Main Characters: Characterization
Pecola Breedlove, the eleven year old protagonist who narrates
the story. She grows up in a poor Black community during the early 1940s. She
lives with her abusive father, Cholly Breedlove, who is also an alcoholic, and
her mother Pauline Breedlove. Pecola is constantly called ugly amongst all the
characters in the book, even her mother. Throughout the novel, Pecola fantasizes
about becoming more beautiful, which to her meant being white with blue eyes.
Pecola has to move in with the MacTeers after her father tries to burn down the
house. There she meets her two best friends, Claudia and Frieda. By the end of
the story, she escapes reality by convincing herself that she has blue eyes and
that she is beautiful.
- "It had occurred to Pecola some time ago that If her eyes, those that held the picture, and
knew the sights- if those eyes of hers were different, that is to say, beautiful, she herself
would be different."
Claudia Macteer, the narrator of the story, she is nine years old and is the best
friend of the protagonist Pecola. Claudia and her sister Frieda both belong to a
practical white family. She can be described as a self-determined young lady who
hates the society’s ideal of beauty.
Cholly Breedlove, the father of Pecola Breedlove who is an abusive alcoholic to
both her and her mother. He tries to burn the house down which is why Pecola had to move. As a child he had a distorted image
of his mother which affected him later on, hence the rape of his daughter and the domestic violence. Cholly loves Pecola but the only way he can express his love is by a display of madness and affection which is why he rapes her.
Sammy Breedlove is Precola’s brother who also believes that he is ugly because he is Black. He is prone to running away when his dysfunctional family becomes too much to bear.
Pauline Breedlove, the mother of Pecola Breedlove and
wife of Cholly Breedlove. She is subject to abuse From Her from her husband while
raising two children. As a child, stepped
on a nail which left her foot deformed. When Pecola was born, she had decided that she
was ugly. She treats her cruelly and is ashamed of her ugliness. In some way,
Pauline is just Like her daughter pecola because they both longed to be "beautiful".
Theme
In Toni Morrison’s acclaimed novel, The Bluest Eye, which takes place during the early 1940s, shows many prevalent themes present during the time period. One of the more conspicuous themes of the novel would be appearance. Through the novel, the protagonist, Pecola Breedlove, a young black girl, struggles with her appearance. She associates beauty with being white and having blue eyes. The novel consistently brings up common white women of the generation such as Shirley Temples. At one particular point in the book, Pecola is having snack with her two best friends, Claudia and Freida, she is sipping out of a cup with Shirley Temple’s face on it. She believed that she was inheriting some of Shirley’s beauty. Pecola is constantly called ugly by her peers and even her own mother. Throughout the whole novel, she believed that having blue eye would make her beautiful which would make her life easier. The blue eyes symbolize the racism of young African-Americans and the envy of white people during the time. Another prevalent theme of the novel would be femininity. Many types of women are shown in the novel, from prostitutes to house maids. The Bluest Eye is mainly concerned with the different experiences of African-American women during the time period. It also presents the different expectations of the women such
as the culture of the women, playing with dolls and associating with feminine
magazines.
as the culture of the women, playing with dolls and associating with feminine
magazines.
Conflicts Between the Characters
In The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, one of the obvious conflicts
is racism between the blacks and the whites in the novel. Although slavery had
long ago been abolished, racism was still alive and thriving in Lorain, Ohio.
Many of the blacks still worked under whites, such as house maids. Pecola and
her mother both have had conflicts with white people through the course of the
novel. Throughout the novel, whenever there is a conversation between a white
person and a black person, the whites freely use the word “nigger” when
referring to a black person. In one particular case; Pecola is called a “black
bitch”. The black people are forced to believe that they are inferior to the white people in standards and
looks. All of the main characters have internal conflicts that affect the other.
is racism between the blacks and the whites in the novel. Although slavery had
long ago been abolished, racism was still alive and thriving in Lorain, Ohio.
