Barbie-Q
MINH TRAN – DMA # 1
Barbie-Q
By Sandra Cisneros
Cisneros opens her tale with a possessive pronoun: “yours”, which confounds readers and draw their immediate attention. Without delay, they are then brought into the world of Barbie Dolls: “yours is the one with mean eyes and a ponytail” and “mine is the one with bubble hair”. Here, we are overwhelmed with details of the dolls’ costumes - “Red Flair”, “sophisticated A-line coatdress with a Jackie Kennedy pillbox hat”, “white gloves”, etc. - listed out with eagerness. Readers right away gain a hint of story’s subject. However, while the “Barbie-Q” deals with a popular theme of struggle in the materialistic world, dolefully, it is told by a girl, troubled at an age so young.
The first paragraph The allure of Cisneros’ story-telling lies in her ability to constantly introduce readers into conflicting states of emotion. Clearly, while the subject’s optimism is consistent throughout the first paragraph, critical readers can detect subtle shifts in feelings which range from sheer exhilaration (as she describes her Barbie’s item with great fondness: ‘evening elegance in black glitter strapless gown’, ‘puffy skirt at the bottom like a mermaid tail’, etc.) to slight disappointment (‘from so much dressing and undressing, the black glitter wears off where her titties stick out’), and eventual solace (shown by her contentment with the self-made clothes). The light tone in “Barbie-Q” is of premium archetype, as the young girl’s voice radiates enthusiasm and urgency. The pace in the first paragraph constantly picks up while the readers’ emotion is dragged down. The initial tension heightens as readers see the protagonist’s wish-list gets longer and longer, until she resorts to her own means in order to curb the fervor.
The little narrator in “Barbie-Q” captures us in many ways. The lists she employed are rich in details as if everything is read off from the labels. Her insatiable desire to fill up her doll
Barbie-Q
By Sandra Cisneros
Cisneros opens her tale with a possessive pronoun: “yours”, which confounds readers and draw their immediate attention. Without delay, they are then brought into the world of Barbie Dolls: “yours is the one with mean eyes and a ponytail” and “mine is the one with bubble hair”. Here, we are overwhelmed with details of the dolls’ costumes - “Red Flair”, “sophisticated A-line coatdress with a Jackie Kennedy pillbox hat”, “white gloves”, etc. - listed out with eagerness. Readers right away gain a hint of story’s subject. However, while the “Barbie-Q” deals with a popular theme of struggle in the materialistic world, dolefully, it is told by a girl, troubled at an age so young.
The first paragraph The allure of Cisneros’ story-telling lies in her ability to constantly introduce readers into conflicting states of emotion. Clearly, while the subject’s optimism is consistent throughout the first paragraph, critical readers can detect subtle shifts in feelings which range from sheer exhilaration (as she describes her Barbie’s item with great fondness: ‘evening elegance in black glitter strapless gown’, ‘puffy skirt at the bottom like a mermaid tail’, etc.) to slight disappointment (‘from so much dressing and undressing, the black glitter wears off where her titties stick out’), and eventual solace (shown by her contentment with the self-made clothes). The light tone in “Barbie-Q” is of premium archetype, as the young girl’s voice radiates enthusiasm and urgency. The pace in the first paragraph constantly picks up while the readers’ emotion is dragged down. The initial tension heightens as readers see the protagonist’s wish-list gets longer and longer, until she resorts to her own means in order to curb the fervor.
The little narrator in “Barbie-Q” captures us in many ways. The lists she employed are rich in details as if everything is read off from the labels. Her insatiable desire to fill up her doll