Br M
19 March 2016
“Math
Class is Tough” by Denise Duhamel is the epitome of how an expression
of feminism is treated under the traditional values of the patriarchy.
Her use of free verse in the poem instead of the traditional format
displays how much she is willing to disobey the status quo to prove her
points. Barbie, for a long time, since 1959 to be exact, has been the
ideal figure to be for little girls, and mature women. She symbolizes
beauty and high stature, but unfortunately, not intelligence.
Denise Duhamel’s opinions on the simple minded “Teen Talk Barbie” definitely can not be considered appreciative, but frustrated:
Barbie hasn’t spoken in twenty years
and when she finally does, little girls
and those who remember being little girls with her
cock their ears, smile, and listen.
Math class is tough, says Teen Talk Barbie,
Math class is tough? (Duhamel 60)
Barbie hasn’t spoken in twenty years
and when she finally does, little girls
and those who remember being little girls with her
cock their ears, smile, and listen.
Math class is tough, says Teen Talk Barbie,
Math class is tough? (Duhamel 60)
After
a long hiatus from speaking, Barbie finally returns with her
influential tongue only to utter the words “math class is tough.” All of
her fans, varying in ages, were excitedly waiting to hear what she had
to say and were disappointed by the simplicity of her statement. The
last line, Barbie’s repeated phrase is formed as a question and this was
not done accidently; this was Duhamel’s bold move to express that she
cannot fully fathom the idea that after all of these years, the only
thing to be said was “math class is tough.” The structure, syntax, and
grammar of the phrase is perfectly comprehensible, but the meaning is
left in that gray area; the same gray area women and their intellectual
capabilities have tried to crawl out of, as Duhamel will express.
The exasperation with Barbie’s unintelligence is continuous throughout the poem especially when Duhamel says:
Is that is?, we all wonder, pulling her string again
to see if she’ll say anything more enlightening
The American Association of University Women
wants Teen Talk Barbie pulled from the shelf
until Mattel agrees to let their favorite doll say something else.
There’s enough anxiety around algebra, geometry,
calculus and trig. That’s just what little girls don’t need--
someone else telling them they’ll never balance
a successful checkbook. (Duhamel 60)
Duhamel
explains how dumbfounded Barbie’s fans were by the simpleness yet
strange ambiguity of Barbie’s statement. They hoped she would say
something that would justify their excitement for her return, but to
their dismay, all she continued to repeat was “math class is tough.”
Some people may be confused as to why feminists took to the offense
because of a doll’s phrase, but with close examination, it is not hard
to understand why. It is widely believed that women as a gender are less
capable than men of performing math such as the ones listed in the
poem. It is no secret that math can be difficult, so when it’s
supposedly proven that men are better at it, that causes apprehension
about the subject. Barbie has essentially been a role model, despite the
anorexia, for females, but the blatant self deprecation forms tension
between those who wish to overcome this hurdle and the doll as a trope
of female identity. Feminists' argument is not to cause trouble, but
rather to suggest that women are perfectly capable of doing math,
whether it be in the classroom or handling their finances.
The
feminist argument only gets stronger. Denise Duhamel begins pointing
out even more degrading features of patriarchy hold in regards to women:
Barbie herself tried to run for president
against the Ross Perot Troll Doll, sure
her red white and blue cheerleader’s skirt
would appeal to male voters. When she didn’t
make the primary, tabloids spotted her
shopping at Macy’s and eating a hot fudge sundae
So maybe this time she’s aligning with the feminist--
saying that math is particularly tough
on women--there are scales and dress sizes,
bust measurements and calories
all designed to keep us counting and counting. (Duhamel 60)
In
the presidential race when Barbie ran against another doll, which
conveniently was male, she lost. Her loss of the vote was not the
demeaning aspect. That feature came into play when she went into the
election wearing a red white and blue cheerleading skirt. Yes, the
colors were quite patriotic; however, Barbie was given no pass from
objectification because it was obvious that the garment would appeal to
the male voters and their perverse fantasies. Maybe this is the reason
why Duhamel decided to give Barbie the benefit of the doubt; saying
Barbie was actually on women’s side when she said “math class is tough.”
After all, she could have meant that math class is tough on women
because it teaches them how to perform all of the counts and
measurements that society convinces them are their defining features. It
is possible that Barbie was not only eating the sundae to comfort
herself because of the loss, but that this is a trope of resistance
aimed at those who only see her as a pretty face in a patriotic
cheerleading skirt.
Regarding Barbie’s ambiguous statement, Duhamel tries to decipher if there were any hidden messages:
In anagram-language Math class is tough
translates to Last hog scum hat
or Shout at clam gist. No one knows for sure
exactly what Barbie is talking about.
Yet we sense she picks her words
the way she picks her wardrobe--
nothing sloppy, always a grand design
that makes the rest of us feel half in, half out. (Duhamel 61)
In
no language is “math class is tough” translated into a less vague
meaning. However, Barbie is famous as a trope for the "perfect" woman.
It is unlikely that she chose those at random because nothing she does
is anything less than planned. Her “perfection” is what makes women feel
like they could never reach the high standards that she can, but will
certainly still be expected to.
Denise
Duhamel is trying to give insight into how under the patriarchy, women
are constantly being degraded and underestimated for their intellectual
capabilities. Because
she never does much to be seen in bad light, it can lead one to think
that perhaps Barbie meant exactly what she said--no double meaning
attached. It is fathomable that she was manipulated into thinking she
was giving simple commentary on the subject when in fact, she was a
messenger for the patriarchy-- sending women the daily reminder that
they will always be the underdog.
Work Cited
Duhamel, Denise. “Math Class Is Tough.” Kinky. Orchises P, 1997, 60-61.
****
STRATEGIES FOR INTRODUCTIONS:
If you feel like using an appetizer, keep it very short, and don't speak too generally about the nature of art or poetry or fiction.
first, use the name of the poet and the title of the poem
Then state the subject matter of the poem and perhaps name the main literary techniques
Finally, you have two choices:
EITHER
state your thesis (main point) for the entire paper
OR
just end with a question which eventually be answered in the thesis.
OR
provide the transition (Introduction of quote) to the quote that comes before the next full paragraph (IQA)
STRATEGIES FOR CONCLUSIONS:
first, state the thesis (main point)
then either:
A. Summarize your main supporting points for the thesis
or
B. Bring the analysis to a broader level--for example, talk about the writer's intentions to communicate with a specific or a more general audience (i.e. political, psychological intentions)
or
C. Raise questions that are not solved by your analysis. (You don't have to answer them!)
or
D. Discuss the aesthetic (formal, literary) qualities of the text--i.e. rhyme, meter (or free verse), narrative structure (in a story or play)
**************
No comments:
Post a Comment