Plastic.

     In "Barbie Doll," by Marge Piercy, one can clearly see how irony and banter are used to depict what is known as a "normal girl". Piercy begins the poem by introducing a female child character who is given dolls and toys that most girls play with at a younger age. The perfection of a barbie, the responsibility of cooking on fake stoves, and the hopes for beauty from makeup give the girl the idea that she must strive to be something that she isn't. Words get thrown around, and someone calls this girl fat and ugly. She wonders what she did wrong, and wonders if she could ever fix her faults.
     The author portrays this girl as somewhat masculine, thus explaining to the reader her insecurities. These insecurities eventually grow and grown, and in what I thought was a funny point of the text, the girl cuts off her legs and nose. Her insecurities drove her to kill herself just in exchange for perfection.
     The stereotypical girl is clearly forced unto this unique, different child. Just as in "Once Upon a Time", the maids are suspected for stealing just because they are of color. The family has no idea what is actually going on, so they make hasty generalizations about others and oftentimes base their actions on stereotypes. The separation from what's going on in the outside world only causes them to become worse with the stereotypes. This can often lead to serious problems within families, cities, and even nations.