The Bluest Eye

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THE BLUEST EYE

The Bluest Eye is a complex book. Substance wise it is a disturbing yet relatively easy read, but Toni Morrison plays with the narrative structure in a way so that complexity is added to the hidden depth of the text. From the beginning to the end of the book, the author takes the reader through a series of point of views that take turns in narrating the story. But by the end of the book, the author leaves the reader unclear on who the actual main character of the book is. Pecola Breedlove, although never the narrator, seems to be the constant victim and equally the main character of the story.

Many readers can see the book as a story about Claudia MacTeer, who is the main narrator of the book, but most everything she narrates has a direct tie to Pecola’s life. From the very start, Claudia describes the home environment in which she lives in. That home environment is linked to how Pecola comes to live with them and what affect the two had on each other. Pecola’s presence slightly foreshadows her future longing for blue eyes by showing the great interest she had in Shirley Temple, who was known for being a pretty white girl. Claudia then goes into a series of stories and descriptions of what type of environment Pecola must live in at her own home. She describes the abandoned store in which the Breedlove family lives in and the terrible condition of the furniture, which reflects the type of family the Breedloves are. Whether it was Claudia or another unknown third person narrator, a specific situation is described in a brutal manner of exactly what type of environment exists in Pecola’s home. The situation was where Cholly and Polly fight each other with little hesitation or thought, and the brief narration ends with how Pecola is affected by such actions. Claudia’s experiences are even more tied to Pecola’s life through the events that occurred with Maureen Peal. Claudia begins describing Maureen as her own enemy but soon enough Maureen is introduced into Pecola’s life along with the point of view she had upon the ugly child. Maureen was fascinated by Pecola, which represents one of the many characters who looked down upon her. Along with the narration of Claudia and the third person, Cholly and Polly have a significant representation in the story.

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