The Bluest Eye Research Paper
INTRODUCTION
1. BACKGROUND
In the US, racism is a well known issue. From racial profiling to other issues such as affirmative action, police brutality against minorities and the history of slavery and the rising resentment against immigrants (http://www.globalissues.org). Here the writers point out about the racism that is occurred in novel of The Bluest Eye, where racism is one of the biggest issue occurred in the novel. Since the history of black peole related to the slavery that involved their ancestors, the racism that happened 1965 still clasified black as the lower class in American society.
The preasure of racism felt by black people in the novel at that time is clearly seen from the beginning of the novel up to the end of the story. The racism is faced by children, teenagers and adult. Racism is treating someone differently or unfairly simply because they belong to a different race or culture (http://www.childline.org.uk). The way of how the white people treats black people is one of the example of the racism. How children from different race treat other is one of the example. …show more content…
One of the interesting idea about this is that how the character of Pecola see white people as the role model of beauty.
How could someone who live in a racist neighborhood has a criteria of beauty from white people who treat them differently? This question is one of five questions that the writers like to find the answer through the analysis below.
2. QUESTIONS
1. How can be white as the standards of beauty?
2. How can the little girl (Pecola) be made to feel so ugly about her self?
3. Why do Pecola feel that?
4. What has been lost that made this problem happened?
5. How to find the way out from this
problem?
ANALYSIS
The story of the bluest eye not only talk about what is appeared as what the sentences told us. The implied meaning of the racism basically occurred during the story being told. The reason of Pecola to have the beauty that is wanted by her is something importance. . . . in which an individual cannot be seen because all that can be seen of him is the fact of his skin, of his membership in one racial group or another (Identities, p.434) Because white is associated with beauty, cleanliness, sterility, and well-cared is the message of the story by the sentences in the novel. This implicit message brought a statement that whiteness is superior. That whiteness has something stronger than black. Their majority in American social life at that time also become one of the reason. This is explain why Black people wanted to have what the white people have. Pecola as a symbol of black people, as black their skin is mark which cannot be change that differentiate them from white. With the treats that they have from white of course the want to release them self, and one of the way is wanted to be white people. That way they will found the freedom that they wanted. In the novel, Morrison challenges Western standards of beauty and demonstrates that the concept of beauty is socially constructed. Morrison also recognizes that if whiteness is used as a standard of beauty or anything else, then the value of blackness is diminished and this novel works to subvert that tendency. Merely reversing perceived ‘ugliness’ to beautiful blackness is not enough to explain the main problem; the race-based class structure upheld by dominant norms and stereotypes. Having had parents, we know that we haven't had the making of our selves, that we are marked by our birth, by the shape of the nose or the color of the skin (Identities, p.436). The stereotypes of blackness is, of course, will be exist from every black people from time to time start from their ancestor. Marked by their appearance that differentiate them from the white as the majority. That the white hold the dominant norm and control every norm, even for the standard of beauty it self. Because she sees herself, and is regarded by most of the characters in the novel, as ugly. The standard of beauty that her mates subscribe to is represented by the white child actress, Shirley Temple, who has the desired blue eyes. The novel starts with the description of an ideal white family but in the style of a school reading primer, where we meet Dick and Jane and their lovely parents living in a nice and comfortable house with a lovely dog and a cat. The Dick and Jane text implies one of the primary and most sinister ways that the dominant culture exercises its domination, through the educational system. It reveals the role of education in both oppressing the victim – and more to the point – teaching the victim how to oppress her own black self by study the values that dictate standards of beauty seriously.. . . that racialist thinking begins at the moment when culture becomes not simply descriptive but normative, when it provides a model not of what one does but of who one is (Identities, p.436). The story teller tries to show how does the racialist works, whether it's norm, culture exercise or the educational system. And here Pecola is represented as the victim of racialism, where she saw her self as ugly and other characters put her as the object of ugliness. The point of view of white people that black people are consider as lower class and makes white as the standards of beauty. The grouping of people together and according them status within society according to the groups they belong to, is as old as society itself. Caste membership in this life is the result of "good" or "bad" conduct in the previous life (http://www.hewett.norfolk.htm). This point of view planted to the black people’s mind and makes them lost their confidence and didn’t have self-esteem. It’s been happened as result of the history of slavery that put them as the lower class in the society. The lost of convidence and did not have self esteem might be caused by the preasure that they received through years of time by the dominant society.
People have been talking racism for centuries. People continue to be racists. Everybody has dealt with it, politicians, spiritual leaders, community activities, and the problems of racism continue. We have to admit that racism is a problem and that it's a psycho-social problem. The problem with racism and racialism is that everybody denies it (http://www.socyberty.com). Being racist is not only for them whose position is in majority, but it is as well as they are who are in the position of minority. The black people have to develop their self-confidence that they are beautiful no matter what they are. They have something which can make them self courage to be confidence, they life the same life as the other have and they are not different from the other and does not think about the class of social life.
