THE BLUEST EYE
The Bluest Eye is a complex book. Substance wise it is a disturbing yet relatively easy read, but Toni Morrison plays with the narrative structure in a way so that complexity is added to the hidden depth of the text. From the beginning to the end of the book, the author takes the reader through a series of point of views that take turns in narrating the story. But by the end of the book, the author leaves the reader unclear on who the actual main character of the book is. Pecola Breedlove, although never the narrator, seems to be the constant victim and equally the main character of the story.
Many readers can see the book as a story about Claudia MacTeer, who is the main narrator of the book, but most everything she narrates has a direct tie to Pecola s life. From the very start, Claudia describes the home environment in which she lives in. That home environment is linked to how Pecola comes to live with them and what affect the two had on each other. Pecola s presence slightly foreshadows her future longing for blue eyes by showing the great interest she had in Shirley Temple, who was known for being a pretty white girl. Claudia then goes into a series of stories and descriptions of what type of environment Pecola must live in at her own home. She describes the abandoned store in which the Breedlove family lives in and the terrible condition of the furniture, which reflects the type of family the Breedloves are. Whether it was Claudia or another unknown third person narrator, a specific situation is described in a brutal manner of exactly what type of environment exists in Pecola s home. The situation was where Cholly and Polly fight each other with little hesitation or thought, and the brief narration ends with how Pecola is affected by such actions. Claudia s experiences are even more tied to Pecola s life through the events that occurred with Maureen Peal. Claudia begins describing Maureen as her own enemy but soon enough Maureen is introduced into Pecola s life along with the point of view she had upon the ugly child. Maureen was fascinated by Pecola, which represents one of the many characters who looked down upon her. Along with the narration of Claudia and the third person, Cholly and Polly have a significant representation in the story.
The springtime is used to represent the birth of new love and appropriately the origins of Cholly and Polly is the main story. The chapter describes how the two were in love and describes in depth the growth of both. Rather than being seen as a story of another character, the origins of Cholly and Polly can be seen as the explanation of Pecola and her condition, which heightens the idea of Pecola being the main character. Starting from birth, Cholly was abandoned, he then abandoned his own life in search of his father. The cruelty of his father had a big impact on the future of Cholly and the life he led as an adult. Cholly never had a father figure in his life and so he never learned to become a father, which became a proponent of Pecola s psychological downfall. Polly as a child always played the role of a housewife. She had great aspirations of one day meeting her prince and living a wonderful life. She thought she found him in Cholly when he came along and cared for her lame foot, but as she and Cholly began to have more problems, she began to take out her anger for Cholly onto her children. Quickly, the Breedlove household became full of hate and that hate was thrown onto the innocent Pecola. Throughout the entire book though, different characters laid their hate and insecurity upon the innocence of Pecola.
More than simply specific characters, by the end of the book, Pecola became the scapegoat of the entire town, She be lucky if it don t live. Bound to be the ugliest thing walking. Can t help but be. Ought to be a law: two ugly people doubling up like that to make more ugly. Be better off in the ground. (pg.189-90) Pecola continues to stay as the focus of the story but plays more a character that makes the town feel better about themselves by looking down upon Pecola. Regardless the negative or positive light Pecola is seen in, she is the main character to whom the story belongs.
Even though Pecola had no narrative role in the story, she still was the main character. The author s use of narrative structure that confuses the reader of who the main character was purposely done so to effectively portray Pecola as a character that no one actually knows personally yet can easily hate or love. Pecola s experiences would have less meaning coming from Pecola herself because a total and complete victim as herself would be an unreliable narrator to relate the actual circumstances of the story. The author also makes it difficult to determine whom the main character is in order to keep the reader as an observer and to draw more emotion for Pecola because consistently throughout the book the reader pities the innocence of Pecola.
328
Другие работы по теме:
The Bluest Eye By Toni Morrison Uses
Of God And The Church Essay, Research Paper The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison Thematic: Uses of God and the Church Morrison places a responsibility for the social dilemma; tragic condition of blacks in a racist America so prominent in the 1940s, on an indefinite God and/or the church. This omniscient being, the creator of all things, both noble and corrupt, and his messengers seem to have in a sense sanctioned the ill fated in order to validate the hatred and scorn of the “righteous.” In her introduction of the Breedlove family, Morrison holds accountable the Breedlove’s acceptance of ugliness to a higher power saying, “It was as though some mysterious all-knowing master had given each one a cloak of ugliness to wear” (Morrison, 39).
