Maxine Hong Kingston's No Name Woman versus Marge Piercy's Barbie Doll

No Name Woman vs. Barbie Doll: Battle of the Millennia Let's face it. Society is chock full of subtle, and not-so-subtle, demands to conform to the "norm", and going with the flow is a big part of life. Ideas of conformity are beaten into us as soon as we're able to comprehend the world we live in. A large piece of the conformity pie deals with the role of the woman, and how she should …

…for Piercy's "Barbie Doll", which illustrates the horror of sacrificing one's individuality in order to belong. Total assimilation into a group and it's version of "perfection" is to erase your self and become one of many. This choice, this action, however easier and less painful, is a far worse fate than being judged and sentenced for expressing individuality. Our uniqueness, our rarity, this is what makes us human. This is what gives us a soul.