CONCLUSION
The Bluest Eye is a wellknown novel that we have ever read. This novel tell about eleven years old little girl, Pecola. In this novel white is associated with beauty, cleanliness, sterility and of course well-cared as the message of the story by the sentences inside. In this case Pecola as a symbol of black people, her fate as the black people is mark which cannot be change that differentiate them from white. White people have the important rules of life, in the fact white holds a big power in they life so they can do anything tha they want with the reality black people want to release them self, they want to find a freedom. Morrison shows situation at the time, she recognize that whitenessis used as a standard of beauty, good attitude, sweet, bright, etc. The value of blackness is diminished and this novel works to subvert that tendency. ‘Ugliness’ to beautiful blackness is not enough to explain the main problem, the race-based class structure upheld by dominant norms and stereotypes. The stereotypes of blackness is, of course, will be exists in every black people from time to time start from their ancestor. Whites hold important point in the dominant norm and control every norm, even for the standard of beauty itself. Pecola sees herself as the ugly girl. She adores whiteness as the standard of beauty that her mates subscribe represented by white child actress, Shirley Temple who has the desired bluet eye. The description of an ideal white family appear in the beginning of the story. She imagines that being good is defined by this kind of situation. This is a reflection o the whole things, Pecola thinks that happiness is something like in this way. Black children accept a judgement from the society that they can’t have a better life which are proper for them. The story teller tries to show how does the racialist works, whether it's norm, culture exercise or the educational system. Pecola is represented as the victim of racialism, where she saw her self as ugly and other characters put her as the object of ugliness. Racism for the centuries is a problem and that it’s a psycho-social problem. Racist is not only for them whose position is in majority, but it is as well as they are who are in the position of minority. Point of view of white people are consider are consider as lower class and makes white as the standars of beauty. The balck people have to develop their self-confidencethat they are beautiful no matter what they are. They have something which can make them self courage to be confidence, they life the same life as the other have and they are not different from the other and does not think about the class of life.
SOURCES
Identities, edited by Kwame Anthony Appiah & Henry Louis Gates Jr.: Chicago Press., Chicago and London http://www.globalissues.org/article/165/racism#RacisminNorthAmerica (Anup Shah, Racism, GlobalIssues.org, Last updated: Monday, December 20, 2004) http://www.childline.org.uk/Info/Pages/Racism.aspx http://www.hewett.norfolk.sch.uk/curric/soc/class/class.htm
http://www.socyberty.com/Advice/How-to-Solve-the-Problem-of-Racism.9511
1. BACKGROUND
In the US, racism is a well known issue. From racial profiling to other issues such as affirmative action, police brutality against minorities and the history of slavery and the rising resentment against immigrants (http://www.globalissues.org). Here the writers point out about the racism that is occurred in novel of The Bluest Eye, where racism is one of the biggest issue occurred in the novel. Since the history of black peole related to the slavery that involved their ancestors, the racism that happened 1965 still clasified black as the lower class in American society.
The preasure of racism felt by black people in the novel at that time is clearly seen from the beginning of the novel up to the end of the story. The racism is faced by children, teenagers and adult. Racism is treating someone differently or unfairly simply because they belong to a different race or culture (http://www.childline.org.uk). The way of how the white people treats black people is one of the example of the racism. How children from different race treat other is one of the example. …show more content…
One of the interesting idea about this is that how the character of Pecola see white people as the role model of beauty.
How could someone who live in a racist neighborhood has a criteria of beauty from white people who treat them differently? This question is one of five questions that the writers like to find the answer through the analysis below.
2. QUESTIONS
1. How can be white as the standards of beauty?
2. How can the little girl (Pecola) be made to feel so ugly about her self?
3. Why do Pecola feel that?
4. What has been lost that made this problem happened?
5. How to find the way out from this
problem?
