Loss of innocence is no doubt the greatest theme in the novel, The Bluest Eye, a story in which sexual acts are illegal, harsh and extremely hurtful. The novel gives prominence to the aspect of coming of age sexually. The black girls in the novel are brought out as victims that are both socially powerless and sexually abused – they lose their innocence to the situation in which they are growing. Perhaps the most noteworthy example of the loss of innocence in the novel is when Pecola is raped twice by her father Cholly Breedlove. The young girl gets raped just after she has started menstruating. The heinous act robs her of her innocence – a loss whose pain is enhanced by her mother’s failure to believe her when she says that her father has raped her.
Frieda and Claudia learn about Pecola’s loss of innocence when she moves in with their family following her father’s attempt to burn down their house. The pain in this loss of innocence is seen in the word, “"If you are put out, you go somewhere else; if you are outdoors; there is no place to go."(17). These are the words of Pecola when she tries to explain the difference between being put out and being put outdoors. In a different scene, Pecola s tricked by Junior, a white boy into his room. The boy tricks Pecola capitalizing on her love for cats. In his room, he tries to pull up her dress, an act that causes a struggle between the two. In the ensuing melodrama, the cat is hit and gets killed. The boy’s mother addresses Pecola as, “nasty little black bitch”. Again she loses her innocence.
Maureen, a white girl, temporarily befriends Pecola. She buys her ice cream and treats her well, perhaps to gain her trust. After gaining Pecola’s friendship, Maureen betrays her trust by consistently making fun of her. She makes her feel uglier than she actually thinks. Additionally, Maureen asks questions that are offending. She asks Pecola about seeing a naked man, and even goes to the extent of asking Pecola about seeing his father naked. Pecol’s innocence is greatly violated by Maureen’s conduct. In a similar scene, when Poland is talking to Marie about the time she first informed her aunt about a sexual encounter. She says, “"My auntie whipped me good that first time that I told her I didn't get no money. I said "Money?" For What?"(55).
Pauline, Pecola’s mother is another noteworthy victim of the loss of innocence. Pauline loses her innocence in the abusive marriage. Her husband is a drunk, and has made domestic violence a norm. Pauline loses her innocence when she gets married, gives birth to children, and gets condemned to a life of struggle and hard work to fend for the family. Cholly, who is brought out as a man with wild desires, also loses his innocence when two racist white men force him to have sex as they watch. Overall, the theme of loss of innocence is given overwhelming prominence in the novel.
Works Cited
Morrison, Toni. The Bluest Eye. New York: Washington Square Press, 1970. Print.
