Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye: Racism and Self Worth
Ever since the beginning of American history, race has played a role on how people view themselves, whites being the higher value versus blacks. In Toni Morrison’s novel, The Bluest Eye, Morrison unveils the values of the social community and how white standards affect how African-Americans value themselves. The life of Pecola Breedlove depicts how the social pedestal can make a 12 year old black girl feel unloved, and ultimately corrupt her life at a young age. Morrison also shows the ultimate breakdown of internalized and institutionalized racism, which is huge on how other characters in the novel see their own race and how they see themselves versus others during the time period of the …show more content…
To actually feel beautiful and worthy at the young age of twelve, Pecola felt as if she needed blue eyes. “Having absorbed the idea that she is ugly…, Pecola desperately wants the blue eyes that she understands will make a child lovable in American society” (Kubitschek 35). The racist pressures of society has corrupted Pecola, she has assumed that she is not worthy of love because she doesn’t look how white people look. The feeling of being unloved and ugly will make you want to be whatever you feel will make you acceptable. “Morrison shows how society inflicts on its members an inappropriate standard of beauty and worth” (Anthony 795). White supremacy plays a role in the white standard, white people believed that they were better, prettier, and more worthy of a loving life than blacks at the time. Everyone in society then comes to believe that you need to have blonde hair and blue eye to be worth something. Pecola glorified the white standard. She idolized Mary Jane candies and enjoyed staring at the blue eyes of Shirley Temple, because she wanted to look just like …show more content…
People listened and glorified the thought that white beauty was the highest beauty and the worthiest of a loving life. White standards in society corrupts the mind of Pecola Breedlove, her parents, and others in their community. The self-esteem issues displayed by Morrison in the novel were caused by the idea that people needed blue eyes, an obsession which led Pecola to go crazy. Starting at home and then throughout all other interactions in her life, Pecola, desired blue eyes even more each day. The obtainment of the blue eyes didn’t add to Pecola’s worth as a person, her being happy with the way she looked added to her worth. “In Pecola’s era, America was bombarded with images of idealized whiteness” (Gantt 258). Racism deteriorated people’s self-esteem, setting pedestals that only white people could achieve, in which they frowned upon those in the story who weren’t like them. Racist standards are destructive to one’s self
Ever since the beginning of American history, race has played a role on how people view themselves, whites being the higher value versus blacks. In Toni Morrison’s novel, The Bluest Eye, Morrison unveils the values of the social community and how white standards affect how African-Americans value themselves. The life of Pecola Breedlove depicts how the social pedestal can make a 12 year old black girl feel unloved, and ultimately corrupt her life at a young age. Morrison also shows the ultimate breakdown of internalized and institutionalized racism, which is huge on how other characters in the novel see their own race and how they see themselves versus others during the time period of the …show more content…
To actually feel beautiful and worthy at the young age of twelve, Pecola felt as if she needed blue eyes. “Having absorbed the idea that she is ugly…, Pecola desperately wants the blue eyes that she understands will make a child lovable in American society” (Kubitschek 35). The racist pressures of society has corrupted Pecola, she has assumed that she is not worthy of love because she doesn’t look how white people look. The feeling of being unloved and ugly will make you want to be whatever you feel will make you acceptable. “Morrison shows how society inflicts on its members an inappropriate standard of beauty and worth” (Anthony 795). White supremacy plays a role in the white standard, white people believed that they were better, prettier, and more worthy of a loving life than blacks at the time. Everyone in society then comes to believe that you need to have blonde hair and blue eye to be worth something. Pecola glorified the white standard. She idolized Mary Jane candies and enjoyed staring at the blue eyes of Shirley Temple, because she wanted to look just like …show more content…
People listened and glorified the thought that white beauty was the highest beauty and the worthiest of a loving life. White standards in society corrupts the mind of Pecola Breedlove, her parents, and others in their community. The self-esteem issues displayed by Morrison in the novel were caused by the idea that people needed blue eyes, an obsession which led Pecola to go crazy. Starting at home and then throughout all other interactions in her life, Pecola, desired blue eyes even more each day. The obtainment of the blue eyes didn’t add to Pecola’s worth as a person, her being happy with the way she looked added to her worth. “In Pecola’s era, America was bombarded with images of idealized whiteness” (Gantt 258). Racism deteriorated people’s self-esteem, setting pedestals that only white people could achieve, in which they frowned upon those in the story who weren’t like them. Racist standards are destructive to one’s self