A Grown Up Barbie Analysis
Elizabeth Kear
Mrs. Senac
English 10H
19 August 2013
“A Grown Up Barbie”: well-written “A Grown Up Barbie” is one of the many essays included in a larger work, This I Believe. The unknown author grew up playing with Barbie and as an adult, she is living like one. “A Grown Up Barbie” is well-written because it includes easily understood content, relatable diction, and ethos, logos, and pathos. The vocabulary used in “A Grown Up Barbie” is easily understood, comprehendible by a wide range of readers. Without using high level vocabulary, the writer gets the point of how she grew up playing with Barbie and as an adult, she is living like one. Barbie is a girl’s best friend when she is young; Barbie is always so much more than a plastic doll. The reference with Barbie hits close to home with many female readers; growing up with the doll in one form or another, people can relate to the essay when the author mentions “cool clothes, a cool job, cool friends and cool accessories: the airplane, the apartment, and the camper.” By using the word “cool” in the first paragraph, the author relates to how people describe their belongings when they are children.
Though considered informal, writing in first person can change the tone of an essay. By writing in first person, the essay becomes relatable because it shows the events that occurred were personal experiences to the author. By using actual events that happened in the author’s life, such as the author getting a call from a client, also makes the story more relatable by showing the readers that something like this could happen to them too. The Barbie reference also plays a key role when the author reflects on her current life. By comparing herself to Barbie and asking questions like “Am I in danger of becoming a puff piece like Barbie?” (“A Grown Up Barbie” paragraph two) the author triggers the reader to subconsciously ask them self the same question. By hitting close to home with the reference to
Mrs. Senac
English 10H
19 August 2013
“A Grown Up Barbie”: well-written “A Grown Up Barbie” is one of the many essays included in a larger work, This I Believe. The unknown author grew up playing with Barbie and as an adult, she is living like one. “A Grown Up Barbie” is well-written because it includes easily understood content, relatable diction, and ethos, logos, and pathos. The vocabulary used in “A Grown Up Barbie” is easily understood, comprehendible by a wide range of readers. Without using high level vocabulary, the writer gets the point of how she grew up playing with Barbie and as an adult, she is living like one. Barbie is a girl’s best friend when she is young; Barbie is always so much more than a plastic doll. The reference with Barbie hits close to home with many female readers; growing up with the doll in one form or another, people can relate to the essay when the author mentions “cool clothes, a cool job, cool friends and cool accessories: the airplane, the apartment, and the camper.” By using the word “cool” in the first paragraph, the author relates to how people describe their belongings when they are children.
Though considered informal, writing in first person can change the tone of an essay. By writing in first person, the essay becomes relatable because it shows the events that occurred were personal experiences to the author. By using actual events that happened in the author’s life, such as the author getting a call from a client, also makes the story more relatable by showing the readers that something like this could happen to them too. The Barbie reference also plays a key role when the author reflects on her current life. By comparing herself to Barbie and asking questions like “Am I in danger of becoming a puff piece like Barbie?” (“A Grown Up Barbie” paragraph two) the author triggers the reader to subconsciously ask them self the same question. By hitting close to home with the reference to