Lani Nunez
Senior Thesis | 2025
Through the Eyes of the Breedloves:
Slavery, Racism, and Identity in The Bluest Eye
Lani Nunez
Content Warning: This essay contains references to child abuse, sexual violence, and incest.
Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye is a nuanced representation of the enduring effects of historical trauma and anti-Blackness, showing how they shape societal systems, cultural norms, and identities. The novel is set in 1940s Ohio, a time and place riddled with racial prejudice, and introduces the Breedlove family as a symbol of the struggles endured by Black Americans during that era. Through the experiences of each character, the reader witnesses the issues and themes of systemic racism, beauty standards, colorism, and, ultimately, the psychological toll of antiBlackness. These issues stem from slavery and have persisted generationally as racial hierarchies become embedded in the character of American society. In this essay, I will explore the Breedlove family and how each of their struggles combine to portray how systemic racism and anti-Blackness disempower Black individuals. In my analysis, I utilize historical evidence, the impact of historical trauma on Black communities, and the effects of the United States slavery system and its manifestation in modern-day realities as a lens to understand Morrison’s work.
Before the reader delves into the complex story of the Breedlove family, Morrison sets the stage using a direct juxtaposition between the infamous Dick and Jane children’s books and the Breedloves. The Dick and Jane books are a depiction of the stereotypical nuclear family, complete with a Mother, Father, Dick, Jane, a kitten, a dog, and a pretty house. Morrison highlights their happiness by directly stating it and providing examples of how perfect their family dynamic is. This introduction emphasizes the stark contrast between the nuclear family archetype, the White middle-class family, and the Breedloves, the Black lower-class family. Morrison’s critique of internalized and external anti-Blackness and its psychological effects is central to understanding the novel’s commentary on race and identity. Because of Morrison’s different storytelling techniques, the reader becomes engulfed by the characters' stories. Morrison shifts between perspectives and time. In doing this, the reader can follow along with the changes and notice how racism moves through time and from person to person. Consequently, they can also see how these shifts shape identity. Morrison uses trauma, from an individual and generational perspective, to provide insight into the effects of discrimination.
While Morrison’s storytelling techniques communicate the Breedlove's struggles, some may argue that The Bluest Eye is unable to fully connect with modern black experiences. Set in the 1940s, when Jim Crow laws ruled racial dynamics, the novel may not fully recognize the complexities of embracing Black identity or an individual's ability to resist oppression. The more dramatic details of the story can sometimes feel outlandish, pushing the reader away from its true meaning. For example, Cholly’s sexual
abuse of Pecola. What his character is grappling with is firstly alcohol abuse, and a disconnect in understanding how to parent Pecola. He is unsure how to manage his relationship with her, considering he never had one with his parents, and he sees his failure reflected in Pecola’s body language. Cholly says, “Why did she have to look so whipped? She was a child–unburdened–why wasn't she happy? The clear statement of her misery was an accusation” (Morrison 161). He struggles to regulate his contempt, and it does not happen until Pecola’s actions begin to mirror her mother’s. In that moment, Cholly finds pleasure in looking at Pecola and he yearns for the relationship he once had with Pauline. So, the reader is met with a graphic description of Cholly’s sexual offense as well as his inner thoughts and feelings. It is moments in the novel like this one that raise important questions about how readers can balance the emotions provoked by such strong imagery and storytelling with its social commentary.
In “The Bluest Eye: Reception History” by Amardeep Singh, Singh explores the ways that The Bluest Eye has been criticized and praised since its release. In the article, critic L.E. Sissman accuses Morrison of including the “occasional false or bombastic line” (qtd. in Singh). However, Morrison’s personal motivations behind writing the novel stem from a conversation she had with a friend in elementary school. Morrison wrote in the foreword, “[s]he said she wanted blue eyes. I looked around to picture her with them, and was violently repelled by what I imagined she would look like if she had her wish. Implicit in her desire was racial self-loathing” (xi). So, Morrison did not just create a tragic character, but she addressed a harsh truth coming from within Black communities. While some critics find the novel
to be ‘too much’ Morrison’s goal was to expose racism even if it was exaggerated.
