The Bluest Eye: A Black Child’s Ostracization Anonymous 12th Grade

One can look to the pariahs and outcasts of the world to understand the attributes that have been deemed unworthy in our world. In the novel, The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison, Pecola Breedlove is continually alienated from her community. Her alienation began with her family, who are shunned as well. Pecola specifically signifies the stereotypical assumptions made of black people, which are thought to be negative and detrimental to a successful community.

One of the, perhaps the main, conflict in the novel is Pecola’s desire for blue eyes. She is convinced that blue eyes will not only make her beautiful, but allow her to be seen by, and see others, for who each person truly is. Pecola’s desire is exemplified when Claudia states, “A little black girl yearns for the blue eyes of a little white girl, and the horror at the heart of her yearning is exceeded only by the evil of fulfilment.” (204). Pecola’s inherent self-hatred is perpetuated by a widespread disdain for her family and the undesirable values they represent. Morrison asserts that the chief values in society are based around being white, which implies that one is beautiful (because white skin is the standard of beauty), clean, morally sound, and at least middle class, if...