| In reading Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye I can | | | | destructive chain that is extremely difficult to |
| see that she is dealing with some very complex | | | | break. |
| problems that have existed within the societies of | | | | Mrs. Breedlove also had her problems with |
| the world since ancient times. I think that in this | | | | recognizing her self-worth. She felt like beauty |
| book the one society she is writing about is ours | | | | was found in the light skin, blue eyed, blond hair, |
| in present day, but it can also relate to many | | | | image that Hollywood and society had portrayed |
| different time periods. In particular what our | | | | to her through picture shows and her surrounding |
| society did to an entire race of people that began | | | | neighbors thought so too. So how is that feeling |
| in the days of slavery and how its destructive, | | | | of beauty going to be handed down to her |
| dehumanizing effects have affected its people and | | | | daughter, Pecola, in the future. So I can imagine |
| its country to this day. The way I think I see it, | | | | being put in Pecola's place where she lives in a |
| after you break it all down to its most basic form | | | | home where her parents feel little self-worth |
| is, that when you feel good about yourself, you | | | | themselves and that lack of pride is reflected in |
| do good things. When you feel bad about | | | | Pecola. I, myself, live in a house with two |
| yourself, you do bad things. You need to feel like | | | | awesome parents who feel and act like |
| somebody to keep your integrity and dignity. | | | | champions themselves and that feeling is |
| Pecola is treated poorly by her family. It seems | | | | translated over to me. Now, if I had the parents |
| that there is little support and encouragement of | | | | like Pecola, I would most likely have a harder time |
| her self-worth at her home, the place that she | | | | feeling good about myself. It is not that Pecola |
| needs it the most. She even has to direct her | | | | and her parents and their parents were not good |
| own mother as Mrs. Breedlove. Pecola lives in | | | | people, but they did not feel particularly special or |
| constant torment of not feeling special in any | | | | beautiful or important or good about themselves |
| way. She thinks the only way that she can feel | | | | in any way that would motivate them in naturally |
| special is if she becomes the definition of 'special' | | | | or easily portraying these good attributes to their |
| that society has constantly bombarded her with | | | | own selves or to others. They destroyed |
| that she should be. She has not known of any | | | | themselves inside and that feeling was the one |
| other kind of beauty or self-confident image. | | | | portrayed to others. They did not want to be |
| Her parents did not know of any other kind of | | | | part of the chain, as does anybody, but it trapped |
| beauty either. Her grandparents also were | | | | them. It is a very difficult chain to break. |
| trapped themselves in this destructive chain of | | | | Now where did this destructive chain originate? |
| not knowing of any kind of other beauty. Cholly, | | | | Where is the blame supposed to be put? It must |
| her father, did not really feel special at all for the | | | | of originated back to the beginnings of slavery |
| most part of his life either. He recalled that the | | | | itself, because slavery was designed to destroy a |
| two happiest times of his life, was eating | | | | person. I think Morrison is trying to say that we |
| watermelon with a relative and getting a good | | | | cannot keep letting this personal destruction |
| deal on the train ticket to Macon. I, personally like | | | | continue to be handed down. We need to find a |
| eating watermelon and getting good deals too but | | | | way to stop it together. We cannot go on being |
| I would not think of ranking them as the two | | | | uneducated and non-understanding on the matter |
| great defining moments of my life. He knew of | | | | of the wrong traditions and rituals that have been |
| nothing higher he could reach for. His confrontation | | | | going on for years and years. The problem lies |
| with Samson Fuller, his father, turned out to be a | | | | within each individual. Those of us that feel good |
| horrible experience for him that further | | | | about ourselves, let us help those that do not. We |
| established in himself the feeling of nothing. Now | | | | need to help free ourselves of the chain and |
| how is that feeling go to translate to his own | | | | others to break it that have yet not or we may |
| family and children in the future? It is a | | | | be the next ones to get trapped in it. |