One of the best-known women in the world is a small doll . This famous doll, called Barbie, was created by Ruth Handler in 1959. Now Barbie is known everywhere. Before Barbie, all dolls were made to look like babies. People thought that this was a way to teach young girls how to become a good mother. Barbie was the first doll made to look like an adult instead of baby. From the beginning, Barbie was a modern career  girl. There was a different Barbie for each job: nurse, teacher, police officer, race car driver, professional basketball player, pilot, as well as the very first female to fly in space. Barbie made it possible for young girls to dream about a future other than being a mother and a housewife. It showed girls that they had choices and could become anything they wanted to be. At the time, these ideas were very new and positive. The movement for equal opportunity  for women had just begun and women wanted to have the same chance as men to do important work. However, Barbie's approval  as a role model has not lasted. Today, many people criticize  Barbie for making young girls too concerned about their appearance . These people complain that the beautiful, well-dressed Barbie seems to tell girls that while they can hope to have different career, it is more important for them to be beautiful and thin. The female figure that Barbie represents has also been criticized for being unrealistic . Young girls might think that Barbie's figure is beautiful and desirable . However, if Barbie were a real person, she would be six feet tall and wear a size three shoe! What does the passage mainly discuss?
The roles of a modern woman. The image  of Barbie dolls What is role models? What is beauty?