The Bluest Eye, written in 1940 by Toni Morrison, is constructed to reveal a very powerful point that applies not only to the book, but also to many societies of the present day. Morrison's argument is how society can greatly influence a person and how firmly a societies views and ideas can be almost forced on that person. The ideas and views present in The Bluest ... to beauty and what makes one beautiful. The tragedy of Pecola Breedlove beautifully illustrates how this facade of beauty can dishevel one's life until finally leading one to madness. Thus, Morrison demonstrates to the reader w...

• Word Count: 1152
• Approx Pages: 5

Toni Morisson's novel The Bluest Eye is about the life of the Breedlove family who resides in Lorain, Ohio, in the late 1930s. This family consists of the mother ... makes her even "uglier." She feels she can overcome this battle of self-hatred by obtaining blue eyes, but not just any blue. She wants the bluest eye. Morrison is able to use her critical eye to reveal to the reader the evil that is caused by a society that is indoctrinated by the inherent goodness and beauty of whiteness ... pervasive and destructive social racism is. Narration in novel comes from several sources. Much of the...

• Word Count: 609
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... portrays whiteness as a standard of beauty for the characters in her novel, while the outlier is Claudia MacTeer who constantly subverts this idea. Toni Morrison's portrayal of whiteness as the standard of beauty is readily apparent throughout The Bluest Eye. Many of the characters in the novel are described in a physical manner that emphasizes their " ... unattractive" African American features. Hair that is "un-straightened" is looked at negatively. A broad and flat nose, as opposed to long and thin, reflects ugliness. Morrison constantly shows that all characters but Claudia are prone...

• Word Count: 617
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

In this section of the book, Toni Morrison tackled an issue black people have been facing for years- light skin verses dark skin. This division within the community has been a long lasting problem ever since slavery was "abolished". ... performed the more manual jobs and were usually less educated than the house Negroes. Most significantly, I find the author's story toward the end of the chapter to be very interesting. Toni made it a point to reiterate the Dick and Jane story clips before this story purposely. In the Dick and Jane stories, from the outside life was perfect, just as the ... ...

• Word Count: 495
• Approx Pages: 2

What could provoke a nine-year old girl to dismember her beautiful, brand new doll? In Toni Morrison's novel "The Bluest Eye", the distortion of beauty instilled within Black Americans of the late 20th century are portrayed (taken apart?) by the first-person perspectives of a Black ... a fit of rage. Using the innocent narrative voice that interchanges between the perspectives of nine-year old Claudia and her adult-self, the motif of the doll and connotative diction, Morrison emphasizes the emotional scars rejection young girls felt as a result of society's establishment of beauty. The autho...

• Word Count: 655
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: Undergraduate