The Bluest Eye Review

The Bluest Eye was written by Toni Morrison, the first African American woman to receive the Noble Prize for Literature (and rightfully so in my opinion). This is the first novel I’ve read from Oprah’s Book Club and I can see why she selected it. The novel brings issues of white supremacy and race to the forefront. The story takes place in Lorain, Ohio, where Morrison herself grew up.

The Bluest Eye tells the story of 11-year-old Pecola Breedlove, a black child who fantasizes about having blue eyes, which are symbolic of American white beauty. She is enchanted by Shirley Temple, a child star who defines this beauty with her blond hair and blue eyes. Pecola thinks that people might love her and treat her differently if she has blue eyes.

Pecola idolizes Shirley Temple, but her best friend Claudia despises her and doesn’t understand the novelty of white dolls. Everyone tells her that they are beautiful, but she can’t seem to find this beauty.

Pecola’s parents don’t treat their children the way they should, and this may be a reflection of their own childhood experiences. Mrs. Breedlove puts her boss’s white daughter on a pedestal and beats her own daughter, Pecola. Mr. Breedlove (Cholly) sexually assaults Pecola, his own child, practically destroying her inside and taking her life away from her.

The entire story is really a tragedy and was hard to read at times. However, in today’s world, I feel that stories and movies usually end “happily ever after.” As much as these tales make everyone smile and go about their daily lives, it was refreshing to read something “real. Morrison didn’t write a happy twist at the end of her novel. She kept it honest, and left me thinking about the issues she presented.

In class we discussed Morrison’s target audience for her first book, and we do not fit into this demographic. However, I feel that anyone who reads this book will benefit from looking into the real issue of race in this country. Just as Pecola dreamt about “ideal American beauty,” we still do this in 2007. Don’t we as a society, strive to be like the rich and famous? I think it is important for us to realize that beauty does not equal happiness and we are all individuals.