The way The Bluest Eye is received depends on the racial background of the reader. Eric A. Gordon quotes author Michael Denneny in his article “Toni Morrison’s ‘The Bluest Eye’ on Stage: A Mirror of African American Life,” saying, “Inevitably, Black audiences will read this story in a profoundly personal way, while white people exposed to it will understand it more as an artistic statement with its elevated, poetic, often ironically detached language” (qtd. in Gordon). The difference in how the readers understand the novel suggests that white audiences might struggle to connect with its themes. Therefore, this makes them more likely to critique its writing or structure rather than its overall message. Another scholar argues that white critics struggle to empathize with Pecola because she is Black. Rhaynae Lloyd, in “The Enduring Influence of ‘The Bluest Eye” argues, “If [the main character was] a white girl, they would be able to feel that empathy and know why it’s important to read,” and “[b]ecause readers can’t empathize with Black people, they only see these grotesque, violent crimes.” Lloyd highlights the limitations of literary criticism and how they may interfere with Black focused narratives. Past all of this, The Bluest Eye is a book that explores race, identity, and trauma. Morrison’s ability to critique, educate, and tell a story inspires conversations in real life and challenges readers to read critically and to notice how systemic oppression impacts our world now.
The Breedlove family in Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye reflects the multifaceted oppressions Black people were subjected
to, and the effects of the struggles which developed and modernized over time. Each character embodies a specific consequence of historical trauma. As a family, the Breedloves’ conditioned themselves to believe that they are ugly, “It was as though some mysterious all-knowing master had given each one a cloak of ugliness to wear, and they had each accepted it without question” (Morrison 39). The Breedlove’s physical features are unique and are described by the narrator with adjectives such as irregular, heavy, crooked, and insolent. These descriptions have negative connotations, emphasizing their societal rejections and the burden of bearing those features. Their looks further offend their community because of their deep skin tone, causing the Breedloves to reinforce their internalized sense of undesirability and inferiority. Their perceived ugliness, externally and internally inflicted upon them, stems from colorist standards. The standards prefer features that are less offensive, such as lighter skin and proportionate, delicate facial structures. Their belief in it accumulates with many of the interactions they have, and their knowledge of every word spoken of them. In the foreword, Morrison explains how oftentimes when people are subjected to negative ideas or perceptions of themselves, they fight it, using their surrounding support systems and therefore “the damage is reduced or erased” (ix). However, the Breedloves accept their ugliness without question primarily because socially, nothing is telling them differently, therefore, they see it as an objective truth rather than a result of unjustified discrimination. By accepting their ugliness, they fall victim to the narrative that the hatred they withstand is justified, and in turn everything wrong with their lives is a result of their ugliness.
Pecola Breedlove, a young Black girl, is the main character through which Morrison explores the way that internalized racism manifests. As Morrison explains in the foreword, Pecola’s character represents “how something as grotesque as the demonization of an entire race could take root inside the most delicate member of society: a child; the most vulnerable member: a female” (xi). Pecola’s innocence is gradually destroyed throughout the novel. Her obsession with blue eyes develops from her recognition of the way she and her family are mistreated, seemingly solely based on their physical appearance, as well as how her family members treat each other. As Morrison writes, "[y]et this vacuum is not new to her. It has an edge; somewhere in the bottom lid is the distaste. She has seen it lurking in the eyes of all white people. So. The distaste must be for her, her blackness" (49). Pecola notices the underlying sentiments, from as little as a glance. This realization solidifies Pecola’s belief that her Blackness is the source of her suffering, causing her to be consumed by her desire to have blue eyes. She equates having them with beauty and worthiness. Pecola’s yearning represents how the glorification of Eurocentric beauty standards leads to the personal and social rejection of Blackness. Pecola is ridiculed and ostracized by her community, often facing macroaggressions where the offenders clearly show their preference for lighter skin with their words and/or actions. The sexual abuse inflicted upon her by her father further emphasizes how both personal and systemic violence contribute to her rejection and trauma. Ultimately, the culmination of everything she’s had to face at such a young age leads her to descend into madness. The tragic effects of self-hatred, social rejection, and neglect leave her isolated and within a false reality.
Cholly Breedlove, Pecola’s father, is characterized as a troubled man. Constantly drinking and fighting with his wife, he has earned the description within his community of “dog” and “trifling,” and even once set his family’s house on fire (Morrison 17 and 25). His violent acts towards his family, specifically Pecola, are shaped by his own experiences of racial humiliation and abandonment in his youth, leaving him with deep psychological scars. At fourteen years old, in the middle of an intimate moment with his crush Darlene, Cholly is subjected to racism and emasculation. He and Darlene are caught, and he is mocked by white men who yell slurs at him. Once out of his state of surprise, Cholly refocuses his attention towards Darlene. He was, “[s]ullen, irritable, he cultivated his hatred of Darlene. Never did he once consider directing his hatred to the hunters. Such an emotion would have destroyed him. They were big, white, armed men. He was small, black, helpless” (Morrison 150). Instead of focusing his energy on those who humiliated him he internalizes his lack of power and takes it out on the other victim of the situation. His role in the social and racial hierarchy does not give him an outlet to recognize and move past his trauma. Cholly, according to Morrison’s words, does not have the mental capacity to confront the true source of his humiliation. Cholly directs his unresolved anger towards his family and more specifically, Black women, perpetuating cycles of trauma, pain, and abuse. His inability to heal from the pain caused by racial hierarchies allows him to contribute to the ongoing effects of racial violence that dehumanizes Black individuals. He simply represses his anger rather than challenging those who keep the systems in place.
