Toni Morrison, author of The Bluest Eye, reflects the feminist theory throughout the novel. Characters narrate the novel from different point of views to help understand the story of the protagonist, Pecola Breedlove, and the hardships of growing up as a young black girl. The eleven-year-old fails to get help because of the suffering from other characters, which eventually contributes to her fate. The feminist theory is presented by Pecola’s desire to be beautiful, black women resisting dominance from white culture, and the oppression of men.
Pecola’s eagerness to have blue eyes occurs one day as Cholly and Mrs. Breedlove were fighting. She hides under her covers and prays to God to take her away. In her head, she slowly begins to disappear, …show more content…
They do not have a say in how the white culture dominates their lives, so they pick on each other and attempt to bring down women of economic and social problems. China, Poland, and Miss Marie are three prostitutes in the novel. They play an important role because “these women [hate] men, all men” and make it impossible to be oppressed by them (Morrison 56). These women use their sexuality to have control and express their hate over the “inadequate and weak” because they do not associate sex with romance (Morrison 56). The prostitutes risk expressing their hatred towards men “without shame, apology, or discrimination” by giving other women power (Morrison 56). They lose respect from the women with spotless reputation and begin to lose their self-respect as well. The prostitutes do not have an alternative choice because that is the only way they can make a living, but at least they are not oppressed by men like the other women are. Pecola is very interested in their lifestyle ans does not judge them like everyone else. The prostitutes show a feminist side in which women are willing to risk everything to not be under the oppression of men. The whole purpose of the feminist movement is to stop male oppression and have equal rights. Although, the prostitutes gain a leverage against men, they are criticized by the same gender for the way they obtain the control. Another woman who …show more content…
Cholly “dropped his seeds,” his sperm, “in his own pot of black dirt,” his own daughter (Morrison 6). By introducing Pecola’s suffering, the author makes the reader question who is to blame for her rape throughout the novel. Pecola’s parents could be seen as the ones responsible for their daughter’s suffering. Morrison takes away some of the blame by making the reader consider their difficult upbringing as a possible reason for their neglect. Cholly grew up without either of his parents. At the age of thirteen, he has a traumatic incident with his first sexual experience when two white hunters force Cholly to rape Darlene. Cholly is humiliated and at the end he “[cultivates] his hatred of Darlene” for “not [being] able to protect” her (Morrison 151). The hatred towards Darlene expands to hatred for all women. Cholly’s bad experience is the reason he is seen as an oppressor to his wife and eventually his daughter for not being able to have a real emotional connection with his children. One day, Cholly questions “what could a burn-out black man say to the hunched back of his eleven-year-old daughter” as she washes some dishes (Morrison 161). He is confused by knowing that Pecola loves him and he cannot return the love back. The confusion leads to Cholly raping her. Pecola’s first sexual encounter is taken away by her own father. She never had the time to wrap her head around the
Pecola’s eagerness to have blue eyes occurs one day as Cholly and Mrs. Breedlove were fighting. She hides under her covers and prays to God to take her away. In her head, she slowly begins to disappear, …show more content…
They do not have a say in how the white culture dominates their lives, so they pick on each other and attempt to bring down women of economic and social problems. China, Poland, and Miss Marie are three prostitutes in the novel. They play an important role because “these women [hate] men, all men” and make it impossible to be oppressed by them (Morrison 56). These women use their sexuality to have control and express their hate over the “inadequate and weak” because they do not associate sex with romance (Morrison 56). The prostitutes risk expressing their hatred towards men “without shame, apology, or discrimination” by giving other women power (Morrison 56). They lose respect from the women with spotless reputation and begin to lose their self-respect as well. The prostitutes do not have an alternative choice because that is the only way they can make a living, but at least they are not oppressed by men like the other women are. Pecola is very interested in their lifestyle ans does not judge them like everyone else. The prostitutes show a feminist side in which women are willing to risk everything to not be under the oppression of men. The whole purpose of the feminist movement is to stop male oppression and have equal rights. Although, the prostitutes gain a leverage against men, they are criticized by the same gender for the way they obtain the control. Another woman who …show more content…
Cholly “dropped his seeds,” his sperm, “in his own pot of black dirt,” his own daughter (Morrison 6). By introducing Pecola’s suffering, the author makes the reader question who is to blame for her rape throughout the novel. Pecola’s parents could be seen as the ones responsible for their daughter’s suffering. Morrison takes away some of the blame by making the reader consider their difficult upbringing as a possible reason for their neglect. Cholly grew up without either of his parents. At the age of thirteen, he has a traumatic incident with his first sexual experience when two white hunters force Cholly to rape Darlene. Cholly is humiliated and at the end he “[cultivates] his hatred of Darlene” for “not [being] able to protect” her (Morrison 151). The hatred towards Darlene expands to hatred for all women. Cholly’s bad experience is the reason he is seen as an oppressor to his wife and eventually his daughter for not being able to have a real emotional connection with his children. One day, Cholly questions “what could a burn-out black man say to the hunched back of his eleven-year-old daughter” as she washes some dishes (Morrison 161). He is confused by knowing that Pecola loves him and he cannot return the love back. The confusion leads to Cholly raping her. Pecola’s first sexual encounter is taken away by her own father. She never had the time to wrap her head around the