Themes Of The Bluest Eye - 1871 Words

Analyzing The Bluest Eye In the novel, The Bluest Eye, author Toni Morrison integrates many social and structural forces and themes throughout the story that are central to understanding the character’s experiences. Varying forms of oppression, and issues surrounding gender, race and social class are prevalent in the book, affecting each character in their own way. As the story progresses we gain more insight into the lives of the characters which helps complete the picture of the intersection of the forces of gender, race and class. Each character in the story experiences an interaction between these forces, rather than only experiencing one or the other. Therefore, it is important to note that even though I will be breaking down each†¦show more content†¦The rape is told through Cholly’s perspective and we only get to hear the way he feels and acts. We are neglected Pecola’s point of view and reaction, which shows how male oppression has the ability to mute women. In addition to violence the women and girls experience, the women in this novel engage in horizontal hostility. Horizontal hostility occurs when â€Å"individuals direct the resentment and anger they have about their situation onto those who are of equal or lesser status† (WVFV 63). The women in the novel are oppressed by the men, and instead of responding to the real threat of their oppression, they respond and create oppression against those of the same or lower status—in this case, other women and children. The women gossip about one another and put each other down for characteristics they deem undesirable. Mrs. Breedlove experiences this shortly after moving to Lorain, Ohio with Cholly. Mrs. Breedlove did not seem to fit in with the other black women she met, and they treated her poorly with â€Å"their goading glances and private snickers at her way of talking (saying â€Å"chil’ren) and dressing† (Morrison 118). In this situation, the women are engaging in opp ressive acts against each other. When it comes to their children, the women dominate and oppress them through the use of physical force, such as when Mrs. Breedlove yells at Pecola and slaps her for spilling the pie, or when Mrs. MacTeer whips Claudia, Frieda and Pecola for â€Å"playing nasty.† From theseShow MoreRelatedThe Bluest Eye-Theme of Vision1553 Words   |  7 PagesToni Morrison’s highly acclaimed debut work, The Bluest Eye, is one of unquestionable beauty and intricately woven prose. As a fictional writer, Morrison avails herself of her literary faculties, using her mastery of description in order to convey an unusually lucid picture to the reader. The five senses seem to envelop a great deal of description in the novel, most notably that of sight. As has been discovered by virtue of studying the brain’s neural and cognitive machinery, vision occupies largeRead MoreTheme Of Racism In The Bluest Eye924 Words   |  4 Pages Racism, a word once used sparingly, has today become a part of colloquial speech. Although racism is an epidemic, so is same-race discrimination. In the novel â€Å"The Bluest Eye,† written by Toni Morrison, this idea of same-race discrimination is given the limelight throughout. The novel focuses on the African American community within Lorain, Ohio and the complexities of physical beauty and social status that lean over its residents. A character emphasized for her entitlement and being one who practicesRead More Essay on Themes of House on Mango Street, and The Bluest Eye1602 Words   |  7 PagesDisturbing Themes of House on Mango Street, and The Bluest Eye  Ã‚   Sandra Cisneros was born in Chicago and grew up in Illinois, the only girl in a family of seven. Cisneros is noted for her collection of poems and books that concentrate on the Chicana experience in the United States. In her writing, Cisneros explores and transcends borders of location, ethnicity, gender and language. Cisneros writes in lyrical yet deceptively simple language, she makes the invisible visible by centering on theRead More Memoirs of a Geisha and the Bluest Eye Essay example900 Words   |  4 PagesMemoirs of a Geisha and the Bluest Eye 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. Memoirs Of A Geisha and the bluest eye both contain graphic realismRead MoreRacism And Discrimination On African Americans1210 Words   |  5 Pagesfrequent use of symbolism.2 In The Bluest Eye, an extremely important symbol is blue eyes (Crayton 73). Blue eyes are used to symbolize racially based beauty standards and the power associated with whiteness (â€Å"Bluest† LitCharts). In the novel, society believes that if a person does not have white skin, he or she is not beautiful. Pecola Breedlove falls victim to this widespread belief and longs to possess blue eyes. In her world, blue eyes ar e far more than a simple eye color. They are beauty. They areRead MoreThe Bluest Eye By Toni Morrison Essay1314 Words   |  6 PagesThe Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison, encompasses the themes of youth, gender, and race. The African American Civil Rights Movement had recently ended at the time the novel was written. 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A very passive little girl who was lacking self-esteem and parental guidance buys intoRead MoreRacial Prejudice in the Bluest Eye and to Kill a Mockingbird1416 Words   |  6 Pagesintroduced to the theme of racial prejudice through the experiences of the characters Scout and Jem Finch. The story is told from the perspective of Scout. In Toni Morrison’s novel, The Bluest Eye, the reader is also introduced to the theme of racial prejudice through the experiences of Pecola Breedlove and Claudia MacTeer. The story is told through the perspective of Pecola Breedlove, and Claudia MacTeer. Both of the novels show different ways of illustrating the same theme. In the novel ToRead More The Importance of the Eye in Toni Morrisons The Bluest Eye Essay example1221 Words   |  5 PagesThe Importance of the Eye in Toni Morrisons The Bluest Eye      Ã‚  Ã‚   In Toni Morrisons The Bluest Eye, the characters eyes are everything. The word eye appears over and over with rich adjectives that describe color, movement, and nuance of expression to signify a characters mood and psychological state. Morrison emphasizes the paradox of eyes: Eyes are at times a window to enlightenment, however, what eyes see is not always objective truth, but instead a distortion of reality into whatRead MoreAnalysis Of Patricia Collinss Black Feminist Eye1125 Words   |  5 Pagesevolving this theory. In similarity to Collins’ novel, The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison, the African American female individuals depicted as the women of color labeled in the novel, Black Feminist Thought. In conjunction with the depicted black women in Collins’ Black Feminist Thought, numerous resources in the class notes can to help define such women of color. The novel, Black Feminist Thought, is better agreed and communicated through the Bluest Eye†™s black female individuals and in class resource notes