The Bluest Eye Essay

The Bluest Eye Analysis
The opinions of others, wether one notices or not, greatly affect his or her life. In Toni Morrison's
novel The Bluest Eye, Pecola Breedlove, a young black girl with dark brown eyes, is deemed
ugly. Although she does not possess ugliness; she "put it on, so to speak, although it did not belong
to [her]" (Morrison 38). Pecola believes she is ugly because she does not meet the societal beauty
standard. Pecola convinces herself that all her struggles are rooted in the fact that she not beautiful.
If Pecola was white, blond, and blue–eyed her life would be different–it would be better. Pecola
believes that having blue eyes would change her entire life. Though she would not be given different
friends or a different family, those same friends...show more content...
If Pecola acquired blue eyes she believes she would no longer be an outcast. She believes her peers
will accept her. After seeing how the new girl, Maureen Peal, with "sloe green eyes" and white skin
"enchanted the entire school," Pecola makes the hypothesis that having blue eyes would make her
popular amongst her classmates (62). She believes that to have blue–green eyes and white skin earns
her acceptance. Pecola wants everyone to look at her the same way they look at Maureen. She
desires to be the girl that enchants the school. Though Pecola seeks admiration from all of her
peers, Pecola ultimately seeks Maureen's approval and acceptance. Pecola wants the prettiest girl
in the class to view her as beautiful. However, after a dispute with Pecola, Maureen exclaims, "I
am cute! And you are ugly! Black and ugly e mos. I am cute!" (73). Pecola, after hearing this
proclamation, comes to the realization that the most beautiful girl in school believes that being
black means being ugly. Therefore, Maureen proclaims that being white must be what leads to
beauty and popularity. In fact, at the end of the novel when Pecola is conversing with herself she
asks, "What does Maureen think about your eyes?" (196). This question further proves that if
Maureen admired Pecola in the same manner everyone admired her, Pecola would feel beautiful.
She would be beautiful like Maureen, and everyone will accept her.
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The Bluest Eye
The novel The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison presents the certain type of beauty admired by the
main character in this fictional story, which seems to be the main content of the novel. The first
thing that the people judge is the physical appearance, no matter from which part of the world
anyone comes from. The stereotype of defining a beauty in a certain way still prevails in our society.
On the other hand, human beings being a social animal, cannot remain secluded from the society.
They shape themselves into the societal beliefs, values, trend, culture etc. of the society. Especially,
the ones who do not have the tendency or ability to contend are easily influenced. Likewise, the main
character, the young black girl self–loathes up to the point...show more content...
No matter how ugly, mean, pitiful one can be, the family is always meant to support, raise, guide,
nurture and be a means of inspiration in anyone's life. In the novel, this isn't the case for Pecola,
which is why she gets mentally unstable as she couldn't bear the torture of ugliness of not having
blue eyes. Blue eyes are the one and only reason she could blame as per to her ability and thought
process. In fact, she doesn't get the real ugliness of how her father rapes her, the ugliness of how
the mother choose the white girl over her, the ugliness of the fights between her parents is
coming from their unpleasant past. After all, she doesn't have that mentor in her life to explain
what was happening. Everybody in her family is occupied with their own mindset. She is very
young to understand and analyze on her own. The narrator Claudia even gets to compare between
her and Pecola and starts accepting life and feel blessed for having a supportive family, which she
doesn't feel until Pecola enters in her life. So, this shows how young kids psychology is totally
built upon the type of family environment she/he gets. There is a saying that young kids are like a
raw clay ready to be shaped into the different form of objects by the potter. Undoubtedly, it stands so
true. Indeed, kids shape themselves according to the type of environment they grow up with. By all
means, Pecola's family is the

Essay On The Bluest Eye
Expectations Women. When hearing that word alone, you think of weakness, their insignificance,
and how lowly they are viewed in society. Females can be seen as unworthy or nothing without a
man if they are not advocating them and are constantly being treated differently from men. However,
in the book, "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison, they live up to their reputations for how they view
themselves. Specifically, being focused on women like Pecola, and Claudia. They are often
questioning their worth from society's judgement of beauty. Though one character, Frieda embraces
it despite being black. With having everything temporary, the desire of grasping and having
something permanent increases. The women desires to be of...show more content...
We will say no. We don't know what we should feel or do if she does, but whenever she asks us, we
know she is offering something precious–"(Morrison, 24). This quote shows how prepared a woman
is to give up her body in exchange for her life because perhaps she does not value herself and has
gone through many situations like this. This event may lead to female's perspective of their
worth decrease, since they are constantly being abused. In the course of The Bluest Eye, Pecola
Breedlove has shown signs of low self esteem. She would always be the one to compare herself to
something she admires to be beautiful. Perhaps, sometimes problems surround her get a little too
much, she has not yet realized the fog will clear up. For example in the autumn chapter, a quote
has said "Thrown, in this way, into the binding conviction that only a miracle could relieve her,
she would never know her beauty. She would only see what there was to see: the eyes of other
people." There is no such thing as a "Pecola's point of view". She lives off of people's judgements
and believe physical appearance is all there is to a person. Her desire to be beautiful is not having
attractive long black hair and golden skin color, but blonde hair with a white pigmentation. Which
causes her to dream and want even more. Claudia, another character who goes through a similar
situation compared to Pecola. She is a young girl who came out from a loving family and is
intrusive, yet sensitive.