Pauline Breedlove, Pecola’s mother, embodies the power of internalized racism and the subservience imposed on Black women. Homemaking was a greatly desired position, and if a woman was good at it, it could sprout many opportunities, such as finding a job, husband, or climbing the social ladder. Pauline is amazing at doing housework for others and not for her own family. She idolizes white beauty, like many other characters in the book, and becomes infatuated with the white world she is a part of. By becoming an essential part her employer’s, the Fisher's lives, she neglects her family in the process. She and Pecola are influenced by racist ideals and believe in the superiority of whiteness. The way that Pauline’s treats Pecola reflects her internalized racial and personal hierarchy. She describes her daughter at birth saying “[b]ut I knowed she was ugly. Head full of pretty hair, but Lord she was ugly” (Morrison 126). Pauline’s rejection of Pecola parallels her rejection of her own Blackness. Morrison’s characterization of Pauline shows how Black women in the novel are manipulated by systemic racism into favoring and prioritizing whiteness and subservience over their own families and communities. Pauline’s influence on Pecola is profound.
The Breedloves’ belief in their ugliness and the struggles they face individually highlight the intersections of race, gender, and systemic oppression. Through Pecola, Cholly, and Pauline, Morrison shows how historical trauma manifests in families, creating generational cycles of self-hatred, violence, and subservience. The Breedlove’s experience, while a “unique situation, not a representative one,” encapsulates the damaging effects of systemic racism and the need to put an end to social
norms and structures, so that they do not continue on endlessly (Morrison xi).
Morrison’s novel also critiques Eurocentric beauty standards, exposing the ways in which these ideals are used to discriminate against Black individuals. The Bluest Eye’s critique is most apparent through the characters of Pecola and Pauline Breedlove. Pecola has an obsession with blue eyes, which stems from her belief that whiteness equals acceptance. Pecola experiences social rejection at the hands of her mother and her community. Pauline idolizes white actresses and whiteness in general, reinforcing Pecola’s belief about not being enough. The care and time Pauline dedicates to her employer's life, well-being, and family, while neglecting her own daughter, further deepens Pecola's belief that she is unworthy of her mother’s love. Pecola believes that if she were to adopt white features, she would be more desirable to her mother and more worthy of affection. Through Pecola’s character, Morrison shows how beauty standards infiltrate and ruin family relationships while shedding light on the consequences of societal anti-Blackness.
Pauline Breedlove’s admiration for white actresses shows the powerful influence that the media has in perpetuating antiBlackness. The media, using billboards, movies, advertisements, etcetera continuously portrays whiteness as the ultimate and most desirable standard of beauty. Morrison writes, “[s]he was never able, after her education in the movies, to look at a face and not assign it some category in the scale of absolute beauty, and the scale was one she absorbed in full from the silver screen” (122). Pauline begins to internalize these colorist ideals, which she then
uses to measure the value of herself and her family. She is unaware of the psychological damage she is causing herself and Pecola and continues to support the system that oppresses them.
