Blame in The Bluest Eye Justin Caleb Walters College

In Toni Morrison’s graphic portrayal of racism and psychological distress, The Bluest Eye, young Pecola Breedlove faces challenges much too large for anyone her age to be able to handle. Her constant internal battles with racism and personal hatred take a large toll on her fragile childhood. Contrary to what one would initially believe, Pecola’s parents seem to perpetuate these feelings instead of alleviating them. Morrison, through chapters solely dedicated to the past lives of Pauline and Cholly Breedlove, allows the reader to get an in-depth look at the situations and difficulties Pecola’s parents faced growing up; in this way, it is clear to see that the domestic violence and social issues that plague the Breedloves are completely cyclic. Because of these problems, it is inevitable that Pecola must in turn deal with not only her own societal issues, but also the continuous issues of her parents.

To fully understand the problems that relentlessly lash out at Pecola, one must first look into the life and times of her parents. Her mother, Pauline, had a far-from-perfect childhood as well. When she was a child, Pauline impaled her foot on a nail, causing her a great deal of pain both physically and psychologically. The incident...