Paper 1 Proposal

The Dooney and Burke Barrel Satchel

I.) Description

The Dooney and Burke Barrel Satchel is a one of a kind handbag that many have tried to duplicate, most times unsuccessfully. The appeal of the bag comes from it's unique shape and eye catching designs. This particular bag over the years has come in many colors, black, white, pink, and powder blue; with an array of designs, the most popular being the intertwining D and B. At first glance, it looks as though it has limited space and wouldn't be able to hold much, but looks can be deceiving, for this medium sized bag can hold a lot more then seems possible. Like all Dooney and Burke bags it has the signature heart pendent on the zipper, of which the teeth are multicolored. Inside the bag there is a cell phone pocket and a zipper compartment, which provides organization for the world in which the bag contains.

Style and function are what most girls look for in a bag and this one seems to incorporate both. The type of bag a girl picks to make her own to carry around will communicate parts of her personality to all who see the bag. It's not big enough to carry school books, but just right to carry the day-to-day necessities. An interesting link between these designer bags compared to others is that they're addicting, and we tend to not just buy one, but two or three or four. And yes, they are pretty, nice to look at, and fun to put on display, but is a bag like this really worth the money?

II.) Central Questions

1.Are these bags so vital (in the “I need it!” realm of things) that we need so many of them?
2.Why is the hand bag so important?
3.When and why did the handbag become so popular?
4. If it's just a bag to carry things such as makeup, why have so many, in some many different colors, and why spend so much money on them?
5.As a culture that thrives on material goods, what does the handbag say about girls and women today?

III.) Research

-Reinach, Simona Segre."Fendi." Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion. Ed. Valerie Steele. Vol. 2. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons,2005.76-78. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Gale. Anne Arundel Community College. 28 Feb. 2008.


This article gives good insight into the world of the designer handbag. Though it's not the brand of bag I want to focus on, it still works for some aspects in the history of the handbag/the designer handbag.

-Yaeger, Lynn. “Carried away: when it comes to high-end handbags, you are what you tote.” The Atlantic Monthly Apr. 2007. P 102(4).


This article has exactly what I'm looking for as to why we chose the purse we chose, and how it shows parts of our personalities. It also discusses what purses say about the women who carry them.

-Barbiere, Annalisa. “Like a Pocket on a String.” New Statesmen. 11 Feb. 2008: 52.

This article came out of nowhere and had some great information on the purse as a practical thing rather than a fashion statement. It's short, sweet, and very down to earth. It took away some of the over hyped glam that other sources were giving me.

-“Perusing Purses.” Brandweek 48.9 (7 May 2007): 23(1). Academic OneFile. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Gale. Anne Arundel Community College. 28 Feb. 2008.

This article is good for my argument, because though I am for the purse being an important part of the female culture etc, I also want to touch on some of the more annoying aspects of purse culture. This article has a list of all the typical annoying and silly things a purse becomes and how gross they can get when we “abuse” them.

-Wikpedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 21 Feb. 2008. The Wikipedia Foundation. 22 Feb. 2008.

I know this is a website, but it gave me more of the history of the satchel then anything else I found. It has great factoids that dates the purse back to the time of the Egyptians. It's good exciting stuff!

-Rottman, Fred. “Handbags and Purses.” The Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion. 2004
(I cannot remember where I found this article, so once I find the URL I will post it. I'm such a slacker.)

This also had great information on handbags and Purses (obliviously), but what I really liked about it was all purse positives. It has lots of interviews and history, thus I think it will be of good use to my argument.

*2 more sources to come. I know, I know, I'm totally not on top of things this week.*

IV.) Argument

As much as I hated purses when I was younger, I feel that now as an adult, they are more important in my day to day living then ever before. My purse is my life line. It carries everything I could possibly need, ever. Handbags also define who we are (as girls), they show what we like and give those around us insights into our personalities. But that is only half of my point. I also feel that purses, though they are pretty and fun, are way over priced and way over coveted. Why do we need so many and why is it so important that we have the latest styles?

Therefore, I am arguing that the handbag is an important object that has many positives, two of which are function and style. But I also want to touch on the fact that the obsession with designer purses and having a million of them is unnecessary, especially when purses that are just as cute/ functional etc can be purchased at places like Target for around $20.00 instead of $200.00 and up at designer stores.

*It's sort of rough, hopefully your coments will help me tweak it to make it better!