The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison - Essay Example

In "The Bluest Eye", Toni Morrison examines the conceptualization of beauty in her Lorain society, especially concerning the low regard for black beauty. In her perspective, Morrison posits that the ‘wastage’ of black beauty has been instigated by cultural biases that elevate the white, middle-class American concept of beauty to the detriment of all other possibilities. In this regard, the "bluest eye" is a metaphor symbolizing the blond American concept of beauty that is erroneously regarded as the standard measure of beauty. The allegedly superior ‘bluest eye’ concept of beauty misleads individuals to scorn the ‘black-skinned’ and the ‘brown-eyed’ concepts as inferior and ridiculous. The ‘bluest eye’ myth is responsible for the wastage of the ‘black-skinned’ and ‘brown-eyed’ concepts of beauty (Leonard), and the predicament that befalls Pecola, the story’s protagonist accordingly.

Having been swayed by the ‘bluest eye’ myth, Pecola is anxious about her inferior beauty (Elliot), and constantly longs for blue eyes, something that she hopes will rid her the societal humiliation. Pecola despises herself as ugly because according to the standards of the ‘bluest eye’ concept of beauty, she is ugly and inferior; she undergoes a lot of suffering due to her ugliness. Pecola is depicted as a victim of circumstances, especially given that the story is told from the innocent and non-judgmental child’s point of view. She is passive, and this makes her not respond to her assaulters, instead, she suffers in silence and prays for divine intervention. According to Pecola, her only salvation lies in the acquisition of the ‘blue eyes’, for the blue eyes would save her from societal scorn and abuse (Elliot). Her dissatisfaction with herself and the accompanying misery culminates in her ultimate destruction; she is sexually assaulted by her father. Pecola’s concept of her beauty has been constructed and imposed upon her by her hostile surroundings; the Lorain society idolizes ‘the bluest eye’ concept of beauty. Pecola is scorned for her ugliness, and this leads her to seclusion because nobody wants to associate with her, except Claudia and Frieda. Through Pecola’s character, Morrison depicts the suffering, self-hatred, and low esteem of the Black community because of its ugliness; however, Pecola’s extreme case is also a consolation to the entire black community. For instance, the entire black community feels beautiful and luckier in comparison to Pecola, and this further highlights the black community’s idolization of the ‘bluest eye’ concept of beauty. Ironically, instead of showing love and being supportive, Pecola’s family plays a leading role in shaping her predicament too; for instance, her mother believes Pecola is ugly, and her whole family takes out their frustrations on her. This further heightens Pecola’s misery especially because everyone around her regards her as ugly.

On the other hand, Claudia is not spared the damaging impact of the ‘bluest eye’ concept of beauty either, but her case is rather fairer because, unlike Pecola, Claudia's stable family supports and loves her (“Chasing Rainbows”). Claudia is an assertive, strong-willed individual; she asserts her beauty by fighting against the hostile society that tries to suppress her based on her blackness. She refuses to submit to society’s scorn and censure against her ‘black-skinned’ and ‘brown-eyed’ beauty, by looking down upon herself. She defends Pecola when she is being taunted by black boys due to her ugliness, in addition to this, she devises a plan to rescue Pecola’s baby from societal scorn and censure. Unlike Pecola who has been swept away by the ‘bluest eye’ concept of beauty, Claudia scorns it; she considers her society’s idolization of white beauty in total disregard of other concepts of beauty as hollow and unfounded. Claudia criticizes the deeply rooted American idolization of blonde beauty as hollow and destructive, especially because it undermines other people’s thoughts and concepts of beauty. Claudia is deeply infuriated by the white’s insistence on the American blonde beauty concept that has been imposed on people. This is highlighted in her rejection of the white doll with ‘hard unyielding limbs’ because she considers it to be an embodiment of a manipulative and reversed system in society (“Chasing Rainbows”).
Having looked at these two characters above, one cannot fail to sympathize with their predicament; the black community’s obsession with the ‘bluest eye’ myth has destroyed the black woman. Read More