The Bluest
Eye, a novel about racism amongst black people. About the way black people see
whiteness as better, cleaner, purer as they are.
Given the
fact that this novel has been written 47 years ago, a lot has changed. Maybe
not the fact that someone else seems to be more beautiful, but I mean that
instead of putting white people upon a pedestal, they are acknowledged of
having the same doubts and fears.
The novel
centers around Pecola, a 11y old girl, who doesn’t speak up for herself until
the very last chapter. We only follow her around through the eyes of others who
have no inkling of the desire that is within her, to have the bluest eyes. Why
that? Because everything around her is judged by appearance instead of merit,
be it because of ignorance, temperance or plain stupidity.
Pecola
Breedlove seems to be one unlucky girl, as she seems to be very ugly, a fact of
which she is daily reminded by her surroundings. Her mother is a vindictive
woman, clearly only capable of giving love to something she could never have.
Her father a good-for-nothing man that blamed the women in his life for his
surrender to the ‘white’ men. She is a naïve little girl, thinking that having
blue eyes would make her life better, instead of trying to be happy with what
she is. In the end, she’s deluded herself of having those eyes, possibly the
mistreatment of her family has been too much for her mind to bear.
Understanding
this novel wasn’t too hard, because of the explanatory note at the end. It’s a
novel about being blind to yourself, while staring at what someone else has. Of
course this isn’t a feat exclusive for black people. I think most of the people
walking this earth wish to be someone they’re not, because being yourself and
being happy about that, has been turned into settling and being at peace
instead of just being happy. It always feels like a sacrifice, as if choosing
to be yourself is giving up being a
hundred others.
This novel
didn’t leave as much a mark as I thought it would be. Partly because the manner
in which Pecola’s story is told, is distant and without emotion or without the
right emotion. Anger where there should be compassion. Shame where there should
be soothing and disdain where there should be happiness. I felt like I got to
know the poor child through the gossiping of others and that never gives you
the true meaning of what went on.
The other thing that bothered me was the child molestation. I’m not sure why that was included. I’m not a prude, far from it, but in this novel it didn’t add to the whole. Pecola being raped by her father and carrying his baby afterward, the local ‘guru’ trying to explain why he loves children and loves nibbling on their breasts and blaming god for his behavior. I know that this happens, but mostly it doesn’t happen to the unhappiest girl, it could happen to anyone. This just seemed piling up the bad stuff and didn’t add anything other than neon lighting the state she was already in, the pariah she was destined to be.
The other thing that bothered me was the child molestation. I’m not sure why that was included. I’m not a prude, far from it, but in this novel it didn’t add to the whole. Pecola being raped by her father and carrying his baby afterward, the local ‘guru’ trying to explain why he loves children and loves nibbling on their breasts and blaming god for his behavior. I know that this happens, but mostly it doesn’t happen to the unhappiest girl, it could happen to anyone. This just seemed piling up the bad stuff and didn’t add anything other than neon lighting the state she was already in, the pariah she was destined to be.