The Bluest Eye Analysis Essay
In The Bluest Eye, Toni Morrison strongly ties the contents of her novel to its structure and style
through the presentation of chapter titles, dialogue, and the use of changing narrators. These
structural assets highlight details and themes of the novel while eliciting strong responses and
interpretations from readers. The structure of the novel also allows for creative and powerful
presentations of information. Morrison is clever in her style, forcing readers to think deeply about
the novel's heavy content without using the structure to allow for vagueness.
Morrison uses dialogue to reveal vital information throughout the text, adding shock value to details
presented. Toward the end of the novel, one of the most shocking and important...show more
content...
This can be seen toward the end of the novel, on page 199, where, in a conversation between
Pecola and a figure of her thoughts, Morrison reveals that Pecola may have been raped twice.
"You said he tried to do it to you when you were sleeping on the couch. 'See there! You don't even
know what you're talking about. It was when I was washing dishes,'" reads the exchange. These
lines also tell the reader that even with this information, Pecola is still internally unsure of what
happened herself. Through internal dialogue, her personal insecurities are projected. Dialogue is key
in presenting major ideas in the novel. Morrison's use of two different narrators through the story
also goes hand–in–hand with the novel's contents. Throughout The Bluest Eye, Morrison uses an
older Claudia MacTeer and a third–person omniscient narrator effectively in telling parts of the
story. Claudia's narration of the events provides a limited view of the story, as she can only relay
what she knows and experienced. This can be seen through simple dialogue between Claudia and
Frieda on page 101, where the girls discuss how a person can be "ruined" based on information fed
to them by their mother. This makes Claudia's narration somewhat unreliable, but her point of view
still allows the reader to interpret more about the content and character presented. This is vital to the
story, as she inserts her own opinions and reflections on the heavy topics

The Bluest Eyes
I am the father of a 7th grader attending Chelan Middle School. I am writing to you about the book
The Bluest Eyes, written by: Toni Morrison I am grossed out from this book by the content this
book, with all respect I ask for this book to be removed from the Chelan School District. The
Bluest Eye book there is many rape/ sexual assault scenes found on page 43. The rape/ sexual
assault is to inappropriate, they give to much information and are very detailed. I don't want my
daughter reading this explicit book because I don't want my daughter to afraid of me or anybody
else for reading the bluest eyes book and what it explained in the book I don't want her to get a bad
idea of me as her father. In page 44 there is sexual content scenes and

The Bluest Eye Analysis
"The Bluest Eye" "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison is a very complex story. While not being a
novel of great length is very long on complexity. It tells the story of Pecola Breedlove, a young
African American girl immersed in poverty and made "ugly" by the Society of the early 1940's
that defines beauty in terms of blonde haired white skinned , and in this case specifically Shirley
Temple. The novel opens in the fall of 1941, just after the Great Depression, in Lorain, Ohio.
Nine–year–old Claudia MacTeer and her 10–year–old sister, Frieda, live with their parents in an
"old, cold and green" house. What they lack in money they make up for in love, and yet they don't
quite know how to express it correctly. The MacTeers decide to take in...show more content...
She also wrote "No one could have convinced them that were not relentlessly and aggressively
ugly." (Morrison 38), and "You looked at them and wondered why they were so ugly; you looked
closely and could not find the source. Then you realized that it came from conviction, their
conviction. It was as though some mysterious all–knowing master had given each one a cloak of
ugliness to wear, and they had each accepted it without question." (Morrison 39). This shows the
attitude that the whole family had about themselves. It says that they felt no one could prove to
them that since they were black, that they were not ugly. They just didn't think very much of
themselves. Then she describes how Pecola and her whole family were reminded every day that
they are not beautiful, not white. In the book Mrs. Morrison wrote that "she also wants a family
unlike her own.". Here the author is pointing out what Pecola wants, she wants a family that is not
like her own. She is feeling as if her family isn't so great, and that she could use a new, more perfect
like family, a white blue eyed family.
She also starts the novel by describing the perfect family, with the Dick and Jane story. She does this
in a way to tease the reader then having the Dick and Jane story run in to one long sentence like it
was flowing down the drain and so too Pecola's perfect family. "Mother, Father, Dick and Jane live
in the green –and– white house. They are very happy." (Morrison 4). This shows

