Sandra Cisneros used both Feminist Criticism and Sociological Perspective to portray how being in a high class carries more social value and how women are seen in society as objects rather than humans and with this ideas comes when women are thought to be perfect

Sandra Cisneros used both Feminist Criticism and Sociological Perspective to portray how being in a high class carries more social value and how women are seen in society as objects rather than humans and with this ideas comes when women are thought to be perfect, but Cisneros reveals that women are not perfect. During the time of which this was written women were characterized to be perfect and had to meet the social expectations. This meant that women needed to have the best outfits, the best look and the best hair to be seen as something special. This meant they needed money or had to be in a relationship with a person with money to always be the best. One perceives how society anticipates that ladies will be flawless, however as a general rule, flawlessness doesn’t exist. Females are likewise judged on the off chance that they don’t have the most recent new fashioner sacks or apparel; influencing it to appear as though materialistic things are important to fit in. Women’s activists guarantee that ladies can be anybody they need and don’t need to subject themselves to these “social guidelines” and clarifies how ladies are fine only the manner in which they are.
At the beginning of the story, the author describes the dolls of the main characters. It reveals that the main characters are two little girls whose family are in a lower social class. The storyteller, which is one of the young ladies portrays that the girls’ family couldn’t afford to buy new dolls and the dolls they currently had needed new outfits. In the statement, “this and a dress invented from an old sock when we cut holes here and here and here and here, the cuff rolled over for the glamorous, fancy- free, off the shoulder look (339)”. Cisneros shows how the young ladies reject the overall perspective of ladies requiring lavish attire, shoes, and frill. They accept their role in being in the lower class but still tries to dress like barbies to the sexual exposing look women are often tied to. Women’s features or abilities played a large role in the society ” and there! And there! And there! Bendable legs Barbie with her new page boy hairdo” (340). The way the doll was described was as if she was better than the rest. She could have been described as anything else even her name but they chose something different. This is similar to the world today where people instead of saying the person actual name they decide to describe them or discriminate. The narrator described how they had to share a Ken doll and often argued over him because they could not afford another. “Then the two barbies fight, You dumbbell! He’s mine. Oh no he’s not, you stinky! (340)”. This is showing the concept of the two girls falling into the socially constructive role that every woman needs a man. Cisneros states that “only kens invisible”(340), which shows the relations between women. Each lady has to be in rivalry with the next to prove whos more pretty and successful. When a women end up aware of another ladies’ capacity, or potential ability to be in a relationship with a man, she has a couple of decisions while considering how she will react. She can either respect, copy or have jealousy of the ladies who have these attributes.
The little girls wanted new clothes for their barbies but knew they could not afford them as they said they would have to wait till Christmas. They have accepted their role in being in the lower class, but still made the best of what they had and created new outfits. The girls also wanted new dolls and one day they got fortunate ” Because a big toy Warehouse on Halsted Street burned down ” and a flea market was having a deal (340) and they were able to buy more dolls. Even when the girls received the dolls, they were ” damaged with water and smelling of smoke” (340). Barbies are portrayed as the ideal women and this story showed that all barbies come with flaws. Cisneros uses a feminist approach about the dolls’ appearances to reveal that no matter how pretty women can be, their underlying foundations will always be present. The girls didn’t mind that the dolls were damaged, they are happy with what they had, but they still tried to cover the dolls flaws, ” if the prettiest doll, Barbies MODern cousin Francie with real eyelashes, eyelash brush included, has a left foot that melted a little-so? If you dress her new “Prom Pinks” outfit, satin splendor with matching coat, gold belt,clutch, and hair bow included, so as long as you don’t live her dress, right? (340). The girls still wanted everything they could possibly get for the doll ” The other, sweet dreams, dreamy pink-and- white plaid nightgown and matching robe, lace trimmed slippers, hair brush and hair mirror included”(340) Cisneros uncovers that women have a tendency to cover up their features that are not deemed to be perfect. Females tend to conceal the things that aren’t engaging and alluring to others with makeup and clothes. The melted foot the doll had would make the doll seem to carry less worth or beauty since she was different from the other dolls which are why the girls still conceal the flaws the dolls had. Even though the dolls had many flaws the girls would cover them up to make them look good.
In society, today people in general, are very aware of how they should look or dress. The world feels as if they should be able to have all the nice clothing and the brand new shoes to be able to fit along with the rest of the peers around. ” So what if we didn’t get our new Bendable legs barbie and Midge and Ken and Skipper and Tutti and Todd and Scooter And Ricky And Alan and Francie in nice clean boxes and had to buy them on Maxwell street, all soaked up and sooty”(340). This statement is alluding to the general public today, saying that to get someone’s attention you must be great. This builds along the social classes, not everyone in the world is able to afford all of the items that they need. There are a lot of poor people in this world who don’t have anything to put on their back at all. Nowadays that’s not the bigger picture, the picture for most people is who is better than one another. This is a shame because ” we ” as people don’t see each other as equal and feel like we have to be in competition with each other. Just like a man, reading this story was extremely stunning and relatable. As a reader realizing that there were ladies that felt thusly astounded me. Men are similar to this but me as a person, I see all individuals as equivalent. I will never separate someone else on what they look like or dress. I feel as nobody is in a rivalry, I don’t need the best things to fit in. Sandra Cisneros wrote this story comparing her very own background and battles with society are depicted in the story. As her being a lady originating from an alternate culture with various looks in a general public where everyone is required to be the equivalent is hard to acclimate to. Ladies ought not to need to shroud their identity and they ought to be glad for where they originate from and what they resemble. They shouldn’t need to resemble plastic Barbie dolls to be viewed as lovely. The Barbie dolls was a symbol of beauty, without the Barbie doll there wouldn’t even be a problem. Everybody is novel in his or her own particular manner and our disparities and defects are what makes us so uncommon. Everyone is special in his or her own way. This was a great story, as a mani feel like more people should read this short story women and even men. This will give people an overall idea of the world today.