Abstract The paper examines the character of Pecola Breedlove, an unloved and mistreated African-American girl in Toni Morrison's "The Bluest Eye". The paper describes how she becomes enthralled by the blue eyes and white skin of former child movie star Shirley Temple. The paper portrays the magical whiteness and social power of Maureen Peal, the image Morrison uses of feminine beauty. The paper looks at Pauline Breedlove, Pecola's mother and her unkind view of Pecola. The paper points out that the failure to show love to a child can have a negative effect on that person for the rest of his/her life.
Outline:
Introduction
Body of Paper
Conclusion
From the Paper "Morrison's characters help tell her story through their actions and their words. For example, the character Pecola Breedlove is an African American girl that everyone says is very ugly, which is unfair and makes Pecola feel bad about herself. So Pecola tries to escape her difficult situation and in doing so she reaches out to symbols of something to look up to, something to aspire to. In the process of doing this she becomes mesmerized and even enthralled by the blue eyes and white skin of former child movie star Shirley Temple. Everywhere she looks, "white skin and blue eyes are taken as signs of beauty," writes Keith E. Byerman in the book Modern Critical Views: Toni Morrison."
Tags: black, white, Pecola, Breedlove, Shirley, Temple, whiteness, power
Comparison of two races in the 40's through Toni Morrison's "The Bluest Eye", looking at Pecola's gradual descent to madness as a result of circumstances of the time.
1,350 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 6 sources, 2002, $ 45.95
Abstract This paper focuses on racial discrimination in Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye. There are comparisons of white and black races in different areas, such as family dynamics, economics, etc. The author also discusses on the individual's search for self-identity.
From the Paper:
"Racial discrimination had a great impact on characters, plot, and themes in Toni Morrison's "The Bluest Eye". Morrison illustrates the effects of prejudice on teen-aged girls throughout an exceptionally segregated period. The parable is weaved through the many woes of a hardworking, African-American family. Pecola Breedlove, the main character, registers the differences between race-separated classes, but longs for just one luxury that is primarily associated with whites; blue eyes. Through this scenario, Morrison explores the effects of the image paradigm held by whites on the self-esteem of the average African-American teen."
Abstract The paper portrays how Pecola Breedlove, the fictional young, black girl in Toni Morrison's novel, "The Bluest Eye", grows up in a culture where beauty is equated with whiteness. The paper conveys the American culture that infiltrated the African-American community, where beauty and blackness are mutually exclusive. The paper shows how Pecola hopes that by having blue eyes like a white girl, she at least has a chance to become the image of American joy. The paper discusses Morrison's belief that when mass culture requires virtually impossible body modification, then it is necessary to challenge the assumptions of that culture.
From the Paper "Morrison's novel "as a whole" is a documentary of cultural invasion "and its concomitant erasure of specific local bodies, histories, and cultural productions--in terms of sexuality as [well as how] it intersects with commodity culture." (Kuenz, 2006) The traditional community of the novel where Pecola dwells, such as the culture of the prostitutes living nearby who have a fairly secure sense of their positive identity as Black women, has now been eradicated by oppressive, American cultural forces that equate whiteness with beauty, rather than the blackness that women see every day in the mirror."
Abstract The paper discusses how America, despite having achieved some progress over recent years, is still facing burning issues concerning cultural, social and economic inequality among ethnic groups. The paper compares the characters of Percola Breedlove of "The Bluest Eye" and Willie Spearmint of "The Tenant". The paper portrays how both characters have accepted Western world views pertaining to personal success and achievement and how their African identity is being eroded by white values and perceptions.
Outline:
Introduction
Seeing the World Through Black Eyes
Aspects of Americanization
From the Paper "It was during the late nineteen-thirties when Percola Breedlove, a social 'case', went to live at the MacTeers house. America, during this period, was still suffering from the effects of the Great Depression, and Europe had recently gone to war. Percola, at just eleven years old, was a young girl at the beginning of puberty, who was only just beginning to understand society's standards concerning physical attributes and characteristics. However, it was not long before she discovered the truth about herself; she was an ugly, black bitch - the proof of which was clearly evident through the fact that she was both unwanted and unloved by both her family and society."
Abstract The paper examines how all of the characters in "The Bluest Eye" face life changing problems because of internalized racism in their society. The paper analyzes the mother of the Breedlove family, Pauline, the
father of the Breedlove family, Cholly, and the daughter, Pecola, who develops a strange and consuming form of internalized racism. The paper shows how Morrison directly approaches the issue of racial self-loathing brought on by the idea of white supremacy.
