The Bluest Eye Research Paper
Portrait of a Victim: Toni Morrison 's The Bluest Eye
Bryan D. Bourn The Bluest Eye (1970) is the novel that launched Toni Morrison into the spotlight as a talented African-American writer and social critic. Morrison herself says "It would be a mistake to assume that writers are disconnected from social issues" (Leflore). Because Morrison is more willing than most authors to discuss meaning in her books, a genetic approach is very relevant. To be truly effective, though, the genetic approach must be combined with a formal approach. The formal approach allows the unpacking of the rich language, imagery, and metaphors of Morrison 's writing, and the genetic places it in the larger context of her social consciousness.
In The Bluest Eye, …show more content…
The name of the novel, "The Bluest Eye," is meant to get the reader thinking about how much value is placed on blue-eyed little girls. Pecola and her family are representative of the larger African-American community, and their name, "Breedlove," is ironic because they live in a society that does not "breed love." In fact, it breeds hate hate of blackness, and thus hatred of oneself. The MacTeer girls are flattered when Mr. Henry said "Hello there. You must be Greta Garbo, and you must be Ginger Rogers" (Morrison 17). As for the name "MacTeer," an argument can be made that it refers to the fact that the MacTeer girls are the only ones who shed a tear for Pecola. Claudia says "we listened for the one who would say, Poor little girl, ' or Poor baby, ' but there was only head-wagging where those words should have been" (Morrison 148). Soaphead Church represents, as his name suggests, the role of the church in African-American life. "I, I have caused a miracle. I gave her the eyes. I gave her the blue, blue, two blue eyes," Soaphead says (Morrison 143). The implication is that the church 's promise that if you worship God and pray to Him that everything will be alright is no better than Soaphead 's promise to Pecola that she will have blue eyes. Morrison reveals the significance of Pecola 's name through the character of Maureen Peal. Maureen …show more content…
The importance of this book goes beyond its value as a work of literature. Morrison speaks to the masses, both white and black, showing how a racist social system wears down the minds and souls of people, how dominate images of white heros and heroins with blue eyes and wonderful lives show young black children that to be white means to be successful and happy, and then they look around at their own lives of poverty and oppression and learn to hate their black heritage for keeping them from the Dick and Jane world. Morrison does not solve these problems, nor does she even try, but she does show a reflection of a world that cannot call itself right or
Bryan D. Bourn The Bluest Eye (1970) is the novel that launched Toni Morrison into the spotlight as a talented African-American writer and social critic. Morrison herself says "It would be a mistake to assume that writers are disconnected from social issues" (Leflore). Because Morrison is more willing than most authors to discuss meaning in her books, a genetic approach is very relevant. To be truly effective, though, the genetic approach must be combined with a formal approach. The formal approach allows the unpacking of the rich language, imagery, and metaphors of Morrison 's writing, and the genetic places it in the larger context of her social consciousness.
In The Bluest Eye, …show more content…
The name of the novel, "The Bluest Eye," is meant to get the reader thinking about how much value is placed on blue-eyed little girls. Pecola and her family are representative of the larger African-American community, and their name, "Breedlove," is ironic because they live in a society that does not "breed love." In fact, it breeds hate hate of blackness, and thus hatred of oneself. The MacTeer girls are flattered when Mr. Henry said "Hello there. You must be Greta Garbo, and you must be Ginger Rogers" (Morrison 17). As for the name "MacTeer," an argument can be made that it refers to the fact that the MacTeer girls are the only ones who shed a tear for Pecola. Claudia says "we listened for the one who would say, Poor little girl, ' or Poor baby, ' but there was only head-wagging where those words should have been" (Morrison 148). Soaphead Church represents, as his name suggests, the role of the church in African-American life. "I, I have caused a miracle. I gave her the eyes. I gave her the blue, blue, two blue eyes," Soaphead says (Morrison 143). The implication is that the church 's promise that if you worship God and pray to Him that everything will be alright is no better than Soaphead 's promise to Pecola that she will have blue eyes. Morrison reveals the significance of Pecola 's name through the character of Maureen Peal. Maureen …show more content…
The importance of this book goes beyond its value as a work of literature. Morrison speaks to the masses, both white and black, showing how a racist social system wears down the minds and souls of people, how dominate images of white heros and heroins with blue eyes and wonderful lives show young black children that to be white means to be successful and happy, and then they look around at their own lives of poverty and oppression and learn to hate their black heritage for keeping them from the Dick and Jane world. Morrison does not solve these problems, nor does she even try, but she does show a reflection of a world that cannot call itself right or