Why does Gloria love Barbies?
In the motley crew of characters that inhabit the 2023 movie "Barbie," Gloria holds a singularly interesting position. Despite being a side character, her role serves as a catalyst in unfolding Barbie's existential crisis and navigating the dynamics of femininity, which ultimately shape the narrative of the film. Gloria's relationship with Stereotypical Barbie, one that develops in unexpected ways, calls for deeper analysis. However, to understand this relationship, we must first view Gloria beyond her role as a Mattel employee or Sasha's mother. Gloria embodies the struggle of a woman grappling with a midlife crisis and an identity crisis - her experience as a mother, a working woman, and her unfulfilled dreams.
The movie uses Gloria's relationship with Barbie as a metaphor for her introspection - an exploration of her past decisions, present reality, and future aspirations. When Gloria interacts with Barbie, it's not simply playing with a toy, but a dialogue with herself. She sees in Barbie the perfect feminine ideal she was once expected to be, a perfect woman who is accomplished, attractive, and eternally young. The Barbie ideal clashes with Gloria's reality, triggering her midlife crisis. As she navigates her feelings of inadequacy and unfulfilled dreams, Gloria unwittingly projects her worries onto Barbie, sparking the latter's existential crisis.
The parallel between Gloria and Barbie may be uniquely compared to the poignant relationship between Andy and his toys in the popular "Toy Story" franchise. Andy's toys, particularly Woody, function as an extension of Andy's consciousness, reflecting his growth, fears, and dreams. However, the primary difference lies in the fact that Andy is oblivious of his toys' sentience, while Gloria is unaware of the impact her crisis has on Barbie.
While Gloria sees Barbie as a mirror to her past, Barbie views Gloria as a roadmap for her future. From Barbie's perspective, Gloria represents the reality of womanhood, encompassing the struggles and societal pressures women face as they age. This mutual reflection intensifies their bond, forging a pathway for a unique relationship that underpins much of the movie's emotional depth.
The second layer to this narrative dynamic draws an uncanny comparison to the relationship between Dorian Gray and his portrait in Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray." Dorian remains eternally young and handsome while his portrait ages and decays, revealing the ugliness of his actions. In "Barbie," Gloria is the real woman grappling with aging and societal pressures, while Barbie, the ageless doll, becomes the portrait in which Gloria's anxieties and fears are manifested. It is through this reflection and transference that Gloria and Barbie confront their fears and make peace with their realities, leading Barbie to decide to become a real woman, Barbara Roberts.
This journey allows Gloria to find catharsis. By confronting her fears through Barbie, she not only empowers Barbie to take control of her life but also empowers herself. Gloria learns to accept her aging as a natural process, not as a failure. She learns to embrace her life, not as a series of missed opportunities but as a unique narrative full of potential.
In the end, Gloria's character and her complex relationship with Barbie portray a fascinating study of womanhood and societal expectations, framed within the dynamic backdrop of fantasy and reality. The film prompts us to ponder upon the age-old tradition of girls playing with dolls. Perhaps it's not just an innocent pastime but a complex process where societal norms and expectations are internalized, questioned, and sometimes, just sometimes, upended.
