Racism in “The Bluest Eye” Several examples of racism are encompassed in The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison. Characters who are members of the black community are forced to accept their status as the “others”, or “outsiders”, which has been imposed on them by the white community.
In turn, blacks assign this status to other individuals within the lighter-skinned black community. In this novel, characters begin to internalize the racism presented by these people, and feel inferior. The stereotype torments them mentally, and in some cases, to the point of insanity.The character most affected by racism is Pecola Breedlove. Pecola Breedlove’s character is defined by several different types of racism. It is present in her family, especially her parents, from school, and from society, where white children are considered to be “more important” than black children.
Pecola is so accustomed to the racism that she faces every day, that she internalizes it, and develops a desire for blue eyes. This desire stems from the fact that blue eyes are the eyes of white person.Pecola is taunted by the children at school and in the community on several occasions. One example of this occurred when a group of boys made fun of her, saying, “She also knew that when one of the girls at school wanted to be particularly insulting to a boy, or wanted to get an immediate response from him, she could say. ‘Bobby loves Pecola Breedlove! Bobby loves Pecola Breedlove! ’ and never fail to get peals of laughter from those in earshot, and mock anger from the accused. ” Although her classmates are black, they make fun of her anyway.
It is an effect of internalized racism. Pecola's classmates also insult her black skin by saying "Black e mo. Black e mo. Yadaddysleepsnekked …" to which Morrison adds, “They had extemporized a verse made up of two insults about matters over which the victim had no control: the color of her skin and speculations on the sleeping habits of an adult , wildly fitting in its incoherence. That they themselves were black, or that their own father had similarly relaxed habits, was irrelevant.
It was their contempt for their own blackness that gave the first insult its teeth. ” Another instance in which Pecola is racially abused is when she goes to play at Geraldine’s son’s house. They are another black family in the community of Lorain, Ohio. The black boy accidentally kills his cat and blames it on young Pecola. Geraldine comes home and discovers what has allegedly happened, and takes out her anger on Pecola, “You nasty little black bitch. Get out of my house.
.. ” Geraldine also has internalized racism that she has faced, and hates Pecola because of it.This strengthens Pecola’s belief that she is ugly, and her desire for the blue eyes of a white person. Pecola further experiences racism in her family life. Pecola’s mother, Pauline Breedlove, works as a service woman for a white family.
One day, Pecola goes to work with her mother to assist her, and accidentally knocks a pie onto the kitchen floor. The white girl that Mrs. Breedlove cares for noted the incident and cried. Because of this, Mrs. Breedlove yells at Pecola, “Crazy fool… my floor, mess… look what you…” At the same time, she comforts the little white girl.
To her, she says, “Hush. Don’t worry none. ” Not only does Pecola have to deal with racism from her peers, but from her own flesh and blood, her mother. Other characters are involved in similar racial conflicts like Pecola’s, such as Louis Jr. , Soaphead Church, Pauline, and Cholly.
Each black character internalizes these instances and builds up an aggression on the inside. Some take it out on other people, and some take it out on themselves. Racism becomes one of the most critical themes in the novel and causes the most destruction.In The Bluest Eye, the reader can see how Toni Morrison demonstrates the effects of racism on the black community.
In Pecola’s case, she is driven to the edge of insanity, where she longs to be a white person with beautiful blue eyes, and who lives in a world where racism does not exist. She longs for that world where nobody will hurt her anymore because she is not one of the “others”. White people did not have to deal with the same dilemmas as black people did, and could never understand the consequences of being black.
