Essay: Symbolism In 'The Bluest Eye'

rescued and raised by his grandmother who does not hesitate to remind him that he owes her his life. Cholly does not experience any confidence during intimacy because he is unable to bond with his parents, and his grandmother, even though she takes it upon herself to save Cholly and raise him, remains at an emotional distance. Cholly is also disturbed by the fact that he is not his father's namesake. When he asks his grandmother why he isn't named after his own father, his grandmother replies thus:
'He wasn't nowhere around when you was born. Your mama didn't name you nothing. The nine days wasn't up before she throwed you on the junk heap. When I got you I named you myself on the ninth day. You named after my dead brother. Charles Breedlove. A good man. Ain't no Samson never come to no good end.' (Bluest 133) He is really upset because he is not named after his father, but instead he is the namesake of a distant relative who is deceased before Cholly is born. Cholly also experiences dehumanization in the novel. His first encounter with sex, is interrupted by two white hunters. During the reception after Aunt Jimmy's funeral, Cholly and Darlene run off to a field where …show more content…
Most blacks always desire to be like the whites or have certain attributes of the whites because they believe that being white will make them acceptable in America. African Americans therefore should not desire to be like the white Americans, they also should not get frustrated and depressed because of the American society. Just as Pecola feels that the only way she can be fully accepted and have a definite identity is by having blue eyes. Black Americans should know that they have a strong identity and culture which should always be appreciated instead of attempting to mask their identity and search for