How Does Toni Morrison Use Metaphors In The Bluest Eye

Junior, Geraldine’s son, loathes this cat, as the text states, “[as Junior] grew older, he learned how to direct his hatred of his mother to the cat, and spent some happy moments watching it suffer” (Morrison 86). This section not only serves as another example of projection from a developing, young, black character, but more importantly, it also sets up the expectation for this cat to be loved. Later in the text, Pecola finally goes to Junior’s home to see the cat, and Junior promptly throws the cat in her face and locks them both in a room (89-90). But as Pecola stays in the sealed room, something odd begins to happen. She looks down at the cat, and the text gives us a description of the cat as “black all over, deep silky black, and his eyes, pointing down toward his nose, were bluish green” (90). Originally, then, the cat’s eyes are described as bluish green—until Pecola sees the light hit them in a certain way, then they shift to blue. The text continues, “The light made them shine like blue ice. Pecola rubbed the cat’s head; he whined, his tongue flicking with pleasure. The blue eyes in the black face held her” (90). Notably, the moment that the light changes the eyes of the cat to blue, Pecola begins to show it affection, and the cat begins to show signs of happiness.

In the novels, The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison and The Things They Carried, by Tim O'Brien, the two authors portray masculine traits through their primary female characters to symbolize a disconnection from society. Morrison portrays Claudia and Pecola as characters that many people can relate to. In the novel, Pecola is criticized for many points that are entirely not her fault such as her looks, her unwanted pregnancy, and the unfeminine way she acts. These criticisms eventually drive Pecola to the point of insanity, where she becomes obsessed with the thought of having idyllic blue eyes although she still possesses “ugly” brown eyes. Claudia is the youngest and exhibits many masculine traits that are viewed negatively among the female figures in her life, making her feel like an outcast. This idea of never being perfect enough is a prominent one throughout the novel and is especially relatable to the modern day female in society due to the immense beauty market that constantly exploits women’s insecurity. Morrison and O’brien show this trope of insecurity through masculine traits in women and how this manifests an “unconventional” personality.

Morrison’s early novels, The Bluest Eye, and Song of Solomon, shared identical themes in which her characters desired to seek achievement. Pecola Breedlove in the novel, The Bluest Eye, aspired to resemble Mary Jane (Shirley Temple). Mary Jane was signified as “real beauty” in the 1940’s. Due to this, Pecola went on a quest in order to be like Mary Jane. She longed to have blue eyes so that she could be classified as “beautiful”.

Throughout Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye, many characters, including Soaphead Church and Geraldine, use Pecola Breedlove to make themselves feel better. Using Pecola as a scapegoat, the other characters justify their shortcomings by comparing themselves to her. When they think about Pecola, the other characters in the book feel superior and thus boost their egos.

            Pecola's friend Claudia is angry at the beauty of whiteness and attempts to dismember white dolls to find where their beauty lies.  There is a sarcastic tone in her voice when she spoke of having

Finding a self-identity is often a sign of maturing and growing up. This becomes the main issue in Toni Morrison’s novel The Bluest Eyes. Pecola Breedlove, Cholly Breedlove, and Pauline Breedlove are such characters that search for their identity through others that has influenced them and by the lifestyles that they have. First, Pecola Breedlove struggles to get accepted into society due to the beauty factor that the norm has. Cholly Breedlove, her father, is a drunk who has problems that he takes out of Pecola sexually and Pauline physically. Pauline is Cholly’s wife that is never there for her daughters.

In order to fulfill her greatest desire of having blue eyes, Pecola decided to seek out Soaphead Church for help. Growing up “ugly” resulted in Pecola having internalized self-hatred. She often sat wondering and “trying to discover the secret of the ugliness, the ugliness that made her ignored and despised at school, by teachers and classmates alike.” To Pecola, eyes were everything; “everything was there, in them” (Morrison 45). Because her eyes were so important, she thought that if her eyes were different– she would be different, too. Pecola thought that this was the key to obtaining the respect that her peers had. Although she did not understand that she was pressured into believing her non-white features, her low self-esteem resulted from these predominantly white beauty standards. Being surrounded by the idealization of white girls with blond hair and blue eyes as the definition of beauty, Pecola began to pray for those blue eyes that were often idolized by whites and blacks alike. In Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, through a marxist point of view, Pecola’s wish for blue eyes depicts beauty as unattainable as long as European beauty standards continue to be idealized.

