Analysis of The Bluest Eye and Other Works - 2035 Words

The story I read independently is called The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison. The story is told by two narrators: Claudia Macteer who is a grown woman reflecting back on her childhood, and an unknown narrator. This Novel is about how Americas standards of beauty affect African Americans. In this novel the community has accepted blond hair, blue eyes, and light skin, as the only forms of beauty and they pass these beliefs onto their children. This theme is very prevalent in today’s society because the media portrays it often through things like People’s Most Beautiful Woman. Lupita Nyong’o was named peoples most beautiful woman. She is the first Kenyan most beautiful woman as well as the first most beautiful woman with dark skin. When Lupita†¦show more content†¦They both share the themes of how Americas standards of beauty affect African Americans in the bluest eye Claudia remembers being given white baby dolls to play with and how all the adults talked abou t how adorable Shirley Temple and she always wondered what made them so much better. In Their Eyes Were Watching God Janie is held in such high regard in Eatonville primarily because of her looks and praised by Mrs. Turner for her white features (page 144). To strengthen this theme both novels have hair as a symbol. Janies hair is a symbol of her strength and in The Bluest Eye people with straight hair are praised because that is what is seen as beautiful. Also due to both books being about African American woman there is a theme of powerlessness in both novels although Janie did get some power from her Caucasian features, she was still controlled by all three of her husbands in one way or another. Likewise in The Bluest Eye Claudia is powerless because she is a child who is black and poor. This is shown when Claudia talks about how the adults introduced her to strangers as if she was a piece of furniture. When Claudia spoke on how the adults amused Claudia would like a Caucasian ba by doll for Christmas when all she wanted was to hear some music, hold some flowers and eat a peach on Christmas day it reminded me of how Joe Starks brought Janie all of the nice clothing and candyShow MoreRelatedConfronting Social Identities in Society Essay1580 Words   |  7 Pagesmagazines, and even brought into the limelight by celebrities. While Toni Morrison’s â€Å"The Bluest Eye† (1970) and Alice Walker’s â€Å"Everyday Use† (1973) both target ongoing social problems, Morrison structures her story to reveal just how pervasive and destructive social racism is, whereas Alice Walker’s â€Å"Everyday Use† focuses on the character’s conflicting ideas about their identities and heritage. â€Å"The Bluest Eye† is focused on a little girl name Claudia who is confused on why white girls was glorifiedRead MoreSelf-Hatred and the Aesthetics of Beauty in The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison1287 Words   |  6 PagesSelf-Hatred and the Aesthetics of Beauty in The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison Topic: Discuss the issues of self-hatred and the aesthetics of beauty in The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison. What role do they play in the novel and how do they relate to its theme? Self-hatred leads to self-destruction†¦ Self-hatred is something that can thoroughly destroy an individual. 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Through the Big Screen and Flashing Lights In the book The Bluest Eye Mrs. Breedlove talks about who was her motivation, who gave her drive to start dressing up nice and refashioning herself. She started using celebrities as role models or a mirror to help her find ways for her to get the same physical attractiveness they have. In the book Mrs. Breedlove mentions that,†I went to see Clark Gable and Jean Harlow. I fixed my hair up like I’d seen hers on a magazine. A part on the side, with oneRead MoreThe Bluest Eye By Toni Morrison1103 Words   |  5 Pages Toni Morrison is known for her prized works exploring themes and issues that are rampant in African American communities. Viewing Toni Morrison’s novel The Bluest Eye from a psychoanalytical lens sheds light onto how, as members of a marginalized group, character’s low self-esteem reflect into their actions, desires, and defense mechanisms. In her analysis of psychoanalytical criticism, Lois Tyson focuses on psychological defense mechanisms such as selective perception, selective memory, denial