ANALYSIS
The story of the bluest eye not only talk about what is appeared as what the sentences told us. The implied meaning of the racism basically occurred during the story being told. The reason of Pecola to have the beauty that is wanted by her is something importance. . . . in which an individual cannot be seen because all that can be seen of him is the fact of his skin, of his membership in one racial group or another (Identities, p.434) Because white is associated with beauty, cleanliness, sterility, and well-cared is the message of the story by the sentences in the novel. This implicit message brought a statement that whiteness is superior. That whiteness has something stronger than black. Their majority in American social life at that time also become one of the reason. This is explain why Black people wanted to have what the white people have. Pecola as a symbol of black people, as black their skin is mark which cannot be change that differentiate them from white. With the treats that they have from white of course the want to release them self, and one of the way is wanted to be white people. That way they will found the freedom that they wanted. In the novel, Morrison challenges Western standards of beauty and demonstrates that the concept of beauty is socially constructed. Morrison also recognizes that if whiteness is used as a standard of beauty or anything else, then the value of blackness is diminished and this novel works to subvert that tendency. Merely reversing perceived ‘ugliness’ to beautiful blackness is not enough to explain the main problem; the race-based class structure upheld by dominant norms and stereotypes. Having had parents, we know that we haven't had the making of our selves, that we are marked by our birth, by the shape of the nose or the color of the skin (Identities, p.436). The stereotypes of blackness is, of course, will be exist from every black people from time to time start from their ancestor. Marked by their appearance that differentiate them from the white as the majority. That the white hold the dominant norm and control every norm, even for the standard of beauty it self. Because she sees herself, and is regarded by most of the characters in the novel, as ugly. The standard of beauty that her mates subscribe to is represented by the white child actress, Shirley Temple, who has the desired blue eyes. The novel starts with the description of an ideal white family but in the style of a school reading primer, where we meet Dick and Jane and their lovely parents living in a nice and comfortable house with a lovely dog and a cat. The Dick and Jane text implies one of the primary and most sinister ways that the dominant culture exercises its domination, through the educational system. It reveals the role of education in both oppressing the victim – and more to the point – teaching the victim how to oppress her own black self by study the values that dictate standards of beauty seriously.. . . that racialist thinking begins at the moment when culture becomes not simply descriptive but normative, when it provides a model not of what one does but of who one is (Identities, p.436). The story teller tries to show how does the racialist works, whether it's norm, culture exercise or the educational system. And here Pecola is represented as the victim of racialism, where she saw her self as ugly and other characters put her as the object of ugliness. The point of view of white people that black people are consider as lower class and makes white as the standards of beauty. The grouping of people together and according them status within society according to the groups they belong to, is as old as society itself. Caste membership in this life is the result of "good" or "bad" conduct in the previous life (http://www.hewett.norfolk.htm). This point of view planted to the black people’s mind and makes them lost their confidence and didn’t have self-esteem. It’s been happened as result of the history of slavery that put them as the lower class in the society. The lost of convidence and did not have self esteem might be caused by the preasure that they received through years of time by the dominant society.
People have been talking racism for centuries. People continue to be racists. Everybody has dealt with it, politicians, spiritual leaders, community activities, and the problems of racism continue. We have to admit that racism is a problem and that it's a psycho-social problem. The problem with racism and racialism is that everybody denies it (http://www.socyberty.com). Being racist is not only for them whose position is in majority, but it is as well as they are who are in the position of minority. The black people have to develop their self-confidence that they are beautiful no matter what they are. They have something which can make them self courage to be confidence, they life the same life as the other have and they are not different from the other and does not think about the class of social life.
CONCLUSION
The Bluest Eye is a wellknown novel that we have ever read. This novel tell about eleven years old little girl, Pecola. In this novel white is associated with beauty, cleanliness, sterility and of course well-cared as the message of the story by the sentences inside. In this case Pecola as a symbol of black people, her fate as the black people is mark which cannot be change that differentiate them from white. White people have the important rules of life, in the fact white holds a big power in they life so they can do anything tha they want with the reality black people want to release them self, they want to find a freedom. Morrison shows situation at the time, she recognize that whitenessis used as a standard of beauty, good attitude, sweet, bright, etc. The value of blackness is diminished and this novel works to subvert that tendency. ‘Ugliness’ to beautiful blackness is not enough to explain the main problem, the race-based class structure upheld by dominant norms and stereotypes. The stereotypes of blackness is, of course, will be exists in every black people from time to time start from their ancestor. Whites hold important point in the dominant norm and control every norm, even for the standard of beauty itself. Pecola sees herself as the ugly girl. She adores whiteness as the standard of beauty that her mates subscribe represented by white child actress, Shirley Temple who has the desired bluet eye. The description of an ideal white family appear in the beginning of the story. She imagines that being good is defined by this kind of situation. This is a reflection o the whole things, Pecola thinks that happiness is something like in this way. Black children accept a judgement from the society that they can’t have a better life which are proper for them. The story teller tries to show how does the racialist works, whether it's norm, culture exercise or the educational system. Pecola is represented as the victim of racialism, where she saw her self as ugly and other characters put her as the object of ugliness. Racism for the centuries is a problem and that it’s a psycho-social problem. Racist is not only for them whose position is in majority, but it is as well as they are who are in the position of minority. Point of view of white people are consider are consider as lower class and makes white as the standars of beauty. The balck people have to develop their self-confidencethat they are beautiful no matter what they are. They have something which can make them self courage to be confidence, they life the same life as the other have and they are not different from the other and does not think about the class of life.
SOURCES
Identities, edited by Kwame Anthony Appiah & Henry Louis Gates Jr.: Chicago Press., Chicago and London http://www.globalissues.org/article/165/racism#RacisminNorthAmerica (Anup Shah, Racism, GlobalIssues.org, Last updated: Monday, December 20, 2004) http://www.childline.org.uk/Info/Pages/Racism.aspx http://www.hewett.norfolk.sch.uk/curric/soc/class/class.htm
http://www.socyberty.com/Advice/How-to-Solve-the-Problem-of-Racism.9511