Essay about The Bluest Eye
The Bluest Eye Analysis
The Bluest Eye
The Bluest Eyes
Essay about The Bluest Eyes
The Bluest Eye
The Bluest Eye Essay
Essay on Bluest eye
1. 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.
	
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. "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" (122). After trying so hard to become beautiful and things going bad the harder she
tried , she just gave up.
	
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.
	
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
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2. 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
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3. 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
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4. 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
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5. 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
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6. The Bluest Eye
Michael Williams
Professor Henderson
English 1B
Sept. 28, 2011
The Males of The Bluest Eye
Finding good qualities in any of the men of The Bluest Eye are hard to come by. There are many
factors that come into play that have shaped the personalities of all of these males. The female
characters in the novel endured a lot in coping with the males. Toni Morrison does an exceptional job
of painting a vivid picture of the social climate of America in the 1960's and society's affects on the
people of The Bluest Eye. In a variety of ways, the males of The Bluest Eye have many issues in
their past that cause them to act very callous, immoral and bring a lot of anguish to those around
them. Even though some of the males played...show more content...
Cholly's great aunt, Aunt Jimmy, saw her niece carrying a bumdle out of the back door and
rescued him. Aunt Jimmy whipped his mother with a razor strap and would not let her near
Cholly. Cholly's mother ran off soon after she was beaten by Aunt Jimmy, never to be seen again.
Aunt Jimmy raised Cholly herself, but she took every opportunity to remind Cholly that she saved
his life. Cholly attempted to find his father after Aunt Jimmy passed away. However, just like his
father, Cholly was running away from a situation that he helped create. Cholly thought that he might
have impregnated Darlene, the girl he shared his first sexual experience. "It had occurred to him
that Darlene might be pregnant. It was a wildly irrational, completely uninformed idea, but the fear
it produced was complete enough." (Pg. 151) Cholly remembered Aunt Jimmy told him that his
father ran off to Macon, Georgia before he was born. Off Cholly went to Macon to find his father.
He was successful. But the encounter was not what Cholly had envisioned. Upon confronting his
father, Cholly was faced with rejection. "Tell that bitch she get her money. Now, get the fuck outta
my face.!" (pg. 156) These experiences and more are what ultimately led up to his most disturbing
act against his own daughter. On a Saturday afternoon in the spring, Cholly comes home drunk and
sees Pecola in the kitchen washing dishes. Upon seeing
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7. 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
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8. Essay on Bluest eye
Toni Morrison's novel, The Bluest Eye, presents the lives of several impoverished black families in
the 1940's in a rather unconventional and painful manner. Ms. Morrison leads the reader through the
lives of select children and adults, describing a few powerful incidents, thoughts and experiences that
lend insight into the motivation and. behavior of these characters. In a somewhat unconventional
manner, the young lives of Pauline Williams Breedlove and Charles (Cholly) Breedlove are
presented to the reader. Through these descriptions, the reader comes to understand how they
become the kind of adults they are. Background information is given not necessarily to incur
sympathy but to lend understanding.
The narrator makes the point that...show more content...
Thus, Pauline's actions as an adult are more easily understood through this knowledge of her
childhood.
One of the most striking images is the description of Cholly Breedlove's is his memory of a
picnic where a family is enjoying a watermelon which the father smashes against a rock. Cholly is
impressed with the image of the father holding the melon high above his head like the devil
holding the earth up, ready to smash it. "He never felt anything thinking about God, hut just
the idea of the devil excited him. And now, the strong black devil was blotting out the sun and
getting ready to smash open the world." This passage is a foreshadowing of Cholly's adult
life. He is attracted to the idea of power, strength and excitement and as a strong black adult, Cholly
feels his freedom and uses it against himself and his family.
Another powerful incident, Cholly's first sexual experience, gives insight into the rage, confusion
and tenderness he feels towards women in his adult life. The narrator describes the incident with
Darlene and the white men through Cholly's eyes. The reader understands the initial excitement of
young sexual energy, and the later humiliation of being caught by the cruel white men. Cholly
directs his anger towards Darlene rather than towards the white men
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