The Bluest Eye Essay
Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye (1970) takes place in Ohio towards the tail end of the depression.
The story focuses on the character of Pecola Breedlove who wants to have blue eyes. Pecola
becomes convinced that if she had blue eyes her life would be different. Through the eyes of our
narrator, Claudia, and her sister Frieda we see the pervasive racism and abuse Pecola is subjected
to. Claudia and Frieda act as witnesses to Pecola's disintegration and as a result, they will spend the
rest of their lives grappling with what happened to Pecola.
Towards the first third of the novel, Pecola goes to buy penny candy from Yacobowski's Fresh Veg.
Meat and Sundries Store. As she is walking to the store she notices the dandelions on the path and
...show more content...
Bernstein and Morrison expertly shed light on the way children visually consume the culture around
them. Consequently, when innocence is attributed to whiteness it dangerously allows for perceptions
constructed by society to dictate one's worth.
This scene can be interpreted through the argument Bernstein makes in Racial Innocence
Performing Childhood from Slavery to Civil Rights, which is that innocence becomes a tool for
dividing children into valued and not valued with race playing a large role in the deciding factor.
Bernstein claims, "White children became constructed as tender angels while black children were
libeled as unfeeling, noninnocent nonchildren" (33). We can see Mr. Yacobowski subscribing to a
similar ideology where innocence is raced in the way that he is an implementer of pain for Pecola.
He doesn't see Pecola due to a set of beliefs that justify the exploitation of black children and in this
instance Pecola, a little girl simply wanting to buy candy is deemed not worthy of respect and
kindness. The perception of Pecola as not–innocent opens the door for Yacobowski to be a wielder
of hurt. Pecola takes this hurtful treatment to be a direct result of the fact that she lacks blue eyes
and is ugly. Pecola's self–perceived ugliness allows her to identify

Essay about The Bluest Eyes
A Search For A Self
Finding a self–identity is often a sign of maturing and growing up. This becomes the main issue in
Toni Morrison's novel The Bluest Eyes. Pecola Breedlove, Cholly Breedlove, and Pauline
Breedlove are such characters that search for their identity through others that has influenced them
and by the lifestyles that they have. First, Pecola Breedlove struggles to get accepted into society
due to the beauty factor that the norm has. Cholly Breedlove, her father, is a drunk who has
problems that he takes out of Pecola sexually and Pauline physically. Pauline is Cholly's wife that is
never there for her daughters.
Pacola is a little black girl has a hard time finding herself. Brought up as a poor unwanted girl, she
...show more content...
Finally the rape by her father is the last evidence Pecola needs to believe completely that she is an
ugly unlovable girl. While in most cases a father figure is one who little girls look to for guidance
and approval, Cholly is the exact opposite. He hurts Pecola in a physical way that in one attempt
measures up to the years of hurtful mockery. After this event, Pecola went insane, forever stopping
her from finding what she really is.
Cholly Breedlove the father of Pecola is an alcoholic bastard. He was born to an unwed mother that
abandoned him three days after his birth; and his father ran away once he was born. This eventually
is the main cause why he had acted like he acted towards his family and especially towards Pecola.
After his legal guardian, his aunt, dies, Cholly decided that as an inner mission he needs to find his
father to find himself. This long search ends in an extremely disappointing – crushing– experience.
As Cholly tries to explain his identity to his father, his (father's) face changes as he begins to
understand, avoiding the fact that he is Cholly's biological father. This extremely embarrassing
encounter with his father scars him for life. His only image of a father figure is one who brings
pain. Another cause of his eventual downfall was the way the community perceived him. They
treated him disrespectfully, talked about him behind his back, and made a mockery of his name.
After Cholly attempts to burn

