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.
Written in 2003; 3,829 words; 14 sources; MLA; $ 105.95
Paper Summary:
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)."
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