NOTE: Free essay sample provided on this page should be used for references or sample purposes only. The sample essay is available to anyone, so any direct quoting without mentioning the source will be considered plagiarism by schools, colleges and universities that use plagiarism detection software. To get a completely brand-new, plagiarism-free essay, please use our essay writing service.
One click instant price quote
The Bluest Eye (1) Toni Morrisons novel The Bluest Eye is rightfully considered as the classic example of African-American literature, which illustrates the ability of Black writers to discuss the issue of racism from their own unique prospective. In it, author was able to analyze the deep psychological motivations that cause many Black Americans to feel psychologically inadequate. Unlike modern proponents of racial equality, who suggest that the feeling of inferiority has strictly an artificial nature, Morrison reveals it as being more complex. The Bluest Eye is a collection of stories that are being related to readers by novels main protagonists Claudia Macteer and Pecola Breedlove.
Pecola is Black girl, who suffers from considering herself ugly. Author portrays this feeling as being socially imposed, to a large degree; however, Pecola is shown as someone who simply does not realize it. Claudia is a White girl, who expresses psychological traits of White Liberal, because of her active socio-political stance. The events, portrayed in Morrisons novel, take place in Lorain, Ohio, at the end of Great Depression. Back then, Black people were only beginning to seek out the essence of their racial identity. Many of them were having a hard time, while trying to base their sense of self-respect on solid psychological ground, because American culture, at the same, was Eurocentric.
Even though that Afro-Americans were being given freedom in 19 th century, majority of White people were still expressing a patronizing attitudes towards them. Nevertheless, it is wrong to suggest that The Bluest Eye contains a powerful political message, as many Black political activists do. It is simply a tragic story of Black girl, who had a dream of getting a Blue eyes, because she believed that this would prevent others from treating her badly. At the same time, we cannot say that novel does not contain political undertones, because author comes up with her own interpretation of institutionalized racism, as something that is being artificially designed. As a result, we have situation when The Bluest Eye can be described as political and non-political at the same time. (2) Morrisons novel structure is best adapted for conveying authors main idea.
There is no unifying storyline can be found in the text. At the beginning of the novel, we learn that Pecola's father burned down the house, where she lived; therefore, she gets to stay with Claudia and Frieda. Author describes the house, where Pecola used to live, as very depressing place. It is filthy, but the most important - it is deprived of emotional comfort. While Claudia and Frieda are growing up as normal individuals, because they are not spared of parents love, Pecola gets to be constantly abused by her mother and father. Morrison shows Chollys and Pauline's ignorant attitude towards their daughter as something that comes as result of their self-hatred.
In fact, it is clear that author engages in generalization, because she describes this trait as being widespread among Black people: You looked at them and wondered why they were so ugly. 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. The master had said, "You are ugly people.
They had looked about themselves and saw nothing to contradict the statement; saw, in fact, support for it leaning at them from every billboard, every movie, every glance (Morrison, p. 39). This passage points out to the fact that there are clear political undertones in Morrisons novel. Author provides readers with insight on what causes Black people to feel socially inadequate, in the first place. The tragedy of Pecola consists in her ability to find a confirmation to her subconscious fears and anxieties. In The Bluest Eye, the structural properties of novels text correspond to ideological context. This is why, author provides readers with various prospects on the main issue of her novel.
The apparent sketchiness of the storyline is meant to emphasize the illusionary nature of Pecola's concerns. We see Pecola trying to socialize with White girls and to imitate their act. Then, we learn about her experiences, which come very handy, in order for us to begin thinking of Pecola with sympathy. Still, authors real goal was to transform our sympathy towards Pecola into something that would have universal properties. Morrison wants us to think of Pecola as representative of underprivileged minority in U. S.
At the same time, author does not place a blame for Blacks underprivileged status on White peoples conscious desire to suppress them. Morrison suggests that it is a social system that provides a spiritual ground for the feeling of inferiority among Blacks. This why the character of Claudia is also being organically integrated into the novel. Without Claudia, Pecola's tragedy would turn into comedy, which could deprive The Bluest Eye of its literary esthetics.
Morrison suggests that the Eurocentrism of American culture in thirties was spiritually depriving White people as well. The relations within Macteer family are shown as being based on following the standard set of social rituals that had long ago lost their meaning. This is why Claudia's mother talks to her, as if she was rather an abstract category than human being: My mother's voice drones on. She is not talking to me. She is talking to the puke, but she is calling it my name: Claudia. She wipes it up as best she can and puts a scratchy towel over the large wet place.
I lie down again. The rags have fallen from the window crack, and the air is cold. I dare not call her back and am reluctant to leave my warmth. My mother's anger humiliates me; her words chafe my cheeks, and I am crying. I do not know that she is not angry at me, but at my sickness (Morrison, p. 76). One of the most important themes in Morrisons novel is alienation.
Claudia and Frieda, Pauline and Chilly are alienated from each other, even though that they are linked up by family relations. Nevertheless, it is Pecola, who is presented to us as the embodiment of social alienation. Her tragedy comes as result of her soul being alienated from her body. The fact that novels stories do not correspond to each other logically can be thought of in terms of textual alienation, which underlines novels main idea. Despite the fact that novels storyline is not clearly defined, we nevertheless are able to stay focused on the main issue of the book. Author does not impose her opinions upon readers, yet, she carefully leads them to come to conclusions that would coincide with her own worldview.
She sees a conventional Christian morality, which used to define socio-political dynamics in America during the time of Depression, as being based on hypocritical attitudes. This is why Claudia and Frieda failed to help Pecola, even though that they thought that they were doing their best to make her feel socially adequate: All of our waste which we dumped on her and which she absorbed. And all of our beauty, which was hers first and which she gave to us. All of us -- all who knew her -- felt so wholesome after we cleaned ourselves on her. We were so beautiful when we stood astride her ugliness. Her simplicity decorated us, her guilt sanctified us, her pain made us glow with health, her awkwardness made us think we had a sense of humor.
Her inarticulateness made us believe we were eloquent. Her poverty kept us generous (Morrison, p. 205). What makes tragic undertones in Morrisons novel even more acute is that Claudia and Frieda actually benefited from Pecola becoming insane, even though that this was the last thing they wanted. We can generalize that this represents authors view of White esthetics as based of spiritual cannibalism. We can say that The Bluest Eye is the accusation of Eurocentrism, in the form of novel. Regardless of how we read Morrisons masterpiece, we will still come to the same conclusion that the roots of institutionalized racism go deep in individuals subconscious psyche. (3) The prosodic properties of The Bluest Eye, as whole, can be characterized by Morrisons unwillingness to follow classic writing techniques.
The most important linguistic feature of novel is the fact that author interchanges describing events in present tense with flashbacks, on the part of main characters: Our house is old, cold, and green. At night a kerosene lamp lights one large room. The others are braced in darkness, peopled by roaches and mice. Adults do not talk to us -- they give us directions. This is my life, but it used to be different. I still remember my parents smiling at me (Morrison, p. 102).
Novels tone allows readers to walk in characters shoes. It is quite noticeable that the physical objects, which are incorporated in the storys background, often create a proper mood. For example, the floor in Breedloves house is described as being covered with cigarette buts. Therefore, the fact that Pecola is being constantly abused by her parents comes to us as no surprise.
Every detail, about characters physical appearance, points out to their essence...
Free research essays on topics related to: morrison p, bluest eye, socio political, claudia and frieda, feeling of inferiority
Research essay sample on Claudia And Frieda Feeling Of Inferiority
