Literary Devices

1. Gender Roles and Patriarchy

The Barbie Movie critiques gender roles and patriarchal systems. When Barbie and Ken enter the Real World, Ken is happy to find out that men hold most of the power. He even says, “I’m respected here, just for being a man!”. Meanwhile, Barbie is objectified and disrespected in a way she never experienced in Barbieland. This highlights the inequalities and power imbalances that exist in real-world gender dynamics. Ken’s attempt to bring patriarchy back to Barbieland, where the Kens take over and the Barbies are reduced to subservient roles, satirically flips the real-world norm to reveal how absurd and oppressive such systems can be. By the end of the film, the Barbies reclaim their independence and begin working toward a more balanced society, bringing attention to the importance of equality and representation across genders.

2. Identity and Self-Discovery

Another core theme is the journey of identity and self-discovery, especially for Barbie. Throughout the film, Barbie undergoes a transformation from a doll made to represent perfection to a real person with flaws, thoughts, and feelings. Her existential crisis begins with her asking, “Do you guys ever think about dying?”. Her encounter with Ruth Handler, Barbie’s creator, continues to show this theme, “Humans only have one ending. Ideas live forever.” Barbie’s decision to leave Barbieland to become human symbolizes her embrace of imperfection and autonomy.

3. The Power of Imagination and Creation

The film also celebrates the power of imagination and creativity. Barbieland itself is a world built on the imagination of children who project their dreams and aspirations onto the dolls. When Gloria begins playing with Barbie again, her thoughts influence Barbie’s emotions and reality, linking the human imagination directly to the life of Barbieland. This suggests that ideas, like Barbie, are always changing, shaped by how we perceive ourselves and our world. The film honors the idea that imagination is important because it can inspire growth, change, and healing. By choosing to become human, Barbie asserts her own power to rewrite her story, transforming from a product of someone else's imagination into the author of her own narrative.

Feminist Criticism examines how texts reinforce or challenge the social, political, economic, and psychological oppression of women. It explores representations of gender, power structures, and the roles that society assigns to men and women. The Barbie Movie, directed by Greta Gerwig, is a film that directly engages with feminist ideas, giving a critique of both patriarchy and feminine idealization in culture.

From a feminist perspective, the film challenges traditional gender roles by flipping them in Barbieland, where women (Barbies) hold all positions of power and influence, and men (Kens) aren't as important. This reversal forces viewers to confront the absurdity of gender-based power structures. When Barbie travels to the Real World and experiences objectification, this is a big difference from the social stuctures in Barbieland. She says, “I feel conscious of myself and...objectified,” (Gerwig, Barbie), highlighting how normalized misogyny is in everyday life. The film also gives voice to women’s  pressures through Gloria’s monologue: “You have to be thin, but not too thin. You have to be a boss, but you can’t be mean…” This scene addresses the impossible double standards women face and becomes a moment of awakening for the Barbies in the film.

The film uses its colorful style to explore serious feminist themes such as identity, autonomy, and societal expectations. Barbie's journey of self-discovery reflects the feminist call for women to define themselves rather than be defined by others. Her final choice to become human, to imperfection, and uncertainty, is an act of rebellion against a culture that prizes women only for their appearance and perfection. Through a feminist lens, The Barbie Movie is a movie about reclaiming womanhood, advocating for self-worth and getting rid of gendered limitations.