Introduction
The Bluest Eye is a great fictional story written by Toni Morrison that delves into the lives and attitudes of several characters. The novel is set in Lorain, Ohio, in the early 1940s, just before the U. S. joined WWII, and explores the themes of beauty, race, and identity. The book is centered on the visual interactions and descriptions of the characters’ eyes, which act as a lens that reveals much about their connections and experiences.
The book narrates how the characters carry an exceptional view of how they see themselves and the world, and how the world views them. The characters’ perspectives vary greatly and are mainly shaped by societal norms, personal experiences, and racial biases. The novel explores how several characters struggle with their sense of self-worth and how they believe the world perceives them. The story captures the characters’ convoluted web of visual interactions, which divulge profound connotations into their self-perception, stance on the world, and perception of how the world judges them. It highlights the pervasive influence of racial biases and societal standards on personal identities.
Visual Interactions of Eyes and the Characters
The Bluest Eye revolves around Pecola Breedlove, who is the main character. She is a young African-American girl who struggles with self-esteem and desires to have blue eyes. Pecola believes the eyes will enhance her beauty and boost her approval in a world that adores whiteness. According to Morrison, Pecola has “big, round, and shiny black” eyes that reflect her vulnerability and innocence (35). Her desire to have blue eyes exposes the damaging effects of internalized racism and societal beauty standards, contributing to the degradation of Pecola’s self-worth.
The eyes also play a key role in revealing much about Pauline Breedlove, Pecola’s mother. Pauline encounters hardships and disappointments in life that cause her eyes to transform from being lively and expressive to dull and resigned. Morrison states that her eyes become “lazy and uncaring,” which shows how she gets detached and loses her dreams (41). Her visions help to show the stifling effects of societal expectations and the corrosive impact of poverty on personal aspirations.
Furthermore, Pecola’s father, Cholly Breedlove, flaunts a distinct element of visual interaction through his eyes, which are filled with anger. He has a stern gaze filled with resentment and distress, and mirrors his experiences of poverty, racial bigotry, and abandonment, according to Sofiani et al. Cholly’s view is based on a jittery past that impacts his actions and ability to relate with others (257). His eyes uncover the deep hurts he holds and the destructive cycle of violence and decay that eternalizes itself through generations.
The power of the eye to see and be seen is evident in Claudia MacTeer, Pecola’s friend. In this case, Morrison indicates that her eyes were “intense and curious, like that of a watchful observer” (48). She has a critical gaze reminiscent of someone questioning the world around her and the tyrannical norms inflicted upon her and others. Claudia’s eyes characterize her defiance against sexism and racism that devalue and marginalize black girls like Pecola. She opposes societal norms through her unwavering gaze, which shows resistance and strength.
Another perspective on visual interactions and their exposure is manifest through Soaphead Church. He is white and proclaims to be a “reader of souls” who is proud of his capacity to sense people’s true nature through their eyes (Sofiani et al. 257). Nevertheless, his eyes show that he is manipulative and sinister, as his eyes portray his predatory and deceitful nature. Soaphead’s eyes show the risk of false perceptions and the damaging effects of using personal impressions to judge others.
The general theme of sight and blindness helps to show the characters’ emotional and psychological states. Mrs. MacTeer, Claudia’s mother, appears to be nurturing and compassionate, as she has kind eyes that deliver solace and support. Other characters, such as Maureen Peal, have eyes that lack depth and seriousness and show their detachment and superficiality from their cultural heritage.
Characters and How They See Themselves
In The Bluest Eye, some characters have differing views regarding who they are. Pecola considers herself unlovable and unworthy, as she is constantly mistreated and ridiculed. She deeply believes she is ugly, partly due to her dysfunctional family and the dominant societal beauty standards that devalue Blackness.
Pecola internalizes self-hatred and racism around her, so she longs to have blue eyes to attain validation and approval. Pauline also has a distorted view of herself due to a devastating childhood accident she was involved in. As a result, she gets affected physically and emotionally and acquires a sense of inferiority (Morrison 24). Pauline’s low self-esteem manifests in her unending quest for perfection and cleanliness at home while neglecting her needs. She finds solace at the workplace, where she takes care of a white family, further reinforcing the racial rankings and exacerbating her feelings of being inadequate.
Geraldine, a middle-class African-American woman, also exemplifies internalized classism and racism toward the Black community. She considers herself superior to those she considers below her socially and economically. The lady strives to alienate herself from her Blackness and hates anything different from the idealized beauty standards. Her view of self is rooted in the desire to assimilate into the dominant white culture, so she rejects those who do not conform to those ideals.