Essay about The Bluest Eye
Beauty is something that a lot of people in life strive for , because everyone has fitted in their
mind what exactly beauty is. People know that it can help you out in life. But what most people
don't know is that, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Meaning that beauty should not be
characterized by what people are told it is, beauty is different for everyone, what is beautiful for
you may be ugly to someone else. The characters in Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye are confronted
with the ideal of beauty and strive for it whether they know it or not. The two characters that I think
were followed the ideal of beauty in Toni Morrison's story are Pauline and Pecola.
&#9;
In Toni Morrison's story and in real life, beauty is described...show more content...
It wasn't because her teeth were rotten, the tooth just fell out. &quot;I was sitting back in my
seat, and I taken a big bite of that candy, and it pulled a tooth right out of my mouth. I could of
cried. I had good teeth, not a rotten one in my head. I don't believe I ever did get over
that&quot; (122). After trying so hard to become beautiful and things going bad the harder she
tried , she just gave up.
&#9;
Pecola strived for beauty throughout the whole book, she knew that people though she was an
ugly child. So she thought if she had blue eyes , things would be different and she would be
recognized and become beautiful. Pecola, being a child, did not know that her wish was just not
possible. But she was a kid and didn't know any better. She figured that if she had blue eyes like
Maurine Pie, she would be popular and beautiful. Pecola asked Soaphead Church for blue eyes, and
he told he would. Although Pecola never really got blue eyes, she thought she did and it was enough
to fulfill her needs.
&#9;
In Conclusion, the characters did not achieve the beauty they desired. Pauline gave up on her quest
to become beautiful, the harder she tired the worse things got. Pecola did not really get her blue
eyes , although she thought she got them and that was fulfilling for her. If the characters had not
worried about becoming beautiful , I think they would have been better of in

Thesis For The Bluest Eye
The Bluest Eye
The bluest eye by Toni Morrison is a novel set in Lorain, Ohio in 1941. Toni Morrison wrote this
book to explain about the black people life. She explained her story with using three young girls
who were faced racism, sexism and poverty threat in their life. This book was also covered situation
of community and explained how the community threat to the girls. First, the sexism was the greater
threat to girls, but later racism become the greater threat to girls, because its effect on their life,
personal beauty and their family.
In the beginning, Shirley Temple cup effect on the one main character. Claudia explain her and
Pecola life. Pecola lived in Claudia...show more content...
Breedlove and Mr. Cholly life from young to old. When Mrs. Breedlove was in young age she met
to Cholly and she falled loved with him. They both got married and moved north to Loraine, Ohio.
In Loraine, Pauline begin to miss her family, because in north everyone white. She also noticed in
north black people was very different from south. Living in north she made new black friends
who were different from her. "They were makeup, wear high heels shoes and do the straight hair
(The bluest Eye)". Living in the north, made Pauline to change herself, because her new friends
think she was not pretty and she wear no makeup. In the north black people compare themselves
with white and do not like compare their self as black. The Pauline friends and movies impact on
her personal beauty. After, losing her teeth she think she looked more ugly then she was and she
never wear makeup after losing teeth. After the Mrs. Breedlove, the Soaphead Church explained
about his life and his family. In his family, they were tried to get married with light–skinned and they
donot do like black people. Soaphead Church used pecola for his self and made her kiiled the dog.
He know she was black, if she killed the dog it not going to affect her. Cholly also explained about
his life and explained how sexism impact on his

The Bluest Eye
The Bluest Eye, published in 1970, is a novel born from the author's experience with a little black
girl who wanted blue eyes, an effect of "racial self–loathing" (Morrison 210). The novel explores a
similar, but much more extreme story: the story of Pecola Breedlove. Pecola is a little black girl
living not only in a world that divides itself by race and is prejudiced against black people, but also
amidst a family that holds conflict and divisions within itself. Morrison's novels are known for their
themes of racial ideology, beauty standards, and identity (Lister), and The Bluest Eye is no different.
Through the subject of its story and the author's use of language, Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye
explores the dangers of racially–based beauty...show more content...
She lives in a world who views her as "ugly" (Morrison 38) and, like her parents, she has internalized
this idea. Pecola lives in a world where white, blonde–haired, blue–eyed people are found the most
beautiful, and she too adores this paradigm. She drinks three quarts of milk "just to handle and
see sweet Shirley [Temple]'s face" (23) and spends what little money she has on Mary Jane
candies, not because she enjoys their taste, but because of the white girl on the wrapper. She feels
that, by eating candy wrapped with an image of a beautiful white girl, she can "[b]e Mary Jane"
(50) and internalize the wrapper's beauty in herself. She believes that having the blue eyes of a
white child would also give her the life of a white child, or at least one where her life isn't filled
with fighting and abuse. This wish to conform to the white beauty standard, however, is only a
"damaging internalization of assumptions of . . . inferiority" (210) and so, as critic Jane Kuenz
states, Pecola's ideal self is an "[image] she can attain only in madness." As such, Pecola's quest for
blue eyes only leads her into insanity, far into the depths of her own mind where she can live out
this imagined life of being an equal to the white children in her

The Bluest Eye Essay

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