Romeo An Juliet Essay Research Paper hi
Romeo An Juliet Essay, Research Paper hi i need an essay about a character in romeo and juliet that demonsrtated maturity. in a well developed multi pagraph essay and say why you think the character’s maturity was greater than the other characters in the play.
Toni MorrisonS The Bluest Eye Essay Research
Paper Black Beauty and The Ugly Duckling Some people will argue with you that there is always an ugly duckling somewhere in a family. I see it different, I see these people as unique. In Toni Morrison’s book, The Bluest Eye there is the issue of being beautiful and ugly. In this essay I will discuss how Toni Morrison book The Bluest Eye initiates that during 1941 white was beautiful and black was ugly in the surrounding of two families.
The Bluest Eyes 2 Essay Research Paper
The novel The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison, tells the sordid story of Pecola Breedlove, a young colored girl, as she struggles to attain beauty, and desperately praying for blue eyes. Brought up as a poor unwanted girl in a world filled with racism, sexuality, and hostility, Pecola desires the acceptance and love of society.
The Bluest Eyes Essay Research Paper 2
The Bluest Eyes Essay, Research Paper “The Bluest Eyes” Toni Morrison was an African American woman that had gone through almost forty years of suppression. In an excerpt from her novel The Bluest Eyes, she tells the story of a young girl named Claudia who receives a white baby doll every Christmas. Claudia does not like the doll so she decided to tear it apart like every other “white baby doll” that she has received.
The Bluest Eye Essay Research Paper Essay
The Bluest Eye Essay, Research Paper Essay on The Bluest Eye There are many themes that seem to run throughout this story. Each theme and conflict seems to always involve the character of Pecola Breedlove. There is the theme of finding an identity. There is also the theme of Pecola as a victim. Of all the characters in the story we can definitely sympathize with Pecola because of the many harsh circumstances she has had to go through in her lifetime.
Bluest Eye Essay Research Paper The Bluest
Bluest Eye Essay, Research Paper The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison, was written during the Black Revolt of the 1960?s. At a time when Negroes were not going to allow themselves to be segregated
The Bluest Eye Essay Research Paper Analysis
The Bluest Eye Essay, Research Paper Analysis of LiteratureMay 4, 1999 When considering the novels that I have read by African American writers, I would say that the book that displays the most importance to me would be The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison. Importance, in my opinion, has displays certain qualities that a novel must have.
The Bluest Eyes Essay Research Paper The
The Bluest Eyes Essay, Research Paper The story of Pecola Breedlove in The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison is very dramatic. Like a seed planted in bad soil and in a hostile condition, Pecola, a very young and innocent African American girl, does not have a chance to grow up normally like her peers. Her parents’ personal history is shown to have played out in extreme measures in her life.
The Bluest Eye 2 Essay Research Paper
The major characters in The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison were Pecola Breedlove, Cholly Breedlove, Claudia MacTeer, and Frieda MacTeer. Pecola Breedlove is an eleven-year-old black girl around whom the story revolves. Her innermost desire is to have the “bluest” eyes so that others will view her as pretty in the end that desire is what finishes her, she believes that God gives her blue eyes causing her insanity.
Music Essay Research Paper The major characters
Music Essay, Research Paper The major characters in The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison were Pecola Breedlove, Cholly Breedlove, Claudia Macteer, and Frieda Macteer. Pecola Breedlove is an eleven-year-old black girl around which the story revolves. Her desire is to have the "bluest" eyes so that others will see her as pretty in the end that desire is what finishes her, she believes that God gives her blue eyes causing her insanity.
Oh Really Essay Research Paper Oh Reallyyou
Oh Really? Essay, Research Paper Oh Really, you think i am a lark, the dogs they run and bark, but when i say to them, shut up shut up shut up, you say to be nice to them,
Shane Essay Research Paper Sometimes I need
Shane Essay, Research Paper Sometimes, I need you more than I need air And sometimes I miss you more than I will forever, never forget the times that we have shaared. The are priceless
Poem Belong Essay Research Paper Where I
Poem: Belong Essay, Research Paper Where I belong I am weak, I am strong I will fit where I belong don’t know where it is for now but it will come, if I allow tomorrow, I start a brand new day
The Bluest Eye Analysis Essay Research Paper
The Bluest Eye In a film interview, Morrison has stated, “I suppose The Bluest Eye is about one’s dependency on the world for identification,self-value, feelings of worth.” Toni Morrison has been consistently insightful and helpful critic of her work. With regard to herfirst novel, she has indicated that her plan was to take love and the effects of its scarcity in the world as her major themes,concentrating on the interior lives of her characters, especially those of an enclosed community.
