Comparing Bluest Eye And Blake's Work
Helpless
In “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison and “From Songs of Experience: The Chimney-Sweeper” by William Blake, the main characters are highly disadvantaged children. Morrison’s characters are experiencing the effects of the great depression, while Blake’s speaker is a victim of child labour during the industrial revolution in London. Blake’s speaker describes the child workers as experiencing “misery” (141). According to the Oxford English Dictionary, misery can be interpreted as “distress caused by privation or poverty” (n.1), even during Blake’s time period. This term has a direct link with the living conditions the child workers experienced. While during America’s great depression, industrial production “declined 9.8 percent between …show more content…
They are living through the depression, in a society where they are discriminated simply because of skin colour or gender. However, the anger they feel is not because of their rough surroundings. The anger is a result of feeling powerless. For instance, Pecola has a breakdown after buying her …show more content…
It appears the child is frustrated because he is living in poverty and must work to provide for itself or its family. However, it is not the situation he is brought up in that bothers him but rather the submission to higher power he has to deal with. For instance, the child says “They think they have done me no injury”, it clearly understands that it is being taken advantage of. Although, the speaker does not go on to mention how it plans to change its situation. That’s because it acknowledged that it lacks the power to do so and unwillingly accepts it. When saying “They”, the speaker is referring to not only his parents, but the government and society as a whole. Everyone has failed this child. Furthermore, the child states how “They” go on to “praise God & his priest & his king”. Again, the child is not blaming poverty but rather the people who have power over it. Not only does society accept the neglect of this child, but they actually praise the people who the child feels put it in such a position. The praise of abuse is truly a terrible connection for a child to make. While the labour is physically abusive the speaker is also being conditioned mentally to think the same way. Thus, continuing the cycle of mistreatment of the vulnerable youth once they become older and hold a position with more respect. The child is being failed by the
In “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison and “From Songs of Experience: The Chimney-Sweeper” by William Blake, the main characters are highly disadvantaged children. Morrison’s characters are experiencing the effects of the great depression, while Blake’s speaker is a victim of child labour during the industrial revolution in London. Blake’s speaker describes the child workers as experiencing “misery” (141). According to the Oxford English Dictionary, misery can be interpreted as “distress caused by privation or poverty” (n.1), even during Blake’s time period. This term has a direct link with the living conditions the child workers experienced. While during America’s great depression, industrial production “declined 9.8 percent between …show more content…
They are living through the depression, in a society where they are discriminated simply because of skin colour or gender. However, the anger they feel is not because of their rough surroundings. The anger is a result of feeling powerless. For instance, Pecola has a breakdown after buying her …show more content…
It appears the child is frustrated because he is living in poverty and must work to provide for itself or its family. However, it is not the situation he is brought up in that bothers him but rather the submission to higher power he has to deal with. For instance, the child says “They think they have done me no injury”, it clearly understands that it is being taken advantage of. Although, the speaker does not go on to mention how it plans to change its situation. That’s because it acknowledged that it lacks the power to do so and unwillingly accepts it. When saying “They”, the speaker is referring to not only his parents, but the government and society as a whole. Everyone has failed this child. Furthermore, the child states how “They” go on to “praise God & his priest & his king”. Again, the child is not blaming poverty but rather the people who have power over it. Not only does society accept the neglect of this child, but they actually praise the people who the child feels put it in such a position. The praise of abuse is truly a terrible connection for a child to make. While the labour is physically abusive the speaker is also being conditioned mentally to think the same way. Thus, continuing the cycle of mistreatment of the vulnerable youth once they become older and hold a position with more respect. The child is being failed by the