The two novels “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison and “Bastard Out of Carolina” by Dorothy Allison touch on social problems that have developed due to a racist, classist, and sexist society. The main characters in the novels, Pecola Breedlove and Ruth Anne “Bone” Boatwright suffer similar traumatic experiences despite their differences in physical appearance. Throughout the analysis, I will demonstrate the role that race, family structure, class, and power play in Pecola and Bone’s lives.
Pecola, a dark skinned Black girl from Lorain, Ohio, lives in a storefront house with her parents, Cholly and Pauline Breedlove, and older brother, Sammy Breedlove. Throughout the novel, Pecola does not come into contact with many white people, which is understandable since the story takes place in the 1940’s when segregation was widespread throughout the nation. However, there is one instance where Pecola walks to the other side of town to Yacobowski 's Fresh Veg. Meat and Sundries Store to buy Mary Janes. As she goes to the counter, Mr.Yacobowski, a white immigrant, looks down at her and …show more content…
It is evident that Pecola does not have the kind of relationships Bone has with her family members. When Bone is being abused, her family is there to take her in, specifically her aunt Raylene. However, when Pecola gets molested and impregnated by her father, there is no one there to help her. Rather, her mother beats her. Although Pecola does not have family outside of her parents and brother, she has people in her town who could have stood up for her. More readily, they sit around and gossip about how ugly Pecola’s unborn child is doomed to be and question why she did not fight back. There is no display of compassion for Pecola from the townspeople, which is an example of how important community support is as
Pecola, a dark skinned Black girl from Lorain, Ohio, lives in a storefront house with her parents, Cholly and Pauline Breedlove, and older brother, Sammy Breedlove. Throughout the novel, Pecola does not come into contact with many white people, which is understandable since the story takes place in the 1940’s when segregation was widespread throughout the nation. However, there is one instance where Pecola walks to the other side of town to Yacobowski 's Fresh Veg. Meat and Sundries Store to buy Mary Janes. As she goes to the counter, Mr.Yacobowski, a white immigrant, looks down at her and …show more content…
It is evident that Pecola does not have the kind of relationships Bone has with her family members. When Bone is being abused, her family is there to take her in, specifically her aunt Raylene. However, when Pecola gets molested and impregnated by her father, there is no one there to help her. Rather, her mother beats her. Although Pecola does not have family outside of her parents and brother, she has people in her town who could have stood up for her. More readily, they sit around and gossip about how ugly Pecola’s unborn child is doomed to be and question why she did not fight back. There is no display of compassion for Pecola from the townspeople, which is an example of how important community support is as