The Bluest Eye 2
The Bluest Eye – Protrait Of A Victim Essay, Research Paper Portrait of a Victim: Toni Morrison s The Bluest Eye The Bluest Eye (1970) is the novel that launched Toni Morrison into the spotlight as a talented African-American writer and social critic. Morrison herself says It would be a mistake to assume that writers are disconnected from social issues (Leflore).
Racism Essay Research Paper Blacks
Racism Essay, Research Paper Blacks & Racism If you are white you are all right; if you are brown you can stick around; but if you are black get back. In this quotation Calvin Hernton expressed an attitude toward black people. (Ogunyemi, p. 354) The novel The Bluest Eye points out the experiences black families have to go through in a racist America, like racism among teenagers as well as among adults, discrimination in education by school and society and racism when looking for a job.
Pecola Essay Research Paper The Breedlove family
Pecola Essay, Research Paper The Breedlove family has moved from the rural south to urban Lorain, Ohio, and the displacement, in addition to grinding work conditions and poverty, contributes to the family’s dysfunction. Told from the perspectives of the adolescent sisters, Claudia and Frieda MacTeer, Morrison’s narrative weaves its way through the four seasons and traces the daughter’s (Pecola Breedlove) descent into madness.
Him Essay Research Paper I think about
Him Essay, Research Paper I think about him day and night The though won’t go away And, oh, how I would hold him tight every second of the day He is perfect, that is true, not an average me or you
Bluest Eye 2
Bluest Eye – Misdirection Of Anger Essay, Research Paper Misdirection of Anger “Anger is better [than shame]. There is a sense of being in anger. A reality of presence. An awareness of worth.”(50) This is how many of the blacks in Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye felt. They faked love when they felt powerless to hate, and destroyed what love they did have with anger.
Poem She Sat Essay Research Paper She
Poem: She Sat Essay, Research Paper She sat… helpless in her room praying to whatever god there may be to let her call to him. could god ignore such a painful cry?
Communal Ties In The Bluest Eye Essay
, Research Paper Katie Shannon 1 Mrs. Campbell English III Honors March 15, 2001 Communal Ties in the Bluest Eye In America, white culture dictates its cultural values to society and to the other cultures within it. In The Bluest Eye, Toni Morrison illustrates the effect of racism on the development of a black girl, Pecola.
Bluest Eye Essay Research Paper Bluest EyeToni
Bluest Eye Essay, Research Paper Bluest Eye Toni Morisson’s novel The Bluest Eye is about the life of the Breedlove family who resides in Lorain, Ohio, in the late 1930s. This family consists of
Black Feminists Debate Essay Research Paper Black
Black Feminists Debate Essay, Research Paper Black Feminists Debate Whiteness Stephanie Philipovich & Angela Torchia Passage #1: “Here is the house. It is green and white. It has a red door. It is very pretty. Here is the family. Mother, Father, Dick, and Jane live in the green-and-white house. They are very happy.
Comparison Essay Of Memoirs Of A Geisha
And The Bluest Eye Essay, Research Paper Memoirs of a Geisha by Aurthor Golden and The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison are two thought provoking books with a unique style of writing. Memoirs of a Geisha has a beautiful poetic grammar which captures readers imagination and brings the story to life. Morrison on the other hand uses combined voices to give varied perspectives with out resorting to authorial intrusion or preaching.
Ode To Boys Essay Research Paper We
Ode To Boys Essay, Research Paper We like them But do they like us The ones we do never fuss They don’t stop in And we wonder why We stress, we bitch We sometimes cry
Dare Essay Essay Research Paper What DARE
Dare Essay Essay, Research Paper What D.A.R.E Means To Me Dare has prepared me to say no to drugs in eight different ways. If anyone asks me to do drugs I will know what to do, such as- just ignoring the person or just