Returning the love

As I am reading "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison, I realize, as I had expected, the abuse and torment that the Blacks take from the whites. Especially since this novel is written from the perspective of an African American, I knew that the theme of racism and hatred would be prevalent. What I did not expect to see was the harsh attitude of some Blacks to others of their own race. I figured as a community, they would want to stay together and do whatever they feel is necessary to feel at home and confortable; yet, various characters throughout the novel are cruel to one another. For example, Cholly, the main character's father, gets caught by white hunters with a woman, yet he has no hatred for the men, only his black companion. He never considered, "directing his hatred toward the hunters...they were big, white, armed men. He was small, black, helpless." As I read in an analysis,some people try to, "reduce the(other)person," by giving them the "look." All in all, they are taking out their anger of the way they are being treated by doing the same to others. How does this help a community get stronger, let alone make them feel better about themselves?

In the "Bluest Eye," most characters accept that they are treated as the "others." They understand their position and where they stand in the white community, yet they still feel the need to do the same right back to others. Pecola is an excellent example of this abuse. Individuals such as Pecola who are intern "invisible" are looked down upon, even at times by their own race. It is sad that her beauty, "cannot be perceived," so she feels useless and ugly, which is why she has the desire to not be perceived by others. She has a hatred towards herself which is ironic considering her last name is Breedlove.


TCNJ view on The Bluest Eye

YouTube The Bluest Eye ending