Both Pauline and Pecola yearn for whiteness in their own ways. Throughout history, Black individuals have been subjected to and measured by Eurocentric standards of beauty. Beginning during slavery, the legacy of colorism has pervaded mass media. Barbados, the economic capital of the transatlantic slave trade, was the first of many societies where whiteness was equated with power. Both in Barbados and in slavery’s long history, enslaved people with lighter skin were often treated better by their enslavers than those with darker skin. According to Uzogara et al., in “A Comparison of Skin Tone Discrimination Among African American Men: 1995 and 2003,” “[l]ighter-skinned slaves were frequently fathered by White slave-owners (typically from nonconsensual sexual relations with female slaves) and were, therefore, privileged; unlike dark slaves, lighter-skinned slaves were spared physically strenuous, outdoor work and instead held domestic indoor jobs like housekeeping in closer contact to Whites.” The divisions perpetrated by white masters created narratives within Black communities that whiteness was desirable and necessary for survival. Dr. David Pilgrim’s article from the Jim Crow Museum titled “Brown Paper Bag Test - February 2014,” describes how the paper bag test, which became ingrained in Black communities, was used in various settings as deciding factors as to who was deserving of inclusion, “because they, meaning those with lighter skin, not only had a fetish for white skin and Eurocentric features, but they had internalized the racist notion that light skin is a marker of intellectual, cultural, social, and personal
superiority-over and above darker people.” Hollywood and advertisements further supported these ideas by showcasing specific inter-cultural dynamics and promoting damaging beauty practices. For example, Spike Lee’s 1988 musical dramedy School Daze represents the typical light-skin versus dark-skin battle. The film features a scene in which a group of lighter complexioned sorority members sing and dance against darker skinned female students, extolling the virtues of having lighter skin and “good hair,” versus their darker skin, and “bad hair.” Thoughts like these emphasized the depth of self-hatred and colorism within Black communities. Media has consistently portrayed a specific type of beauty that excludes dark-skinned people. At the same time, when it is represented, dark skin is advertised as something meant to be fixed. A page from “The New York Amsterdam News” (1929) portrays an advertisement for “Nadinola Bleaching Cream.” Phrases such as, “if you want a whiter, prettier complexion,” “you can secure the light-toned beauty that all your friends will admire and envy,” and “Nadinola will bring this new loveliness just as it has done for thousands of attractive women” reinforce the colorist idea that whiteness is to be desired and that it is the most beautiful complexion one can have. The historical privilege of lighter skin and the advertising of Eurocentric beauty standards have had lasting effects on Black communities. Pauline and Pecola’s struggles are not only personal but are a result of a systemic issue perpetuated by generations of oppression.
Pauline’s job as a domestic worker is an example of the lengths, she went to in order to survive within a system designed to exploit her. Pauline sees her job not only as something that creates financial stability but also as emotional support. She is treated with
respect and is appreciated by the Fishers, her employers. By immersing herself in the Fishers’ household, she neglects the needs of her own family, prioritizing her role as a caretaker over being a mother. The dynamic mirrors a history of Black women being placed into roles of subservience, going back to chattel slavery. Chattel slavery in Barbados not only paved the way for the British economy to flourish but also set up and carried out a complex system of racial and social hierarchies that had lasting effects on society. Hilary Beckles, in his book “The First Black Slave Society: Britain's ‘Barbarity Time’ in Barbados 1636-1876,” writes about how the exploitation of African people proved fruitful for the British as Barbados “revolutionized sugar,” cementing their spot in the new world as successful producers and traders. Chattel also generated wealth for privileged members of British society, allowing them to govern the political and social aspects of their culture while reinforcing notions of racial superiority. The system set in place as chattel slavery became more successful allowed for the legal and social mistreatment of Africans, perpetuating the oppressive cycle that would carry on into future generations. Black women were expected to serve white families at the expense of their own. Like enslaved women who were forced to take on domestic roles in white households, Pauline has no way to remove herself from the situation, due to their poverty, nor does she seem to want to. The acceptance she receives from the Fishers, who see her as an essential part of their household, reinforces the racial dynamics that originated during slavery. Black women were only seen as valuable when they were able to serve any white cause. Pauline’s separation from her family allows the racial hierarchies to continue. Beyond this though, Pauline’s emotional connection to
the Fisher’s keeps her working. Morrison explores Pauline’s preference of the Fishers:
When she bathed the little Fisher girl, it was in a porcelain tub with silvery taps running infinite quantities of hot, clear water. She dried her in fluffy white towels and put her in cuddly night clothes. Then she brushed the yellow hair, enjoying the roll and slip of it between her fingers. No zinc tub, no buckets of stove-heated water, no flaky, stiff, grayish towels washed in a kitchen sink, dried in a dusty backyard, no tangled black puffs of rough wool to comb.
More and more she neglected her house, her children, her man–they were like the afterthoughts one has just before sleep […] Here she could arrange things, clean things, line things up in neat rows. Here her foot flopped around on deep pile carpets, and there was no uneven sound. Here she found beauty, order, cleanliness, and praise. (127)
This quote gives the reader a deep understanding of Pauline’s emotional standing and investment in her job. Firstly, the reader is presented with the contrast of the Fisher household and Pauline’s own home. She appreciates the beauty and ease with which the Fishers live. The “porcelain tub,” “silvery taps” and “fluffy white towels” directly differ from her poverty-stricken home. Throughout the quote as well it not only references Pauline’s growing contempt for Blackness, it also shows the love she finds in whiteness. For example, she prefers the Fisher girl’s easy to manage hair over Pecola’s. Pauline prefers whiteness and the structure of the dream world she associates with it. She neglects her family because she only wants to be a part of a
household that would take care of her in return. In the Fishers’ house, she finds acceptance in the things she believes has been excluded because of as a child, like her ability to organize and her foot “deformity” (Morrison 110). She is able to maintain order, something she believes she is unable to do at her own house, and in doing so she heals a part of her inner child. Pauline longs for validation just like Pecola. She receives it from the Fishers but is not able to give it back to Pecola, causing Pecola to struggle.
