Toxic Parents In The Bluest Eye

Toxic Parents Toni Morrison's fictional novel The Bluest Eye focuses on Pecola, a young black girl with a growing self -hatred . At the begin of the novel Pecola is staying with the Mcteer family because her house was burned down by her father and he ended up in jail. Neither of her parents bothered to check on her after Cholly was released from jail which shows the problems that lie in the Breedlove family. Toni Morrison shows us throughout the novel the toxic relationship that she has with her parents and reveals to us how that conflict began Pecola's self-hatred began and how it climaxed into insanity.

Pecola's self hatred is mostly a result of the way her parents treated her throughout her life. When Pecola is
born her mother describes her as "Head full of pretty hair, but Lord she was
ugly"(126).
If her own mother thinks that her daughter is ugly, then so does Pecola. She lives her life believing that she's ugly and loathes herself because she's black which is what she thinks makes her ugly. At the beginning of the novel, when Pecola is still residing at the Mcteer home,
Mama Breedlove makes it known to the reader that “That old trifling Cholly been out of jail two whole days and ain’t been here yet to see if his own child was "live or dead"( 25). She also adds
"And her mama neither"(25). The reader can infer Pecola is a burden to her parents because they haven't even gone to check on her after her father was released from prison. This unloving attitude from her parents makes it impossible for her to love herself, and the entire absence of love in her life begins her trek towards
madness. Pecola’s dysfunctional family causes the most damage to her because of the everyday violence and because it in turn creates a series of other negative events. The uncontrollable violence in Pecola’s family happens every day, and Morrison describes days in the Breedlove family as "grouped, and classed by the quarrels" (41), the intensity of which Pecola describes in an event that she witnessed: " Cholly picked Mrs. Breedlove up and knocked her down with the back of his hand. She fell in a sitting position. He put his foot in her chest dropping to his knee, he struck her several times in the face…his wife ducked…she snatched up the round, flat stove lid and struck him two blows, knocking him right back into the senselessness out of which she provoked him(44)." This dysfunctional marriage leads to endless quarrels between them which in turn causes Pecola to have to suffer from the rage of both of her parents who show absolutely no compassion nor care for her.
Mrs. Breedlove’s neglect of Pecola comes as a consequence of this family dysfunction and leads to her failure to prepare Pecola for life’s hardships. Mrs. Breedlove escapes her bitter life by working long hours, hiding from the misery. She displays an obvious detachment from her children: they address her as Mrs. Breedlove, while the little mistress calls her Polly ( 108).
Pauline also offers comfort to the white girl before she would to her own daughter ( 109). and fails to prepare her daughter for life. For example, when Pecola menstruates the first time, she asks her mother if that means she will die (28). Obviously, nobody told Pecola the things bound to happen to her maturing body. Pauline never talks to her daughter about love either. Only after listening to her only friends, the prostitutes, does Pecola create her picture
of love: "What did love feel like?… How do grown-ups act when they love each other? Eat fish together?" (57). Unfortunately, this naive thinking will not help Pecola understand what happens later. Pauline’s failure to tell her daughter about life adds a weight to Pecola’s already heavy burden.

Toni Morrison gives us a beautifully written novel that focuses on Pecola's digression from reality and gradual ascension into insanity. Her lack of love and attention from her parents makes her suffer from all the insults and bullying she receives because of her color and lack of someone to turn to. To remedy this suffering, she turns to insanity, and sinks into it, using it as a protective shield ,guarding her from insults and laughter aimed at her.