essay correction
Surname 4
Name:Man Chun Lai
Professor: Professor Lisa Cole
Course: ENG 102
Date: 5/17/2021
What is the meaning of beauty in Sandra Cisneros’ “Barbie-Q”?
The short story, “Barbie-Q” written by the author Sandra Cisneros gives a storyline of two young girls that have an obsession with the Barbie dolls. The two girls not only admire the dolls but also want to have the beauty, which consists of the curves, long hair and eyes similar to that of the Barbie dolls. Sandra throughout the short story provides details of the way the young girls wanted to resemble the dolls without any flaw in regards to beauty. The illusion of the Barbie doll, which is skinny, tall, fair-skinned, blonde, fun, beautiful and successful, is the dream of every young girl. The doll possess the right friends with cars and clothes that makes the young girl want such kind of success in life. The short story “Barbie-Q” by Sandra Cisneros depicts the perfect woman that is a symbol of beauty and a dream of every young girl but in reality, women have flaws and not perfect.
Sandra Cisneros in the short story portrays the first misconception that the young girls have concerning beauty. The young girls in the short story describe Barbie as the perfect doll that has possessions that each beautiful girl ought to have in the modern society. The young girl perception of beauty is tied around the material things and since Barbie has attractive and unique possession then that is the epitome of beauty in the eyes of the young girls. In the first scenes of the short story, the young girls admire the Barbie’s wardrobe and wishes to have all the clothes that Barbie has in the closet (Cisneros 183). Consequently, the young girl has the ability to recognize every cloth that Barbie has in the closet. The description of Barbie’s dress code from the hair to the shoe in accordance to the young girl is perfect and appealing. In the young girl describes Barbie, “Your Red Flair, and sophisticated A-line coatdress with Jackie Kennedy pillbox, hat, white gloves, handbag, and heels included” (Cisneros 184). The vast amount of details that the young girl gives about the doll Barbie gives the reader the assumption that she yarns for such material beauty and would want everything that the doll has in possession. The young girls perceive beauty in women to consist of material items such as cars, clothes and fancy watches neglecting the character, which the doll cannot possess.
Sandra Cisneros further illustrates the misconception that the young girls have concerning beauty in regards to the Barbie dolls. Sandra in the short story identifies that slowly but drastic changes that have occurred in the dressing and career of the Barbie doll. One of the aspect that Sandra addresses is the change that have occurred to the dolls with time as it influences the young girl on the perception of beauty. According to Sandra Cisneros, the Barbie dolls have shifted from the classic homemaker especially as illustrated with the dressing of the toys to the modern professional woman that dresses in modern fashion. Sandra Cisneros describes the “Career Gal” dressing, “snappy black-and-white business suit, three-quarter-length sleeve jacket with kick-pleat skirt, red sleeveless shell, gloves, pumps and matching hat included” (Cisneros 183). The description in the excerpt concerning the Barbie doll describes the dressing code of the modern woman that has a focus on career rather than a homemaker. Initially, the doll Barbie comprised of an outfit that identified the woman in the society as a homemaker that would dress in casual outfit. However, the changes in the dolls that the young girls admire but cannot afford gives a vivid illustration that the modern woman has changed and is no longer a homemaker but rather focused with the professional lifestyle. The young girls in the short story fancy the Barbie doll with the modern professional dressing with the illusion that beautiful women dress in similar trends.
Sandra Cisneros further illustrates in the short story that the Barbie dolls that the young girls play with have flaws just like any normal woman in the society. The Barbie dolls that the two young girls play with lack the fancy clothes unlike the new Barbie dolls that the girls see in the shops while walking on the streets. Sandra Cisneros is able to illustrate this concept in the fact that the parents lack the money to give to the young girls for them to purchase the desired outfit for the Barbie dolls. Sandra Cisneros identified, This and a dress invented from an old sock when we cut holes here and here, the cuff rolled over for the glamorous, fancy free, off-the-shoulder look” (Cisneros 184). Towards the end of the story, Sandra Cisneros identified that the young girls have the ability to live in according to their means. The young girls finally manages to overcome the misconception that a beautiful woman ought to have materialistic items but rather ought to utilize the readily available resources for purposes of empowerment. The young girls manage to live in according to the parent’s means instead of wishing and admiring outfits on the street shops that the parents cannot afford. The illusion of the perfect women in the society does not exist rather each woman has a flaw that makes her unique and beautiful in her own capacity .
Cisneros using the short story manages to illustrate that beauty in women is an inside job and individual feeling rather than what the society perceives. Sandra Cisneros in the story identified that the young girls finally manage to attain the Barbie dolls that they have admired by purchasing the dolls in the flea market. The girls managed to purchase the dolls after the stores caught fire and burning most of the inventory. The Barbie dolls that remained because of the fire were sold through the flea market making it affordable for the young girl’s parents. The young girls discovered that the new Barbie dolls were actually not new as they smelt like smoke, the clothes soaked in water, and the girls did not receive the dolls from new packages rather burnt packages. Cisneros described, “Barbie has a left foot that has melted a little so? If you dress her in her new ‘Prom Pink’ outfit, satin splendor with matching coat, gold belt, clutch, and hair bow included, so long as you don’t lift her dress right?-who’s to know” (Cisneros 184). The young girls manage to cover up the parts of the Barbie doll that is burnt by dressing her a new outfit. The art of covering up the not so appealing part of the body is a common phenomenon that majority of the women experience each day to cover the hidden scars to meet the expectations of the society .
C- / Man Chun: You did not meet all of the criteria for this assignment.
This is a researched essay, yet you submitted it without research ☹
Otherwise, your arguments for the meaning of beauty in Sandra Cisneros’ “Barbie-Q” are all excellent! However, the problem with your essay is there are errors with essay form including the essay map thesis (see the Thesis Definition & Worksheet). There are errors with MLA style and other errors as noted in the margin.
Make the changes I have indicated so I can give you the grade your paper deserves. Please feel free to contact me with any questions. Your revised essay is due one week after you receive this paper back from me.
Work Cited
Cisneros, Sandra. “Barbie-Q”. The Story and Its Writer. Compact 9th ed. Ed. Ann Charters. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s. 183-184.
�This is not proper MLA style.
�Weak title. Never use the prompt for a title and don’t bold. See Essay 2 Guidelines.
�The title is not set-up correctly. See assignment.
�VB
�Excellent introduction but this not an essay map thesis that raises three points.
�This should be one of the points in your EM thesis. It should be the topic sentence also.
�AWK
�Delete
�CE. It should not be italicized.
�SP
��Excellent argument for material things using good textual support, and concluding point.
�Never refer to an author by their first name.
�This should be one of the points in your EM thesis. It should be the topic sentence also.
�WW. You mean story.
�WO
�Excellent argument career changes using good textual support, and concluding point.
�So, their perception is the meaning of beauty has flaws should be added to this sentence to make it a proper topic sentence as well as your EM thesis.
�Where does this quote start?
�Should be singular.
�Excellent argument career changes using good textual support, and concluding point.
�Never cite in the conclusion.
�Good conclusion but there is no restated thesis.
�Don’t bold
�Good citation.