Pauline’s desire for stability and luxury is a reflection of the void caused by her own home. Mrs. Fisher cares for Pauline, often urging her to leave Cholly in order to ensure her a better future. Pauline cares about her job not only because of the money, but also because of the sense of purpose and appreciation it provides her. The quote shows how systemic racism and economic instability force Black women like Pauline into situations where they must choose between their families and serving others. It also critiques how racism manifests in Pauline as she places a higher value on whiteness than her own community and identity.
Morrison uses media and references to mainstream culture to expose how embedded anti-Blackness is in societal norms. In effect, they shape how individuals perceive themselves and others. In The Bluest Eye, whiteness is presented as the utmost standard of beauty and worth, leading to the rejection of pure self-perception that is instead influenced by unattainable desires. Pecola and Pauline reject their identities as Black women entirely and begin to be consumed by false realities wherein whiteness is equated with happiness, love, and success. The Breedlove’s community is also
shaped by these standards, therefore devaluing Blackness, and reinforcing self-hatred.
Ultimately, the novel also greatly critiques the media’s role in limiting representation so that only certain types of people, that fit the right racial aesthetic, are depicted. The biased and colorist foundations of mainstream culture foster discrimination and exclude diverse portrayals of beauty. The Breedlove family's experiences’ show the effects of these narratives and how they manifest within communities. Morrison highlights the urgent need to get rid of these oppressive norms and to move towards a more accepting and inclusive understanding of what beauty is.
The Bluest Eye illustrates the effects of systemic racism on Black families. It truly mirrors the real-life consequences of the devaluation of Black women, colorism, generational trauma, and housing discrimination. Toni Morrison’s novel explores the ways that racism and misogyny intersect, offering a powerful critique of both Black and American culture that normalize the dehumanization of Black women. Throughout the book, Morrison gives example after example of how Black women are subjected to hatred not only from white society but also within their own communities. Pecola Breedlove is rejected by white society, as seen in the earlier example of the white shop owner but is also despised by Black individuals who have internalized racist and sexist ideals.
Midway through the book, the reader is introduced to Geraldine and Junior. Geraldine is portrayed as the perfect “sugarbrown” girl, brown-skinned and free of all the “funkiness” that pairs with Blackness (Morrison 82-3). She keeps to herself, is
orderly and uniform, and is a homemaker in subservience to her husband. Geraldine passes down her colorist beliefs that having light skin, and everything associated with having light skin, is better, to her son, Junior. Morrison describes Geraldine’s thinking, “his mother did not like him to play with [nwords]. She had explained to him the difference between colored people and [nwords]. Colored people were neat and quiet; [nwords] were dirty and loud. He belonged to the former group […]” (87). Junior constantly has to be careful not to show off too much of his blackness. He wears dressed up clothing and cuts his hair short to hide his curls. The hatred of Blackness runs deep in their family and is further shown through Junior’s interactions with Pecola. Geraldine has a cat that she nurtures more than Junior and for that reason he makes many attempts to get rid of it. Junior sees Pecola as the perfect victim, as she is always by herself, so he invites her into his house to see some kittens that he claimed he had. When Pecola stepped inside she was in awe and “wanted to see everything slowly, slowly” (Morrison 89). She had not been used to their kind of lifestyle. Their nice house and beautifully decorated interior were shocking to her and added to his allure. However, shortly after she situated herself, Junior began messing with the cat, ultimately killing it. When his mother returns home, Junior blames Pecola and Geraldine believes him. Pecola’s blackness was telling enough, and according to Morrison, Geraldine, “looked at Pecola. Saw the dirty torn dress, the plaits sticking out on her head, hair matted where the plaits had come undone, the muddy shoes […] the soiled socks […] she saw the safety pin holding the hem of the dress up. She had seen this little girl all of her life” (89). Pecola’s squalor, her Blackness, and her
audacity were all threatening to Geraldine. They insulted her livelihood, as in, the clean well-rounded life she shaped for herself and her family. Pecola’s poverty reflected to Geraldine the threat of all lower-class Black people. To Geraldine, “they idled away, picking plaster from the walls and digging into the earth with sticks […] [and] crowded into pews at church, taking space from the nice, neat, colored children” (Morrison 92). To her, impoverished Black people are disruptive and they take up space in places she believes should be reserved solely for the more refined. She compares them to flies stating, “like flies they hovered; like flies they settled” (Morrison 92). She dehumanizes them by calling them pests. Her racist sentiments also translate in the way she demands Pecola to leave her house saying, “You nasty little black [bword]. Get out of my house” (Morrison 92). Geraldine does not see Pecola as a child in need of support, but rather as an impurity in her perfectly curated world. Pecola gets blamed for a crime she did not commit, on the sole basis of her Blackness. Colorism lives deep within their community, leaving the most vulnerable of people to fight against its pervasion. Geraldine’s thinking shows how colorism and classism intersect in the Black community.
