The Bluest Eye is about a an African-American girl named Pecola. Pecola undergoes a series of verbal and physical abuse by both her family and her community. One of the key plot points is when her father, Cholly, rapes her and leaves her pregnant. Morrison tries to show the affect of racism on the individual in this novel. More specifically, Morrison shows how society's standard of beauty affects the individual, girls in particular.
Morrison's character Pecola is described as being the opposite of society's ideals. Pecola constantly compares herself to a white ideal, such as Shirley Temple. Morrison uses the blue eyes Pecola desires to symbolize the physical ideals of the culture at that time. The structure of the novel also aids Morrisons comparisons through out the novel.At the beginning of each chapter is a prologue from Dick and Jane. This white ideal is contrasted with the life of Pecola. The novel is also divided into the four seasons. Each season holds certain expectations which the characters in the do not live up to. For example it is in autumn, the season of harvest, that Pecola's baby dies.
The novel shows that it is the society and community Pecola has grown up in that has made her set unrealistic standards for herself. These unrealistic expectations are what leads to Pecola's disintegration. As I look back on the novel, it is clear that Morrison wishes to provoke the readers to question their own standards of people including themselves.
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Heather -- Strong examination of major devices at work. You are off to a good start. You first paragraph seems to ramble a bit (lose focus) but ideas are solid throughout.
ReplyDelete20/20