Abuse In Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye

In Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, Cholly, driven by multiple factors, rapes his daughter, and this scene is included for a certain purpose, as well. Cholly, the father, engages in nonconsensual intercourse with his daughter because of his alcoholic stupor and sense of freedom. Cholly is alcoholic because of the emptiness that cannot be filled with anything drink, seen when he describes, “Nothing, nothing, interested him now. Not himself, not other people. Only in drink was there some break, some floodlight, and when that closed, there was oblivion” (160). In his alcohol saturated mind, he confuses his feelings toward his wife, Pauline, with his feelings toward his daughter, Pecola. When he saw Pecola scratching the back of her calf with her toe just like Pauline did when they first met, tenderness filled him and when he forced …show more content…
Pecola already has a difficult life from being isolated at school to self-loathing for not meeting society’s standards of beauty. However, now, she is raped by her father. The reader expects sympathy to be shown, but instead, it is the exact opposite. Society has decided that women are going to be subject to abuse, even going as far as blaming the victim. Her father raped her and society responds by blaming Pecola as well, seen when one of the students at her school states, “‘She carry some of the blame’” (189). In addition, another person states, “‘She be lucky if it don’t live. Bound to be the ugliest thing walking,’” demonstrating how not fitting the standards of beauty dramatically affects society. Furthermore, when there should have been concern and sorrow, there was amusement and excitement, seen on page 190. This outraging, blatant show of disregard towards Pecola and her baby demonstrates how in this time period, women are just available for abuse and, despite being victims, are not considered