The Bluest Eye: Racism Symbolized through Color
The novel The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison provides the readers with an insight into the life of an African American girl in a community that lived under the standards of the white people. The main character, Pecola, sees herself as ugly because she is black and does not have lovely eyes. Throughout her life, she wishes she had blue eyes and even prayed for the change to happen. The black people presented in the story believe that the misfortunes in their lives are because of their color. They are obsessed with whiteness so that they can meet the beauty standards of the white people. This paper analyzes how color in the Pecola’s wish for blue eyes, white baby dolls, and milk in Shirley Temple cups are used as symbols to represent racism in the story.
Pecola's Wish for Blue Eyes as a Symbol of Racism
Pecola’s wish to have blue eyes is a symbol that indicates that white people are beautiful and lovely which brings the theme of racism. Pecola is represented as an ugly young girl because of her color. She is treated wrongly by other people. At one instance, a boy’s mother insulted Pecola calling her a nasty black bitch when she was accused of killing a cat (Morrison 107). At school, boys used to make fun of her and her appearance. Also, Maureen who was a light-skinned girl and temporarily befriended Pecola betrayed her by making fun of her (Morrison 78). These experiences acted as a confirmation that Pecola was not good looking primarily because of her color. She imagined that if she had blue eyes, she would appear beautiful and people would like her (Kuenz 422). Therefore, she spent her life praying for blue eyes. From the character of Pecola, the wish to have a different color indicates racism.
White Baby Dolls: Symbolizing Whiteness Superiority
The white baby dolls that Claudia is given symbolizes whiteness superiority. The baby dolls are white in color and most importantly, they are given to the black children. The dolls, therefore, symbolize that the white race is better and more beautiful than the blacks and hence propagate the idea of racism in the community. In the story, the white baby dolls are indicated as universally accepted as young girls’ treasure (Kuenz 421). Adults, young girls, shops, and the media portrayed the pink-skinned dolls with yellow hair and blue eyes as the ultimate desire of every child (Morrison 35). The kids were meant to perceive the beauty and desirability in the dolls. The use of the white color in the dolls symbolizes the white people. They are seen as the standards of beauty in the society which is nothing less than racism. For instance, Maureen is a light-skinned girl and is seen as prettier than other girls. This judgment is made purely from the fact that she appeared white and hence beautiful. She receives attention and is treated well by the boys at school. This is the message symbolized by the dolls that white people are prettier than the black and hence deserve to be treated well.
Milk and Whiteness: Symbolic of Pecola's Desire to Change
Another symbol in the novel that is used to represent racism is milk and its whiteness. The narrator of the story depicts Pecola as a girl who loved milk. At the MacTeer’s, Pecola drank three quarts of milk in Shirley Temple’s cups (Morrison 38). From this action, Pecola’s love for milk, which is white in color and served in cups with a white woman’s face, is symbolic for her desire to change. Although her act was seen as a mere greediness, it was driven by her obsession with the whiteness. Pecola wanted to transform and appear as lovely as Shirley Temple and that is why she drank a lot of milk just to have a chance to encounter the white lady’s face (Morrison 38). Claudia and Frieda hate milk which symbolizes their contentment and pride of with who they are and desire no change (Kuenz 429). Therefore, the white color of milk and Shirley Temple cups are symbolic for racism as expressed in the character of Pecola.
Conclusion
The novel The Bluest Eye illustrates racism through symbolic expressions represented through color. Pecola’s wish for blue eyes symbolizes the belief that people with blue eyes were prettier and hence well treated. She wanted to have blue eyes so that she could be adored and seen as beautiful. Young girls were given white baby dolls which indicate the beauty standards put in place by society. Also, Pecola’s love for milk served in Shirley Temple cups illustrated her desire to change and become a white person so that she could be pretty. These are instances where color is a symbolic representation of racism.
Works Cited
Kuenz, Jane. "The bluest eye: Notes on history, community, and black female subjectivity." African American Review 27.3 (2003): 421-431. Print.
Morrison, Toni. The Bluest Eye. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1994. Print.
