Impact of “The Bluest Eyes”
Tony Morrison made me feel pity for the life of the black community and her characters. While analyzing the character Pecola, I could compare her life with the life of a well-known personality and the king of pop music, Michael Jackson. Pecola and Michael Jackson are same in some way or other. The two ware longing for the same thing. They wanted to change their appearance to be recognized in the society. His or her idea is to change something and conform to everyone to be accepted. The story of the novel revolves around the idea of racial self-hatred or self-loathing. It is true because if no one likes us, automatically that depression makes us to ourselves at one stage or other. However, these people can get such feeling easily. This is because so far they have been under the tortures of such racial clutches.
Getting rejected in society is a pain that too for the complexion or race. I could feel the sufferings of Pecola. I felt very bad when Pecola was rejected by the clerk in a store where she went to buy Jane Austen. She was completely rejected there just because she is black. This is the first occasion that made her feel for her complexion. These very thought made her to thing bad about her and aroused self-hatred. If I were in her place, I would give back to that clerk. She is passive and good at heart. She did not anything wrong to anyone. However, everyone hates her for her physical appearance. This attitude has to be eradicated from the society completely. It kills people like a contagious disease.
Everyone adored the beautiful girl in Pecola’s school because of her beauty of physical appearance. However, I could say she was not good at heart. She hurt Pecola by saying her that she looked ugly and black. This is the height of the racial discrimination. Pecola is good and possesses beautiful heart. Usually, men will not take seriously if anyone comments on their physical appearance. However, it is not the case with the girls. Normally, young girls want them to be admired by everyone for their beauty. Pecola does not want her beauty to be admired. She expected only a little love from her friends and family. However, she fails in all her attempt to make people love her. This particular incident made me feel sorry for Pecola and her tragic end.
During Michael Jackson’s childhood, he was getting constantly bullied and made fun of for his black boy features. That made him a decision to change his complexion to white as he felt it would change his life. He got success in his life because he could at least get his wish satisfied. However, in the case of Pecola, she could not get wishes satisfied. She wanted blue eye because through which she felt as if she could see things differently, and she would get some love from others. While comparing Pecola to Michael Jackson, Michael Jackson’s life was changed at one stage and achieved fame and name. However, Pecola had to lead her life in such pain that she could not get any of her wishes.
Her fate does not attain any change because she is not released from her world. Tony Morrison made us feel the pain and suffering of her as if it is the agony of the black community. Toni Morrison displays the racial self-hatred in the entire black community through Pecola and through other characters in her novel. The pitiful condition of a young girl makes me to take a decision not to hate or hurt anyone at any cost.
Works Cited
Morrison, Toni. The Bluest Eye. New York: Plume Book, 1994. Print.
Carlacio, Jami L. The Fiction of Toni Morrison: Reading and Writing on Race, Culture, and Identity. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English, 2007. Print.
