigid gender roles and expectations of what people should look like, based completely on their sex. (Benokraitis) Women are expected to be homemakers, take care of children, and on top of everything they need, look good while doing it. Men are the ones who provide financially for the family, are masculine and are physically strong. These roles are instilled in children at an early age. Girls play with dolls, makeup and toy pots and pans. Boys play with action figures, sports equipment and cars. Our culture teaches that girls must modify their appearance to appear culturally acceptable with makeup and numerous hair products and know how to cook for their future family. There is even a stereotype of how girls should typically behave; emotional, talkative, passive, etc. Not all girls want this for themselves, and it can really have a negative impact on their long-term self-esteem after being forced to behave a certain way their whole life. Living up to your parents' standards is one thing, but society is harsher. A major influence on little girls' lives is one of their first toys when they grow up: Barbie. The poem is called "Barbie Doll" because the doll represents society's standard of perfection that girls feel obligated to conform to. Barb......center of card......not the size of the dress they are wearing. Works Cited Arens, Rita. “Can you prevent your child's eating disorder?” April 18, 2011. Blog His life well said. April 16, 2011 .Benokraitis, Nijole V. Marriages and families. Boston: Pearson, 2011. Chapman, Mathew. Where he abandons "true beauty" in favor of "body language". March 30, 2011.Piercy, Marge. "Barbie doll." McMahan, Day, Funk, Coleman. Literature and the writing process. Boston: Pearson, 2011. 643.Szabo, Liz. “Your Life USA TODAY.” April 13, 2011. USA TODAY. April 16, 2011 .Tara Kuther, Erin McDonald. Early adolescents' experiences with Barbie and opinions about it. March 1st 2004.