Continuing to the end of the novel, the reader is placed in the middle of a conversation between two community members where they criticize Pecola’s pregnancy. It reads as follows, “She carries some of the blame. /She ain't but twelve or so. / Yeah. But you never know. How come she didn't fight him? / They say the way her mama beat her she lucky to be alive herself.” (Morrison 89-90). Instead of condemning Cholly, they shift the blame to Pecola wondering why she did not resist him, despite her being powerless in the situation. Black girls, for a long time, have been
stripped of their innocence, had their trauma dismissed, and their bodies hypersexualized. Even Pauline, Pecola’s own mother, contributes to this by beating Pecola not just because of the pregnancy itself but as if Pecola were the embodiment of Cholly’s sin. Morrison describes this religiously stating, “[h]olding Cholly as a model of sin and failure, she bore him like a crown of thorns, and her children like a cross” (126-7). Pauline here takes on the role of Jesus. She believes that by punishing Pecola she is ridding Cholly of his sins. In doing this, she continues the cycle of oppression that dehumanizes Black women and girls.
Multiple parties blame Pecola for something she had no agency over. It is the victim blaming mindset that contributes to the stereotypes that have shaped perceptions of Black women. The community members’ judgment of Pecola reflects the modern-day labels that Black girls are fast or grown based on their appearance, behavior, or natural features. Oftentimes their white peers continue to be seen as innocent and in need of protection. The hyper awareness of Black girls contributes to their maturation, making them more susceptible to abuse while also denying them of their victimhood.
The objectification of Black women’s bodies stems from slavery. The constant pregnancies of enslaved women were used as proof for their hypersexuality. White enslavers would label Black women as Jezebels in order to justify their sexual violence. Black women were painted as promiscuous beings who needed and wanted the gift of sex that their enslavers had to offer. The stereotype continues today as Black women’s bodies are fetishized yet degraded. Pecola’s suffering reflects the historical cycle as she
is abused, blamed, and ignored. The lines of racism and misogyny then continuously intersect to deny Black women of their autonomy and innocence.
However, it is not solely the women in the novel that hold these beliefs. As mentioned earlier, Cholly had similar ways of thinking. He blamed Darlene for what happened with the white hunters. “Cholly, moving faster, looked at Darlene. He hated her. He almost wished he could do it–hard, long, and painfully, he hated her so much. The flashlight wormed its way into his guts and turned the sweet taste of muscadine into rotten fetid bile. He stared at Darlene’s hands covering her face in the moon and lamplight. They looked like baby claws” (Morrison 148). Cholly, in his anger and humiliation, directed his feelings towards the other victim of the situation, much like he did with Pecola. Unable to face his feelings about who he was truly angry at, he thought about hurting Darlene for seeing him at his most helpless. In the process he dehumanizes her. First, by thinking of causing her pain and second by comparing her hands to claws. Here again, the reader sees the Black woman receiving blame and unjustly projected anger.
