Barbie Case Study

"Barbie"

It is not something of the unordinary for a person whose been ridiculed to have low self esteem or have a hard time seeing any "good" in themselves. Many people have to deal with unnecessary harassing and verbal assault each day. In the poem "Barbie Doll," the author illustrates a vivid picture of an average girl who's had to undergo coping with the pressures of society and her peers. In many cases, societal pressures can be very dangerous; they are capable of changing the person's view of themselves and their actions in every aspect, whether it is mental, emotional or spiritual.

Handling the stresses associated with others can really drive a person to think otherwise of themselves in many ways. Once someone has been constantly bullied or hurt by others, after a while, they have a tendency to reflect on the situation over and over again. At times, they may even begin to view themselves as others. In "Barbie Doll," the girlchild did just that. She knew that she was normal, however, as she began to progress in age and reach puberty changes began to occur in her appearance. As her looks began to modify through this time, others would tease her saying, "You have a great big nose and fat legs." After so long, she started to look at herself just as they did and she would repeatedly go around apologizing because of how the world viewed her.

Emotions, in my opinion, are the most inflicted upon when going through states of depression and false perception of one's self. Many people have the tendency to allow what people say or think govern how they feel about themselves. Speaking from a personal standpoint, I can admit to the fact that I was a little adapted to that way of thinking. There would be plenty of times when my friends or family would say things concerning me, and whether it was good or bad I held them accountable for the bad. Every negative thing they said I took it and ran with it, because I felt like that was the way they saw me. Sometimes, I would sit back and question myself asking if I really was what they said I was; which was not strange for an average teen. However, I had to really get myself together and make up in my mind that no matter how others viewed me, their opinion does not matter. As long as a person can be satisfied with him or herself, bashful words from others should not even bother them.

As a Christian, I was brought up to believe that there will be times when you may feel down and out but you should not wallow in pity. In most incidents, as I mentioned earlier, that is the main issue. Once someone has spoken something negative referring to us we sort of second guess ourselves. In a spiritual sense, that is not how we should be. No matter what religion you are affiliated with, I do not believe that one should ever allow the pressures of society or from your peers affect you in such a way