The Bluest Eye: Book Review


Book Review

Title: The Bluest Eye
Author: Toni Morrison
Genre: Fiction

This debut novel by Toni Morrison is an unrelenting portrayal of societal prejudices on appearances and its psychological implications on individuals. 

In The Bluest Eye, we have our protagonist-a girl named Pecola who suffers from an inferiority complex  because she is considered ugly. She longs for blue eyes which she believes will make her beautiful and will eventually free her from the unforgiving blackness that her community hates her for. However the book is much more than that. It delves into a series of flashbacks, unveiling the complex lives of Pecola's parents -Cholly and Pauline and portrays their struggles against a White community. It goes on to reveal how the obsession for beauty eventually results in insanity, making the readers wonder about its importance. 

Set around the time of the great depression, the story is narrated from multiple points of view. Sometimes from the perspective of Claudine from Pecola's foster home and an omniscient voice and gives a telescopic view of the society in Ohio. Morrison's style of storytelling is one of a kind. It starts off as a conversational tone, switches to a poetic and lyrical mode, accompanied  with dialect and abrupt sentences. 

She attempts to showcase how insensitive and hurtful racism can be and dwells on the phenomenon of dark skin that is sadly still prevalent in society today. Besides racism and shame, the book also brings to light the disturbing topics of incest and child molestation, leaving you with an unsettled feeling. Violence is a silent character and the author also showcases a metaphorical representation of life and change through the seasons and flowers. 

The Bluest Eye is a powerful work of American literature that makes you question society's obsession about beauty and  colored perceptions that accompany it. 


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