Cholly’s response to his situation with the white hunters in which he redirects his anger towards Darlene rather than the perpetrators of his humiliation reflects a larger historical pattern. Black men throughout time but especially during the Jim Crow era were subjected to various methods of emasculation, denied autonomy, and were publicly humiliated as a way to reinforce white supremacy. “Lynching in America: Confronting the Legacy of Racial Terror” describes how terror lynchings often were treated as “public spectacles […] attended by the entire white community
and conducted as celebratory acts of racial control and domination” (Lynching in America). These lynchings had no legal backing as many of them did not require criminal accusations, Black individuals could be lynched for “minor social transgressions or for demanding basic rights and fair treatment” (Lynching in America). While Morrison does not literally depict a lynching in The Bluest Eye, she uses Cholly’s humiliation at the hands of the white hunters to parallel the U.S’s legacy of racial terror. In Cholly’s story, he is powerless, forcing him to suppress his rage instead of confronting the cause. The internalization of such strong emotions and suppression of trauma damages him psychologically. His violence towards Pecola continues the cycle of humiliation and abuse, showing how unresolved trauma manifests generationally. Part of the lynching culture of white America included falsely accusing Black men of rape. The NAACP’s “History of Lynching in America” describes how “[t]hese allegations were used to enforce segregation and advance stereotypes of Black men as violent, hypersexual aggressors” (NAACP). The narratives originated in the slavery-era and only progressed as time went on. Keri Leigh Merritt’s “Men without Pants: Masculinity and the Enslaved,” explores how the sexualized stereotypes of Black men included the idea that they were hypersexual “bucks” (Merritt). These ideas were then used as justification for slaveholders to emasculate enslaved men. For example, not allowing them to wear pants. Therefore, “by feminizing African American males, slave owners likely reassured themselves that they were the most masculine men on the plantation, which could be demonstrated, of course, by the rape and sexual abuse of enslaved women and girls” (Merritt).
Slaveholders held control over Black masculinity by abusing Black women’s bodies, they reinforced a system where Black men were denied autonomy and painted them as threats. Cholly’s dehumanization mirrors a long history of systemic violence that left Black men powerless, in turn causing a frustration that led to either self-destruction or violence towards individuals more vulnerable than themselves. Morrisons characterization of Cholly emphasizes how systemic oppression does not simply go away with time.
The Breedlove’s house is not just their space, it is a representation of their social oppression. Described as “irritating” and “melancholy” their home reflects their economic instability and separation from society (Morrison 33). Their status as “renting blacks” puts into perspective the historical reality of Black families living during the peak of redlining and discriminatory housing policies (Morrison 18). Redlining, caused by banks and real-estate agencies, essentially flagged Black neighborhoods as high-risk, denying loans and insurance. According to Terry Gross in his discussion with Author Richard Rothstein on the NPR Fresh Air podcast titled “A 'Forgotten History' Of How The U.S. Government Segregated America,” Black families became trapped in underfunded areas with no space for opportunity and upwards mobility (Gross). The Federal Housing Administration contributed to this modern-day form of segregation and by forbidding Black families from owning property ensured that they were unable to economically benefit from homeownership. The aftermath of these policies left families, like the Breedloves, in poor housing situations with limited resources. The Breedlove’s inability to
procure acceptable housing is not only a personal defeat but also a consequence of these discriminatory practices.
For Black Americans in and out of the novel, homeownership symbolized stability, yet proved difficult to acquire. Morrison illustrates this distinctiveness through her contrast of homeowners and renters; “[...]bred in us a hunger for property, for ownership. The firm possession of a yard, a porch, a grape arbor. Propertied black people spent all their energies, all their love on their nests […] And these houses loomed like hothouse sunflowers among the rows of weeds that were the rented houses” (18). The quote highlights how Black renters yearn for a secure property of their own and the ability to walk away from their current living situation. But the Breedloves are trapped because their home is not just gloomy and mal-decorated, it is representative of their spot on the social ladder. Ownership carries the opportunity for an increase of dignity and pride, something that the Breedloves dream for but will never attain.
Critics argue that The Bluest Eye is too dramatic, disturbing, and that it does not accurately reflect the lives and experiences of Black families. Some claim that the representation of Black life is somber, focusing on trauma and oppression rather than courageousness or joy. In addition, some believe that Pecola’s experiences and lack of resistance are discouraging, adding to a sense of hopelessness rather than empowerment. It has been found on the American Library Association’s list of most challenged books. Reasons cited in the PBS article “Banned: The Bluest Eye” have included, “sexually explicit material,” “lots of graphic descriptions and lots of disturbing language,” and “an underlying
socialist-communist agenda” (Banned: The Bluest Eye). However, Toni Morrison purposely utilizes dramatic storytelling to make the psychological and emotional toll of systemic racism on the characters harder to miss. In the foreword, she clarifies her thought process and explains that The Bluest Eye is not meant to generalize all Black experiences and families, but rather brings to light the more devastating consequences of racism, colorism, sexism, poverty, and generational trauma. Yes, Pecola does lack resistance, but Morrison is showing the painful reality of those who do not have the strength to escape systemic oppression. Rather than giving the reader a perfectly happy ending, she forces the readers to wallow in the discomfort and confront the consequences of a society that devalues Blackness. By creating a character like Pecola, Morrison challenges the dominant narrative of resistance showing how oppression can take over and destroy self-worth. She is not trying to erase Black joy or resilience but rather emphasize the need to address the systems that produce such marginalization.