From the Paper "The mother of the Breedlove family is named Pauline. Pauline always struggled with low self esteem because at the age of two she stepped on a rusty nail that gave her a lame foot and an unusual gait to her walk which was the only thing to save her from "total anonymity" as Morrison puts it. Pauline is able to use her deformity as her internal excuse for the emptiness she feels, "her general feeling of separateness and unworthiness she blamed on her foot." This misdirection of blame is common to the psyche of a person suffering from internalized racism, the idea that the surrounding culture of white citizens look down on you as something less than human is too hard a pill to swallow so characters tend to avert their anger or blame on some other aspect of life. Pauline's image especially suffers when she moves with her husband Cholly to Ohio where the few black women she meets were "amused by her because she did not straighten her hair," or where makeup as they did."
Abstract The paper begins with a look at the stereotypical character Cholly portrays and how Cholly fits the stereotype. The paper then introduces Cholly's psychological background and history and analyzes his behavior. Finally, the paper explores why Morrison made the stylistic choices she did in dealing with the character of Cholly.
From the Paper "By raping Pecola, Cholly was taking his revenge on women, making himself the victor in a battle that he lost as a child and demonstrating that he is not helpless. He is, in effect, abandoning Pecola by raping her, even before he physically leaves his family. The moment he rapes her, he is no longer a father figure (if he ever indeed was) but a source of pain, and a thief of her innocence, as his parents were to him. She is left to bear a premature child that dies moments after it is born, as Cholly, in a sense, did, with his slow transformation into inhumanity that began at birth. As with Cholly, the fault of the death of Pecola's child was the fault of no one in particular, but of the horrible surrounding circumstances that seem to have passed from generation to generation."
A detailed analysis of "The Bluest Eye" and "Beloved" by Toni Morrison, focusing on the shared experiences of the female protagonists in each novel and the role their communities play in their development.
Abstract Toni Morrison often explores issues that have strong influences on African American women in her novels. One such issue is the role the black community plays in the development of her protagonists. In "The Bluest Eye" and "Beloved", the female protagonists are unable to progress as individuals without the support of their communities. In "The Bluest Eye", the unfortunate young girl becomes an outcast beggar as the result of the black community's self-hatred. The protagonist in "Beloved" ultimately becomes free from her horrendous past with the help of a loving community. Morrison uses the contrasting endings of her novels to emphasis the important role the black community plays in the psychological development of its female members. This paper is an investigation into the reasons and effects of a community's isolation. It shows that in both novels, members of the black community use the protagonists as scapegoats for their own internal problems. In "The Bluest Eye", the protagonist is a target for the community's self-hatred. In "Beloved", the community condemns the protagonist for an act similar to many of their own actions because their condemnation helps to relieve their personal guilt.
From the Paper "In each novel, isolation and betrayal by the community have striking results. Pecola does not have a family to rely on because the black community tears her parents apart before her life even begins. Although Cholly and Pauline initially love one another, their love cannot withstand... isolation from the community" (Kubitschek 35). When the Breedloves move to Ohio, Pauline "merely wanted other women to cast favorable glances her way" (The Bluest Eye 118). Pauline cannot love herself once she accepts the standards of beauty the community imposes upon her. The black women of the community scorn her accent, her lame foot, and her hair, so Pauline only finds beauty in the home of a white family (Furman 15-6); "here she found beauty, order, cleanliness, and praise" (The Bluest Eye 127). In equating physical beauty with virtue, she stripped her mind, bound it, and collected self-contempt by the heap" (The Bluest Eye 122)."
This paper analyzes a character in Toni Morrison's "The Bluest Eye," Andre Dubus's "Killings, Anton Chekhov's "The Lady with the Pet Dog," Robert Frost's "Home Burial," and Ernest Hemingway's "Soldier's Home".
1,110 words (approx. 4.4 pages), 0 sources, $ 38.95
Abstract This paper theorizes the prevailing social environment that each character lives in leads to their transition from being resolute to irresolute individuals determined to make beneficial or detrimental changes in their lives. The author points out that in one of the five literary works, "The Bluest Eye," Morrison creates the character of Pecola Breedlove, a black American in the 1940s American society, in whom the readers can see internal conflict; she is torn between accepting being a black American and aspiring to become a white American, hence her preoccupation to have the "bluest eye(s)". The paper relates that, in the last of the five works, Dmitri Gurov in "Lady with the Pet Dog" by Chekhov demonstrates a change in character for the benefit of romantic love when he finally admits to himself, for once in his life, that he needs a woman who will not only satisfy his physical needs, but also his emotional need to be understood and to feel for him as a man and partner in life.