Cholly’s view of self is shaped by the racial oppression he endured and the trauma he has experienced (Morrison 63). He has a distorted view of himself and becomes abusive to his family. He encounters racism that deeply affects him, causing him to develop self-destructive tendencies and contributing to his overall sense of worthlessness.
However, Claudia defies the pervasive ideals of beauty set by society. She considers that she is unique and values her Black identity. She develops a strong sense of self and challenges the oppressive beauty standards that Pecola desires to embrace. Claudia rejects the belief that beauty correlates to being white and having blue eyes and chooses to embrace her features and celebrate her heritage.
Characters and Their View of the World
Aside from the characters’ view of themselves, they also view the world in particular ways, given the environment. Her constant ridicule and internalized self-hatred influence Pecola’s worldview due to her appearance. She considers the world hostile to her as it deprives her of humanity and reinforces the belief that her worth is tied to her physical appearance.
Her mother also has a distorted view of the world, influenced by her feelings of inadequacy. She idealizes white beauty ideals and internalizes the thinking that she is inadequate due to her dark skin and physical imperfections. Pauline believes that blending into the standards set by the whites would grant her a feeling of belonging and assurance. Geraldine also actively distances herself from the Black community and embraces white norms of beauty and superiority (Sofiani et al. 257). She strives to stand by a semblance of decency, views the world through social status, and constantly reinforces the regimens within her community.
On the other hand, Claudia opposes society’s narrow descriptions of beauty and, at the same time, offers a contrasting viewpoint. She sees the world through a critical and unfiltered eye and recognizes the unfairness and pretense around her. Despite being innocent and defiant, Claudia opposes the established norms and discards the urge that beauty defines a person’s value (Morrison 32).
Cholly has deep-seated pain and bitterness resulting from his traumatic experiences. He suffered racial discrimination and childhood abandonment and lacked guidance from a healthy role model. He considers the world hostile and uncaring, which causes him to perpetuate cycles of violence and abuse.
The Characters and the Beliefs of How the World Views Them
The influences the characters experience cause them to think that the world views them in different ways. Pecola believes the world considers her worthless and ugly because she is dark and poor and has kinky hair. She stands by the societal descriptions of beauty that prioritize white traits, such as blue eyes, as the hallmarks of desirability.
The main character thinks she can overcome her inferiority by having blue eyes that make her more acceptable and loved. The unending bombardment of negative statements from peers, the media, and some family members reinforces her feeling undesirable and unattractive. Morrison states that Pecola’s mother, Pauline, struggles with self-worth as she believes she is inferior to her white employers, which causes her to internalize racial and class hierarchy (52). She believes that her physical outlook, including her crooked limb, makes her look unattractive and unworthy of love and respect.
Claudia provides a contrasting perspective by resisting the global descriptions of standards. She opposes the notion that blue eyes represent beauty and chooses to hail her uniqueness and Blackness. However, Claudia recognizes that the world exerts societal pressures on her position, and she sometimes struggles with her insecurities. Pecola’s father, Cholly, considers that the world pictures him as a disappointment. He is infuriated with anger, is violent, self-loathing, lacks self-control, and carries a deep shame (Sofiani et al. 257). His belief in being worthless leads him to perpetuate the pattern of abuse and negligence in his family.
Conclusion
In general, the visual interactions described in The Bluest Eye describe the characters’ inner desires, lives, and efforts. They provide perceptions of the characters’ experiences, social conditioning, and the oppressive habitat in which they live. Pecola longs for blue eyes, Claudia has a defiant gaze, Cholly manifests bitterness, Pauline has relinquished eyes, and Soaphead uses eyes for manipulation. The descriptions provide an overview of how the characters perceive themselves based on race and societal standards prevalent in their environment. These viewpoints lead to internal conflicts and struggles with identity, beauty, and self-worth.
The story depicts the devastating consequences of striving for unattainable beauty and exposes the damaging effects of oppressive social norms on individual self-perception and relationships. The characters’ perceptions impose on them an intense feeling of self-hatred, low self-esteem, and a constant desire for validation. It shows the damage caused by some characters’ need to fit into the narrow decay of what is deemed desirable in their world.
Works Cited
Morrison, Toni. The Bluest Eye. London Vintage, 1970.
Sofiani, Nana, et al. “The Influence of Social Contexts towards the Identity Development of the Main Character in the Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison.” Lingua Cultura, vol. 13, no. 4, 2019, p. 257, Web.