Bluest Eye Quote Paper

"Frieda brought her four graham crackers on a saucer and some milk in a blue-and-white Shirley Temple cup. She was a long time with the milk, and gazed fondly at the silhouette of Shirley Temple’s dimpled face. Frieda and she had a loving conversation about how cu-ute Shirley Temple was. I couldn’t join them in their adoration because I hated Shirley. ”
I choose this quote in the book because through-out the whole novel so many people keep comparing themselves to Shirley Temple. I have been trying to understand the reasons behind the comparison and I think that because of the environment they were brought up in everyone just is taught to see this as “perfect” in a sense. Everyone should strive to be like this little girl which can be so demining to younger girl’s sense of self.
The part in the book where Claudia tears apart the baby dolls should show the readers how blonde, blue eyed children are portrayed into everyone’s minds. Even now if you go to a middle school or a high school the “perfect” girl could easily be looked at as the popular, skinny, blonde hair, blue eyed girl. The thought that this is how people should look can make a dent in younger children’s self esteem. That video that we watched about the survey taken a few years ago with the children deciding which baby doll was prettier was a shocker. Growing up in a house where I was the blonde hairs, blue eyed daughter I didn’t ever see it or understand the fascination in wanting to be that way, however the more I grew up and learned about different cultures it seemed a little stupid to choose one type of person to be the idolizing focus for a majority of the country. I feel the older you grow everyone forms their own opinions about what they find beautiful and attractive. The problem is how to get the idea out of younger children’s minds that beauty is what they like and not the decisions of the media, internet, friends and family. I think now-a-days it might be a little bit easier to sway children’s mind away from the blonde, blue eyed look only for the fact there are so many more “beautiful” people portrayed in everything we read and see. I can see why in this novel that concept was very hard because all you have to go on was what you were taught and what you saw as better off families and compare that to yourself.