Identity: “Our Barbies, Ourselves”
Name:
Date:
PRE-READING:
1. How do toys such as dolls, superheroes, etc affect the identity of young children who are
generally very vulnerable to influences in the developmental stage in which they are attracted
to these types of toys?
2. What messages do Barbies send to little girls about their identity (appearances and values)?
VOCABULARY: Use the contextual clues to determine the meaning of each word.
Eclectic
Saner
Ameliorate
Epitome
Phallic
Totemic
Ineffably
Jodhpurs
Aspirations
Mantra
POST READING:
3. Prager says that discovering that a man designed Barbie makes her feel saner, but that
knowledge doesn’t undo the damage, however. What “damage” is she talking about? How is
that damaging?
4. How was Barbie different from previous dolls? Be specific and thorough. How could that
impact the values/ideas of young girls?
5. What facts does Prager give to support her opinion of how Barbie’s design was influenced by
the Feminist movement? How does this illustrate the identity of the average woman in that
time period?
6. What is one reason Prager thinks Ken is designed the way he is? What facts does she have to
support that? What does that say about the identity of men of that time?