The Bluest Eye, written by Toni Morrison, is a novel that deals with the themes of race, beauty, and self-esteem. Throughout the novel, Morrison uses various symbols to reinforce these themes and to illustrate the experiences of the main character, Pecola Breedlove.
One of the most prominent symbols in The Bluest Eye is the blue eyes that Pecola desires. Pecola believes that if she had blue eyes, she would be beautiful and loved, and her life would be better. However, the blue eyes symbolize more than just physical beauty. They represent the societal standard of beauty that Pecola and other African American characters in the novel are expected to aspire to. The blue eyes represent the whiteness and privilege that Pecola is denied because of her race, and they serve as a reminder of the racism and discrimination that she faces.
Another symbol in The Bluest Eye is the marigold flowers that Pecola's mother, Pauline, plants in the garden. The marigolds symbolize hope and beauty, but they also represent the fragility of those things. The marigolds struggle to grow and eventually die, just as Pecola's hope and sense of self-worth are constantly being challenged and undermined.
The character of Claudia is also a symbol in the novel. Claudia represents the innocence and potential of childhood, but she also represents the resilience and resistance that is possible in the face of adversity. Despite the abuse and neglect that Claudia experiences, she remains determined and optimistic, and she ultimately becomes a source of strength and support for Pecola.
Finally, the theme of self-esteem is symbolized by the dolls that Pecola receives as gifts. The dolls represent the societal expectations of femininity and beauty that Pecola is expected to embody, but they also represent her own internalized self-hatred and lack of self-worth. Pecola's inability to love and care for the dolls reflects her own feelings of worthlessness and her desire to be someone else.
Overall, the symbols in The Bluest Eye serve to reinforce the themes of race, beauty, and self-esteem and to illustrate the experiences of the main character, Pecola Breedlove. Through these symbols, Morrison highlights the ways in which societal standards and expectations can impact and shape an individual's sense of self and worth.
Race and Racism Theme in The Bluest Eye
Breedlove works for a white family, the Fishers. We had defended ourselves since memory against everything and everybody considered all speech a code to be broken by us, and all gestures subject to careful analysis; we had become headstrong, devious, and arrogant. Guileless and without vanity, we were still in love with ourselves then. Symbolically, the marigolds represent the continued wellbeing of nature's order, and the possibility of renewal and birth. Admittedly author Toni Morrison is not one of my favorite writers. Not yet satisfied with her education Morrison decided to also attend Cornell University.
The Bluest Eye, Themes, Motifs & Symbols Literary Devices Essay Example
Dick and Jane are the two main characters of William S. She fervently believes that if she were to have beautiful blue eyes like white girls and women that society idolizes, her life would exponentially improve. . Surprisingly The Bluest Eye quickly became one of my favorites. Dick and Jane Story Allegory The introduction and subsequent bastardization of the Dick and Jane story serves as an allegory for the degradation and fall of the Breedloves, and by extension, real-life black families who also suffer from poverty, dysfunction, and decline. In contrast, when characters experience happiness, it is generally in viscerally physical terms.
The Bluest Eye: Symbols
They were easily identifiable. We are told the story of Schools first sexual experience, which ends when two white men force him to finish having sex while they watch. Bluest Eye s To Pecola, blue eyes symbolize the beauty and happiness that she associates with the white, middle-class world. Like many who read for enjoyment I wanted to see the happy ending. Race is not only defined by the color of one's skin, the shape of one's features, or the texture of one's hair, but also by one's place of origin, socioeconomic class, and educational background. The Dick-and-Jane Narrative The novel opens with a narrative from a Dick-and-Jane reading primer, a reiterative that is distorted when Morrison runs its sentences and then its words together. For instance, symbolism is represented through the blue eyes that is repeatedly mentioned in the novel.
Symbolism In The Bluest Eye
This hopeless desire leads ultimately to madness, suggesting that the fulfillment of the wish for white beauty may be even more tragic than the wish impulse itself. The person who suffers most from white beauty standards is, of course, Pectoral. The most blatant case is Schools rape Of his own daughter, Pectoral, which is, in a sense, a repetition of the sexual humiliation Coolly experienced under the gaze of two racist whites. The young girls of the book do not experience their youth as any other young girl would. The fact that all of these experiences are humiliating and hurtful indicates that sexual coming-of-age is fraught with peril, especially in an abusive environment.
