Introduction
Morrison details the lifestyles, complaints, and sense of self-identity of black women in The Bluest Eye. Morrison’s concern with form is seen in the structuring of the story, which offers the reader certain interpretations while simultaneously implying completion and a conclusion. Because of the false societal beliefs and aspirations that the white world has imposed, many black female characters believe they fall short of beauty standards.
Main Body
The story portrays cultural domination as a conflict between two opposing realities, each whose validity is defended. The premise of an authoritative and inherently persuasive distinction between white civilization and the black community is illustrated in the story. The battle between two worlds in “The Bluest Eye” shows how black characters feel cut off from white society. Morrison demonstrates how a black girl must find someone like her to deal with loneliness through the character Pecola. These characteristics are seen as feminine and represent what is suppressed in the culture. While sensory control is the fundamental element, stability, and security are important concerns since “women like her never seem to have boyfriends, but they always get married” (Morrison 69). This essentially symbolizes the perception and self-identities of many black women of that time.
As Morrison attempts to show, the idea of beauty is nothing but an ideology placed on society that prevents black women from being able to compete with white women. False societal ideals, according to Morrison, are shackling society and denying black women the opportunity to feel equal to white women and conform to the standard of American beauty. A revolt against societally prescribed social roles emphasizes the tension that the neighborhood fosters between white and black girls. This notion of beauty symbolizes the rise of a female-centered awareness as Morrison put it, “Adults, older girls, shops, magazines, newspapers, shop window signs – the whole world agreed that a blue-eyed, yellow-haired, pink-skinned doll is what every girl cherishes” (Morrison 71) by challenging beauty standards, addressing the problem of female connection in the text, and, most crucially, by portraying a rebellious protagonist.
Despite being mentioned in the book as a community component, women in the novel have rejected the social conventions. They cause issues essentially unconnected to the book’s main theme. What is highlighted is their complete economic and sexual independence, which is significant when looking at another group of women. It was reflected and seen as “their lives were synthesized – a mixture of tragedy and humor, depravity and serenity, truth and fantasy” (Morrison 109). Pecola’s life story demonstrates the need for warm and intimate connections with others to integrate into society and the local community. Due to their emphasis on the feminine, these episodes readily fit into the novel’s ideological theme but also provide gaps in the text. They add to the general picture of black culture as aspects of actual life but as particular expressions of women’s lives.
Conclusion
Overall, social inequalities and poor body image can cause communal divide and rejection of the individual, leading to serious consequences. Pecola’s story and other black women demonstrate that no one should ever feel alone. Although the black women in the book appear to embody the African American cultural ideal, they also alter the attention by bringing up the subject of female beauty.
Work Cited
Morrison, Toni. The Bluest Eye. Washington Square Press, 1970.
