The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
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Morrison's narrative is rich with vivid imagery and profound emotional depth, effectively conveying the trauma inflicted by racism and the damaging effects of cultural standards on self-esteem. The novel is structured through multiple perspectives, including that of Pecola's community, which allows readers to grasp the pervasive nature of discrimination and the longing for validation.
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One of my all time favorites
I won’t say much, but for anyone who hasn’t read this book by now it is a great read and one of my all time faves.
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Great Read
The story is deep and eye opening about how the black community hates it’s own image, but yet contributes to its own hatred.
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The Bluest Eye is This Author's Debut Novel!
In Lorain, Ohio, Pecola Breedlove is an eleven-year-old Black girl who is told often, both directly and indirectly, that she is ugly. Her mother says she was born that way. Pecola prays for her eyes to turn blue. With blue eyes she'll be beautiful. With blue eyes she'll be seen and everything in her world will be different... The Bluest Eye is an authentic snapshot of a young Black girl who is accepting of the harshest of opinions by others, including her family. Told that she is ugly, weak, and without value to the degree that she may become, in her own mind, the person they tell her she is. This powerful debut novel is impossible to walk away from without recognizing the brilliance of this author. Toni Morrison's writing is pure beauty, word after word, but this story will rip you to shreds! The Bluest Eye was first published on June 1, 1970 and favorably reviewed by The New York Times for the author's writing style. The book was slow to take off until City University of New York, along with various other colleges, placed The Bluest Eye on its new Black Studies reading list resulting in a positive lift in sales. I highly recommend this book to everyone who can read, in whatever format suits your fancy! 5 beautifully written stars! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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Truly excellent novel; her best work
This was the first book I read by Toni Morrison. Since, I've read Sula, tried to start Beloved, and picked up Song of Solomon. But "The Bluest Eye" is a masterpiece. I won't go over the synopsis. What I loved about this was Morrison's ability to show how people get to be the way they are. It's so easy to create a villain without any context, but now I see how lazy that is. Many people have said the content is disturbing, triggering, and disgusting. But I found it fascinating (yet troubling) how she was able to get into the father's mind in the end. And doesn't all good literature make us a little uncomfortable? I've never had a beach read make me feel queasy because those light books aren't asking hard questions. Books like this are. She writes this story unapologetically and I can't help but appreciate it. Stories such as this get us to see the world through a different lens and I think we need more work like this.
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Insightful and Somber Book, Must Read
The Bluest Eye deals with numerous, heart-wrenching, jaw-dropping social issues from the 1940s, but does so with the grace and hindsight of a far more progressive era, the 1970s. The book does not shy away from the brutal truth in which it portrays its characters. By doing so it creates grounded, and believable characters that are complete and of the era. It is a great read for anyone interested. Beginning with the perspective and method of portraying racial and social issues, Morrison uses a hyper-realistic and psychological approach to the characters and how they interact/feel about one another. She achieves this by exposing the inner turmoil within the black population of Middle America in the 1940s, a feat only achievable when interpreting history, rather than experiencing it firsthand. Morrison creates the title topic of the book, using Pecola’s wish to have blue eyes as a catalyst for the later revelation about white beauty standards within America’s black population. Page 90 of the novel demonstrates Morrison’s expertise when she references the eyes of Geraldine’s cat. “He was black all over, deep silky black, and his eyes, pointing down towards his nose, were bluish-green.” In this scene, the cat is a not-so-subtle analogy to Pecola, this time with blue eyes, in contrast to Pecola’s own eyes. The cat is a figure that craves and receives Geraldine’s attention, just like how Pecola wishes to attract her mother’s attention. The difference between the cat and Pecola, however, is the blue eyes. For Pecola, blue eyes represent a solution to all of her problems. The reader knows that in the context of the 1970s, Pecola’s wish for blue eyes is merely a white beauty standard being forced upon her. A similar method can be seen on page 36. “And the joylessness stank, pervading everything.” This short quote is used to describe the decrepit Breedlove household. It demonstrates their dire situation while contributing to material ideals that they believe in. This desire is not dissimilar to Pecola’s thirst for Blue eyes. The thoughtful imagery along with intense commentary about black turmoil is one of the main insights that The Bluest Eye has to offer, and they contribute to its status as a must-read. All of the analysis into beauty standards and racial divide would be for naught if the characters in The Bluest Eye were not written well and realistically. Fortunately, Morrison excels at writing grounded characters within groundbreaking stories. The first example of one of these characters is Pecola’s mother. “. . . acquired virtues that were easy to maintain; assigned herself a role in the scheme of things;” (126). The short quote about Pauling demonstrates her loss of purpose and individuality for a new purpose, raising her children. In doing so, however, she lost what made her unique. Through other characters in the story, the reader begins to see this as a common theme, especially in the time period. Pecola’s father is another example of a very grounded and visceral character, as seen on page 148. “Cholly. . . looked at Darlene. He hated her. He almost wished he could do it. . . he hated her so much.” This scene serves to ground Cholly as a realistic character by demonstrating how he unhealthily deals with trauma by directing his anger towards someone who does not deserve it, a common practice that real people use in various situations. Techniques and insight like the ones referenced above are exactly why The Bluest Eye is a must-read
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The beginnings of genius
I read this novel to fill a gap in my literary history. Despite having read many of Morrison’s novels, I had never read this one—her first. Although it does not display the artistry and insight that her later novels would (*Beloved* remains my all-time favorite of her novels as well as one of my all-time favorites overall), the risks she takes here with narrative perspective, voice, imagery, and taboo subject matter (such as rape and incest) reveal the imminent magnificence that would later earn her the Nobel Prize.
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Best book I've ever read!
My boyfriend recommended this book to me when he read it for school so I had to read it on my own. Morrison provides a blunt explanation of what it's like to be an African American during the time period. She sheds light on the standard of beaut, life in poverty, and hardships that sadly people face all over the world. I'd recommend this book to anyone who is passionate about civil rights, or could even relate to not fitting the modern beauty standard. This book is eye opening.
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