Identity In Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye
Life through a Black Lens
Becoming an individual and finding a true self-identity is not always easy as it seems, but can be seen as a sign of growing up. This is seen as an issue in Toni Morrison’s, novel The Bluest Eye. The main character is a young girl named Pecola Breedlove, who deals with the struggles of developing an identity and being accepted by society. Pecola is a young girl growing up in the early 1940s; she would face many great trials along the way such as, being poor and black. She is often called “ugly” not only by the children that she attends school with, but also from her own mother. Pecola deals with family issues that involve her parents fighting physically and verbally, which will lead her to seek an escape of her life by fantasizing to become more …show more content…
They are sweet and allow Pecola to be connected and consume the whiteness that would make her feel in charge (48).The author explains how interested she is in the wrapper because the little girl on the wrapper is blond and blue-eyed (50). This could also be seen as symbolic because it allows Pecola to feel love for the little girl on the wrapper. Shortly after Pecola exists the store, she feels ashamed. She even views the dandelions differently. She thinks, “They are ugly. They are weeds.” (50). this change of her views on things when she exists the store shows how racism has its great effects. The awkward exchange in the store will almost make her cry, but she remembers that she has the Mary Janes with her (50).
Another reason, theses candies are seen as symbolic is because the entire candy wrapper has everything she truly desires to have in her life. The author mentions, “To eat the candy is some-how to eat the eyes, eat Mary Jane. Love Mary Jane. Be Mary Jane” (50). Once she consumes those small candies it is as if she were almost allowed to be white, but only temporary because the candies will not last forever once they are
Becoming an individual and finding a true self-identity is not always easy as it seems, but can be seen as a sign of growing up. This is seen as an issue in Toni Morrison’s, novel The Bluest Eye. The main character is a young girl named Pecola Breedlove, who deals with the struggles of developing an identity and being accepted by society. Pecola is a young girl growing up in the early 1940s; she would face many great trials along the way such as, being poor and black. She is often called “ugly” not only by the children that she attends school with, but also from her own mother. Pecola deals with family issues that involve her parents fighting physically and verbally, which will lead her to seek an escape of her life by fantasizing to become more …show more content…
They are sweet and allow Pecola to be connected and consume the whiteness that would make her feel in charge (48).The author explains how interested she is in the wrapper because the little girl on the wrapper is blond and blue-eyed (50). This could also be seen as symbolic because it allows Pecola to feel love for the little girl on the wrapper. Shortly after Pecola exists the store, she feels ashamed. She even views the dandelions differently. She thinks, “They are ugly. They are weeds.” (50). this change of her views on things when she exists the store shows how racism has its great effects. The awkward exchange in the store will almost make her cry, but she remembers that she has the Mary Janes with her (50).
Another reason, theses candies are seen as symbolic is because the entire candy wrapper has everything she truly desires to have in her life. The author mentions, “To eat the candy is some-how to eat the eyes, eat Mary Jane. Love Mary Jane. Be Mary Jane” (50). Once she consumes those small candies it is as if she were almost allowed to be white, but only temporary because the candies will not last forever once they are