Skip to main content

Quest for Personal Identity in The Bluest Eye?



A main theme in Toni Morrison’s  The Bluest Eye is the quest for individual identity and the influences of the family and community in  that quest.  This theme is present throughout the novel and evident in many of  the characters.  Pecola Breedlove, Cholly Breedlove, and Pauline Breedlove and are all embodiments of this quest for identity, as well as symbols of the quest of many of the many Black people that were moving to the north in search of greater opportunities. 

            The Breedlove family is a group of people under the same roof, a family by name only.  Cholly (the father) is a constantly drunk and abusive man. His abusive manner is apparent towards his wife Pauline physically and towards his daughter Pecola sexually. Pauline is a "mammy" to a white family and continues to favor them over her biological family. Pecola is a little black girl with low self esteem. The world has led her to believe that she is ugly and that the epitome of "beautiful" requires blue eyes.  Therefore every night she prays that she will wake up with  blue eyes.

            Brought up as a poor unwanted girl, Pecola Breedlove desires the acceptance and love of society. The image of "Shirley Temple beauty" surrounds her. In her mind, if she was to be beautiful, people would finally love and accept her. The idea that blue eyes are a necessity for beauty has been imprinted on Pecola her whole life.  "If [I] looked different, beautiful, maybe Cholly would be different, and Mrs. Breedlove too. Maybe they would say, `Why look at pretty eyed Pecola. We mustn't do bad things in front of those pretty [blue] eyes'" (Morrison 46).  Many people have helped imprint this ideal of beauty on her. Mr. Yacowbski as a symbol for the rest of society's norm, treats her as if she were invisible. "He does not see her, because for him there is nothing to see. How can a fifty-two-year-old white immigrant storekeeper... see a little black girl?" (Morrison 48). Her classmates also have an effect on her.  They seem to think that because she is not beautiful, she is not worth anything except as the focal point of their mockery. "Black e mo. Black e mo. Yadaddsleepsnekked. Black e mo black e mo ya dadd sleeps nekked.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

IGNOU Solved Assignment: MEG-3

Que: discuss major themes in tom jones Ans: Contrasts in varieties of life Henry Fielding's work presents a 'slice of life' and in doing so, it naturally presents all the natural varieties of living too. This becomes a major theme because it is apparent at more than one place. Not only are characters contrasted but also - situations, human reactions and even predicaments. It is through these contrasts that Fielding manages to paint a realistic picture of life. This picture is believable and exciting all at once. And, owing to these contrasts, we are better able to appreciate the positive and deride the negatives. This theme is carried forth to the very end, when Tom Jones and Blifil are contrasted yet again. Human Nature This is an obvious theme of all novels, but even more so - of this one. And, Fielding states this purpose very plainly and clearly. Human Nature is depicted in its many forms with its strengths as well as weaknesses. It is this aspect t...
1 comment
Read more

IGNOU Solved Assignment: MEG-10: ENGLISH STUDIES IN INDIA

MEG-10 3. What does nativisation of English mean in the Indian context? Explain. Ans: It is often the case that a foreign language can have such power and influence over an individual or country as to be adopted into their culture and way of life. As in the case of India, the English language was introduced decades ago and used prolifically by the English colonists who settled there and governed the country for over one hundred years.  It stands to reason then that some nativization of Indians could and did occur!  Especially since Indian natives were used as servants, nannies, workers, and comrades-in-arms throughout the years!  The Indians literally lived, worked, and associated with the English in every aspect of their lives,  adopted their dress, ate their food, and learned to speak their language.  Then, these natives took that culture back to their own homes and influenced their own families. Over the years, because every Indian was ...
3 comments
Read more

Solved assignment MEG-02: BRITISH DRAMA

1. Discuss Dr. Faustus as a tragedy Tragedy – Definition Aristotle defines a tragedy as a ‘representation of an action which is important, complete and limited in length. It is enacted not recited and by arousing pity and fear, it gives an outlet to emotions of this type.’ However, for the Elizabethans, more specifically for Marlowe and Shakespeare, tragedy is not a restrictive view of human excellence or weakness as the Greeks are often inclined to present but an affirmative view of human aspirations whose pursuit brings a glory to the definition of a man. Struggle, conflict, suffering and failure may be the inescapable attendants but the human spirit is not stifled in its pursuits by what attends to them. The ability to withstand them is the tragic glory of man. Marlowe’s tragedy, therefore, is in fact the tragedy of one man – the rise, fall and death of the tragic hero. His heroes are titanic characters afire with some indomitable passion or inordinate ambition discarding all...
1 comment
Read more