Educators and Black readers argue that The Bluest Eye plays an important role in sparking discussions about trauma and identity. One educator notes, “I had a student who said that she is the product of incest. And I’ve had a student who said that she was molested by her uncle. Books allow us to help them heal in ways that we as educators couldn’t help them heal on our own” (Banned: The Bluest Eye). The novel has the ability to showcase experiences that are often silenced or ignored. It allows readers to process their own pain and trauma and helps them to recognize the ways oppression works against them. Black readers find validation in the novel. One reader states, “I appreciated ‘The Bluest Eye’ because I saw myself in it,” she said. “I saw a Black woman
existing. It got the nuance of what it means to be Black – the trials, the failures, the successes, the daily experiences” (The Enduring Influences of ‘The Bluest Eye’). Morrison’s work is the representation of the complexities of Black life that is desired. People are looking to see aspects of themselves reflected in literature. Education is essential to addressing racism in our society. Young students should be taught the history of slavery and subsequently colorism, as this can raise awareness of the types of discrimination harmful to themselves and/or the people around them. Lessons like these and novels such as The Bluest Eye are the key to making students more empathetic and understanding of their own identities.
Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye is a powerful critique of systemic racism, colorism, and the debilitating effects of internalized anti-Blackness. Through the experiences of the Breedlove family, Morrison shows how trauma is passed down generationally, stemming from slavery and shaping each of their identities, and reinforcing cycles of self-hatred, violence, and oppression. The novel forces readers to confront the issues that society upholds and its origins such as Eurocentric beauty standards or the devaluation of Blackness, especially for Black women and girls. The Bluest Eye is not just a novel about the suffering of the Breedlove’s but is a character to character analysis of structures that perpetuate racial and gender oppression. By writing a novel as explicit and nuanced as this one, Morrison urges the reader to dismantle the societal norms that continue to harm Black communities.
Works Cited
“Banned: The Bluest Eye.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/bannedbluest-eye/. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
Beckles, Hilary. The First Black Slave Society: Britain’s “Barbarity Time” in Barbados, 1636-1876. The University of the West Indies Press, 2016.
“Brown Paper Bag Test - February 2014.” Jim Crow Museum, jimcrowmuseum.ferris.edu/question/2014/february.htm. Accessed 10 Dec. 2024.
“The Enduring Influence of ‘The Bluest Eye.’” Furman University, 8 Mar. 2023, www.furman.edu/news/the-persistentinfluence-of-the-bluest-eye/.
Equal Justice Initiative. Lynching in America: Confronting the Legacy of Racial Terror, lynchinginamerica.eji.org/report/. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
Gordon, Eric A. “Toni Morrison’s ‘The Bluest Eye’ on Stage: A Mirror of African-American Life.” People’s World, 7 Sept. 2023, www.peoplesworld.org/article/toni-morrisons-thebluest-eye-on-stage-a-mirror-of-african-american-life/.
Gross, Terry. “A ‘Forgotten History’ Of How The U.S. Government Segregated America.” NPR, NPR, 3 May 2017, www.npr.org/2017/05/03/526655831/a-forgottenhistory-of-how-the-u-s-government-segregated-america.
“History of Lynching in America.” NAACP, 11 Feb. 2022, naacp.org/find-resources/history-explained/historylynching-america.
Merritt, Keri Leigh. “Men without Pants: Masculinity and the Enslaved.” AAIHS, 11 Sept. 2016, www.aaihs.org/men-
without-pants-masculinity-and-the-enslaved/.
Skin Bleach and Civilization: The Racial Formation Of ..., jpanafrican.org/docs/vol4no4/Dorman%20Skin%20Bleach %20And%20Civilization.pdf. Accessed 11 Dec. 2024.
Uzogara, Ekeoma E, et al. “A Comparison of Skin Tone Discrimination among African American Men: 1995 and 2003.” Psychology of Men & Masculinity, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1 Apr. 2014, pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4365794/#:~:text=Thes e%20lighter%2Dskinned%20slaves%20were,slaves%20we re%20spared%20physically%20strenuous%2C.
“‘The Bluest Eye’: Reception History.” Toni Morrison: A Teaching and Learning Resource Collection, scalar.lehigh.edu/tonimorrison/the-bluest-eye-reception-history. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.