Many of the blacks still worked under whites, such as house maids. Pecola and
her mother both have had conflicts with white people through the course of the
novel. Throughout the novel, whenever there is a conversation between a white
person and a black person, the whites freely use the word “nigger” when
referring to a black person. In one particular case; Pecola is called a “black
bitch”. The black people are forced to believe that they are inferior to the white people in standards and
looks. All of the main characters have internal conflicts that affect the other.
Tone/ Mood
The tone of The Bluest Eye is a mixture of depression and innocence. Pecola had just begun her
period which unwillingly forces her into maturity. Throughout the novel, she
sees herself as ugly which hinders her from living her life to the fullest. She
is also depressed because she can’t achieve her dreams of having blue eyes.
Besides self-loathing, Pecola doesn’t receive the proper love and care from her
family which deepens her depression. Pecola is robbed of her innocence when she
is raped by her father, Cholly Breedlove. Because her father didn’t know how to
express his love as a father, he expressed it the only way he knew how. He
damages the form of child he once saw himself as.
period which unwillingly forces her into maturity. Throughout the novel, she
sees herself as ugly which hinders her from living her life to the fullest. She
is also depressed because she can’t achieve her dreams of having blue eyes.
Besides self-loathing, Pecola doesn’t receive the proper love and care from her
family which deepens her depression. Pecola is robbed of her innocence when she
is raped by her father, Cholly Breedlove. Because her father didn’t know how to
express his love as a father, he expressed it the only way he knew how. He
damages the form of child he once saw himself as.
Plot Summary
In Loraine, Ohio during the Great Depression, The
Bluest Eye, tells of an eleven year old girl who struggles with her
appearance. Precola Breedlove longs to be deemed beautiful which means to be
white with blue eyes. She lives with her father Cholly Breedlove, her mother,
Pauline Breedlove and her brother Sammy Breedlove. Both of her parents are
abusive towards her, her father physically and her mother emotionally. Her
father attempts to burn down their house which results in Pecola having to move
out and into the MacTeer’s home.
Pecola befriends two white sister, Claudia and Frieda, who both
hate society’s ideal of “beauty”.
During this time, Pecola menstruates for the first time which allows her to
become impregnated by her father later on in the novel. She moves back in with
her family who are even more rambunctious and violent. Both of her parents
physically fight each other which often resulted in her brother running away
from home. Her mother takes refuge in the aspects of white people and believes
that Christianity will solve her problems. To escape her troubled parents,
Pecola often went upstairs to the prostitutes that lived above her. The women
told her stories of love and sex.
By the end of the novel, Pecola is insane. She is told by a
fortune-teller that she can have blue eyes if she takes out the task of killing
a dog. The killing of the dog does nothing She befriends an imaginary friend
whom helps her convince herself that she actually has blue eyes. Pecola spends
the rest of her life as a madwoman, only associating with the imaginary friend.
Bluest Eye, tells of an eleven year old girl who struggles with her
appearance. Precola Breedlove longs to be deemed beautiful which means to be
white with blue eyes. She lives with her father Cholly Breedlove, her mother,
Pauline Breedlove and her brother Sammy Breedlove. Both of her parents are
abusive towards her, her father physically and her mother emotionally. Her
father attempts to burn down their house which results in Pecola having to move
out and into the MacTeer’s home.
Pecola befriends two white sister, Claudia and Frieda, who both
hate society’s ideal of “beauty”.
During this time, Pecola menstruates for the first time which allows her to
become impregnated by her father later on in the novel. She moves back in with
her family who are even more rambunctious and violent. Both of her parents
physically fight each other which often resulted in her brother running away
from home. Her mother takes refuge in the aspects of white people and believes
that Christianity will solve her problems. To escape her troubled parents,
Pecola often went upstairs to the prostitutes that lived above her. The women
told her stories of love and sex.
By the end of the novel, Pecola is insane. She is told by a
fortune-teller that she can have blue eyes if she takes out the task of killing
a dog. The killing of the dog does nothing She befriends an imaginary friend
whom helps her convince herself that she actually has blue eyes. Pecola spends
the rest of her life as a madwoman, only associating with the imaginary friend.