From the Paper "Literary works have become significant artifacts for readers because of the similarities and almost-real depictions of the lives of its characters in a particular period and event in human history. Analyses of literary works include, among others, looking into transitions or changes that occurred within a character's personality or behavior throughout the story. This conscious effort to illustrate changes in characterization is vital to the development of the story, since literary works ultimately mirror the reality that it is through human acts that humanity's fate changes over time. That is, an individual's interaction with his/her society inevitably leads to a change in his behavior, and vice versa."
Abstract This paper explains the fact that Madame Walker, a millionaire who laid the foundation of America's first black plutocratic dynasty, is certainly incredible because she came from poverty, was orphaned at the age of six, and had no formal education. Walker's story is a fairy-tale that inspired an entire generation of black Americans to think beyond their limitations and to have faith in the future. The author points out that Walker created a market niche for black hair-straightening products by creating the amazing "Wonderful Hair Grower" and 23 other products, with annual gross earnings as high as $276,000 in 1917, employing around 3,000 employees, most of whom were females. The paper relates that a documentary film titled, "Two Dollars and a Dream," by Stanley Nelson, chronicles the life and struggles of Walker, the grande dame of personal hair care service and a source of inspiration for millions of women around the world.
From the Paper "Walker had developed a strict code of conduct for women which was meant to empower females especially blacks. There was a respectable uniform that they were made to wear, consisting of white blouses and long black skirts. These uniforms helped in identification of Walker employees, these salespersons thus became a symbol of entrepreneurship and success for others in the downtrodden black areas. These uniforms also helped lure other females to the workforce and this helped in revolutionizing the way black women saw themselves and their future."
Abstract In Toni Morrison's, "The Bluest Eye", Pecola is an innocent 11 year old who is a victim to society's stereotypes. The color of her skin, only because it is a darker shade of black, makes her ugly in the eyes of black and white people the same. The paper shows that Pecola not being accepted by her family, peers, and members of the community because she does not meet society standards contributes to her madness, but Pecola's search for beauty is the cause of her madness.
From the Paper "Like the marigolds that Claudia and Frieda planted, Pecola never gets a chance to grow. Pecola is taunted for her looks, despised for living in poverty, and abused by her father who rapes and impregnates her. Pecola's madness may have initially been caused by her family's failure to give her identity, love, and security which were essential to help Pecola grow. Society, as well, plays a major role in her insanity. For Pecola she can only escape into fantasy to gain her beauty (Harris 73)."
Abstract This writer of this paper discusses Toni Morrison's first novel 'The Bluest Eye', which was published in 1970 and was the first link in a long chain of novels all focusing on the pressing issues of white dominance and its impact on the psyche of black people in the United States. Though racial hatred and discrimination is not as intense now as it must have been in the writer's childhood, this story has been developed and told in such a manner that it arouses sympathy for the black child. This paper examines Morrison's writing style, which the writer of this paper admires, yet contends that the author is too often obsessed with the plight and suffering of her community which tend to make her books often very distressing and disturbing. This paper explores the plot of the novel which revolves around the young child Pecola, who belonged to the Breedlove family while the narrator, Claudia MacTeer, a young girl from MacTeer family observes life around her and presents it as she views it. Morrison is considered master storyteller and "The Bluest Eye" is a classic example of her genius.
Table of Contents:
Abstract
Research Outline
Research: "The Bluest Eye"
References
From the Paper "The book is essentially about colonization's impact on a child's psyche. Morrison was of one of those black writers who believed that the best way to fight discrimination and segregation was through psychological training. In the bluest eye for example, she focuses on the reactions of many black Americans to the white culture and concludes that black are oppressed not only because of intense racism but because of the perceptions regarding white skin color that perceived within the black community. Malin Walther Pereira writes, "Her first novel, The Bluest Eye, published in 1970, focuses intently on the colonizing effects of white female beauty on a black girl and her community. In her 1993 Afterword to the novel, Morrison explicitly ties the issue of beauty in The Bluest Eye to the politics of racial beauty and identity in the 1960s. She writes: "the reclamation of racial beauty in the sixties stirred these thoughts [about beauty], made me think about the necessity for the claim."
Tags: literature, racism, african-american, black, perception, america
This paper reviews and analyzes Toni Morrison's 1970 novel "The Bluest Eye" which focuses on African-American women and their struggle to be accepted as beautiful when compared to their Caucasian counterparts.
