Eliciting Sympathy for Cholly Breedlove in The Bluest Eye
Those That Hurt, Hurt:
Eliciting Sympathy for the Unsympathetic in ‘The Bluest Eye’
Case Study: Cholly Breedlove
“There is really nothing more to say—except why. But since why is difficult to handle, one must take refuge in how.” Toni Morrison, The Bluest Eye
Set in Ohio in 1941, In The Bluest Eye tells the story of Pecola Breedlove, a black 11-year-old girl who is raped by her father, Cholly. Eliciting sympathy for Cholly might seem impossible, as we will see that his unfathomable act ultimately destroys his daughter and sends her into a schizophrenic state. However, in the book, author Toni Morrison creates a space of forgiveness for Cholly and his crime. By putting an empathetic emphasis on the traumatic incidents that occurred in Cholly Breedlove’s past, Morrison creates a timeline of Cholly’s own hurt, beginning with his abandonment as a child. Additionally, Morrison shows how the racism and structural inequalities of the time played a part in Cholly’s woundedness. Developmental Psychology tells us that early childhood experiences often determine how emotionally stable an adult will be (need citation). Given that point, childhood memories filled with trauma and abandonment will most likely affect one’s life negatively. Trauma in a person’s life will often impair one’s ability to give and receive proper love, which then creates a vicious cycle that shadows over future lovers, husbands and wives, and most crucially, children. Thus, Morrison intentionally depicts the character Cholly, as a victim as well as a perpetrator. Social psychological research is rich with examples of how race adversely affects social perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors. This paper aims to explain both the why and the how of Pecola’s rape through a careful examination of some of the events of Cholly’s past in order to show how Morrison created a sympathetic victim that, while still a child rapist, was not an unfeeling monster. Through her tale, Morrison answers the why as she
Eliciting Sympathy for the Unsympathetic in ‘The Bluest Eye’
Case Study: Cholly Breedlove
“There is really nothing more to say—except why. But since why is difficult to handle, one must take refuge in how.” Toni Morrison, The Bluest Eye
Set in Ohio in 1941, In The Bluest Eye tells the story of Pecola Breedlove, a black 11-year-old girl who is raped by her father, Cholly. Eliciting sympathy for Cholly might seem impossible, as we will see that his unfathomable act ultimately destroys his daughter and sends her into a schizophrenic state. However, in the book, author Toni Morrison creates a space of forgiveness for Cholly and his crime. By putting an empathetic emphasis on the traumatic incidents that occurred in Cholly Breedlove’s past, Morrison creates a timeline of Cholly’s own hurt, beginning with his abandonment as a child. Additionally, Morrison shows how the racism and structural inequalities of the time played a part in Cholly’s woundedness. Developmental Psychology tells us that early childhood experiences often determine how emotionally stable an adult will be (need citation). Given that point, childhood memories filled with trauma and abandonment will most likely affect one’s life negatively. Trauma in a person’s life will often impair one’s ability to give and receive proper love, which then creates a vicious cycle that shadows over future lovers, husbands and wives, and most crucially, children. Thus, Morrison intentionally depicts the character Cholly, as a victim as well as a perpetrator. Social psychological research is rich with examples of how race adversely affects social perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors. This paper aims to explain both the why and the how of Pecola’s rape through a careful examination of some of the events of Cholly’s past in order to show how Morrison created a sympathetic victim that, while still a child rapist, was not an unfeeling monster. Through her tale, Morrison answers the why as she