“The little girl in pink started to cry…the tears of the little pink-and-yellow girl” (Morrison 109). In this passage of The Bluest Eye, Toni Morrison uses a simile and symbolism to show the relationship Mrs. Breedlove had with Pecola. Morrison uses symbolism when she writes “We could hear Mrs. Breedlove hushing and soothing the tears of the little pink-and-yellow girl” (Morrison 109). This shows the difference in the way Pecola was treated compared to the little girl.

The rape of Pecola is a tragic occurrence. In The Bluest Eye, Toni Morrison focuses heavily on the topic of her rape. Morrison shows how the rape has affected Pecola by creating a powerful and compelling tale, allowing the reader to connect with Pecola and better empathize with her. Morrison’s stylistic choices and use of powerful language make her story even more commanding and eye-catching and further the reader’s understanding of Pecola’s misery and their sympathy towards her.

This is heartbreaking, and that's what Morrison wants; Pecola is not the strong defiant Claudia that the reader first meets, she is a child who is been subjected to rejection from all but the

Although Claudia has not given in fully to the pressures of society, Pecola has completely accepted them. She defines beauty as white, blonde haired, and most importantly, blue eyes. Claudia explains how Pecola was “fond of the Shirley Temple cup and took every opportunity to drink milk out of it just to handle and see sweet Shirley’s face”(Morrison, 23). Shirley Temple is an icon to Pecola and many other young girls, and she wishes to be just like her. Pecola sees how loved and respected Shirley is, and associates this with Shirley’s blue eyes. This leads to Pecola’s desire for, and obsession with blue eyes. According to W.E.B. Du Bois, blacks understand what it means to be American in the same way that whites do, but because of their race, are treated much differently. In his writing “The Souls of Black Folk”, he states that he “was different from the others; or like, mayhap, in heart and life and longing, but shut out from their world by a vast veil”(Dubois, 4). Pecola believes that if she were to have blue eyes that she would not only be viewed different by the world, but that she would view the world differently as well. She sees how Shirley Temple is treated by others, and concludes that the reason she is treated so much better must because of her blue eyes, which make her beautiful. As a result, blue eyes become a symbol to Pecola of the happiness and beauty that she associates with the white, middle class world. She wishes to have blue eyes so that she could see the world without the veil shutting her out. By showing the idealization of Shirley Temple, Morrison demonstrates how the media creates a standard of beauty that is impossible for young black females to achieve. Pecola even goes as far as to buy Mary Janes from the candy store, just to admire the pretty little white girl with blue eyes that adorns the wrapper. Pecola’s

The Bluest Eye is a story written by Toni Morrison in 1970. The Bluest Eye gives readers a deep descriptions of the ways white beauty standards deformed the lives of blacks girls and women.provides an extended depiction of the ways in which internalized white beauty standards deform the lives of black girls and women. Pecola let white beauty standards deform her life. People believe that having the “ bluest “ eyes would change the way people viewed her and her view of others. Whiteness being superior is shown throughout the entire text through implicit messages.

Not only is Pecola’s fantasy to have blue eyes continually reinforced by society, but it is further entrenched by the behavior of her parents as well as her own beliefs. When first introducing the Breedlove family, Morrison clearly shows Pecola’s passionate desires: “Each night, without fail, she prayed for blue eyes. Fervently, for a

Pecola is a little black ugly girl as Morrison states in the book The Bluest Eye. In Pecola’s society she’s surrounded by a ridiculous amount of racism and sadness. If the people weren’t light skinned they were automatically known to have a miserable life or be unhappy. This perspective in her society caused her to believe that the only way she will ever be beautiful if she were white and had blue eyes like them. Pecola seeked happiness and peace within herself, but with all that negativity suffocating her there was no way she could find it in that toxic environment. Pecola was affected tragically because everyone saw her ugly not only because of her complexion, but also her round belly that hold the child of her own father.

Pecola uses her desire for blue eyes as a coping mechanism to protect from the pain of neglect she endures from her family