Looks that Kill: The Irony of "Barbie Doll"

"Consummation at last. To every woman a happy ending."
This poem is the epitome of an insecure girl. All her life she has been taught to believe that she is ugly. She was healthy, smart, and strong, but all she could see was her flaws. So instead of embracing all these good things about her she spends her time apologizing for and trying to hide her big nose and fat legs. Then as everyone tries to fix her and tell her what to do she begins to lose herself and grows weary. So she cuts of her nose and legs and kills herself. Then at her funeral, all done up by the undertaker with a new nose and pretty makeup, all the mourners say how pretty she is. The irony of this is that she has spent all her life trying to make herself beautiful in the eyes of everyone but could not succeed. Only in death where beauty means nothing did she finally get the one thing she wants which is the acceptance and approval of everyone. The saddest irony is that she never did see herself as beautiful until she ruined it by cutting out the insecurities she couldn't look past. This irony is used as a lesson and a warning against allowing oneself to let insecurities take over and become the main focus. You shouldn't let that insecurity become a disease or an obsession that leads you to a horrible end. Rather you should see yourself as beautiful the way you are and continue living in that confidence. The irony of this poem indicates that message.