Abstract This paper examines the issue of racism and segregation in 1940s America as depicted in Morrison's novel. The writer discusses the plot which takes place before the civil rights movement, while also delving into the character of Pecola Breedlove, a young black woman living in the south. This paper analyzes Pecola's perception of beauty as it relates to men and women in the African-American community. This paper explores Morrison's depiction of discrimination and sexual biases within the black community regarding one's physical appearance which is rooted in negative conceptions of beauty which ultimately seal the fates of the female characters in the novel. The writer contends and explains that although Morrison's novel was written in 1970 and is set in 1940s America the issues of racial discrimination and inequality still resonate today.
From the Paper "Morrison wrote her novel in 1970, but the divide between the real and the false worlds of life and film is sharply expressed in terms of identity, that still resonates today. The lack of affection these Black girls receive from the depressed and impoverished parents of their world, in contrast to Shirley Temple on the screen, makes their envy of the White girl's beauty doubly poignant, and also highlights that what individuals expect from mass culture--either to be a part of it through mimicking it, like Pecola, or wishing to insert one's self in Shirley's place like Claudiadoes not satisfy the real appetite for identity such longing expresses. Rather than smothering one's hunger in consumption, one must seek satisfaction from more culturally validating images. The central significance of Shirley Temple in the Depression Era world lastly underlines how beauty and the consumption of beauty is not something of importance only to Black, fully sexualized women, but even to young girls--both then, and now."
Abstract This paper looks at Morrison's novel "The Bluest Eye" and describes American society's obsession with beauty as defined by the white majority. The author says that Morrison explores the demonization of an entire race, and shows it in the microcosm of a female child. The author explores the issue of children's cruelty towards each other, and their support of each other, depending on where the attack is coming from.
From the Paper "We live in a world that appreciates and often rewards beauty. Those that are beautiful seem to find an easier way in the world. Being beautiful is popular and selling beauty is a very lucrative market. Everywhere men and women alike are bombarded with advertisements for products that will make them more beautiful. Such an obsession with beauty has adverse repercussions because it creates standards and behavior that exposes how we can demeaning we can be. Toni Morrison's novel, The Bluest Eye, explores the negative ramifications of a society that revolves around beauty and what it means to be beautiful. With the character of Pecola Breedlove, Morrison illustrates how the notion of beauty is associated with human worth. In addition, through Pecola's behavior toward her looks, Morrison demonstrates how devastating it can be to not live up to the standard that society has established. For Pecola, beauty becomes an unattainable dream and, as a result, she develops an inferiority complex as well as an identity crisis that clouds her entire life. "
Abstract This paper gives a synopsis and analysis of Toni Morrison's novel entitled "The Bluest Eyes." The novel takes place in the town where Morrison grew up during the first half of the 20th century, when the area still brimmed with racism and social inequity. Although the book may have centered initially on the theme of incest, the reviewer sees it as tackling the social, economic and cultural issues of the time. The story is described as the journey of Pecola Breedlove into self-hatred and insanity which was caused by the misplaced standards of society. The reviewer concludes that Morrison's novel incorporates the theme of perception and how each of us has our own view of reality. The view of reality may be a result of what the media or what society dictates.
From the Paper "The book's story is set in the early 1940s - at the end of the Great Depression - and the MacTeer family lives in Lorain, Ohio (the same place where the author grew up). Nine-year-old Claudia and ten-year-old Frieda MacTeer live with their parents, who are more concerned with putting bread on the table rather than bestowing love and affection to the two young girls. There is an initial recollection by Claudia MacTeer about the year's events regarding the rape of her best friend Pecola Breedlove and the death of Pecola's baby. One glaring moment during that year which Claudia remembers is that no marigolds bloomed and she presumes that this was because of Pecola' father, Cholly Breedlove, rapes her, and it is fate bringing no growth to the marigolds."
Abstract The paper relates the story of "The Bluest Eye" about Pecola Breedlove, a young black girl who is unhappy with her life and the way she looks. The paper portrays how, throughout the book, Pecola strongly believes that if she can only have blue eyes, she will become beautiful and all her problems will go away. The paper shows how her life is tragic because she cannot see the beauty in herself. The paper emphasizes the moral of the story; beauty is on the inside, not on the outside and concludes that this is an important lesson for everyone to learn.
From the Paper "The narrator of the book is Claudia MacTeer. Her family takes in Pecola as a foster child, and they come to care for her. Claudia has an older sister named Frieda, and the three girls grow up together. Pecola is the main character of the story, even though she is not the narrator, because she is the one most affected by race, hatred, and her own idea of ugliness. Near the start of the book, Morrison writes about the Breedlove's "home," a bleak storefront, "They lived there because they were poor and black, and they stayed there because they believed they were ugly" (Morrison 28). Pecola believes from a very young age that she is ugly and white skin, blue eyes, and blonde hair is beautiful. That is why she wants blue eyes throughout the book."
