3. The Bluest Eye

Morrison, Toni. The Bluest Eye. New York: Vintage International, 2007. Print.

Annotation:

Pecola Breedlove, a young African American girl, believes that for everybody to accept her, she must have blue eyes and blond hair. This belief leads Pecola to desire the appearance that society has idealized as "beautiful".

Justification for Nomination:

Set in Loraine, Ohio, 1941, a time where race, class, and gender was still in its movement, The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison writes the hard truth of how ideologies in main society affect certain individuals, certain social groups. These ideologies are created so universally, that even those who are illiterate could still understand them; images so powerful that still exists among us today. Morrison presents the issue of racial beauty and how society and community, both, have a role in demonizing "the most delicate member of society: a child; the most vulnerable member: a female." (p. xi)   

Pecola Breedlove comes from a poor, dysfunctional family. She is put into shelter and comes to stay with Claudia MacTeer's family. Claudia becomes the narrator and shares the story of Pecola through her perspective. Pecola was born ugly; or so she believed to be born ugly. From her dark skin to her curly hair and brown eyes, Pecola battles with how to make others accept her. When she comes to the realization that "beauty" to the world means to have blue eyes, blond hair, and light skin, Pecola becomes obsess with a desire to have blue eyes. If she had blue eyes, then everyone would like her; everyone would accept her family.

Pecola is a young girl struggling with identity, self-esteem, worth, and acceptance in a time and place where she was in need of help the most. Through her story, readers are able to feel Pecola's sadness and loneliness in the beginning. As the story progresses, Morrison is able to build the intensity so beautifully that readers can't help, but feel Pecola's desperation through her difficult family dynamics and identity-seeking. Young adults are urged to read this book as it presents the social issues that we are faced with daily and reflect on them. Morrison has gifted us with this novel to learn from the problems Pecola faced, the decisions she chose and the consequences that followed.  

 "Adults, older girls, shops, magazines, newspaper, window signs--all the world had agreed that a blue-eyed, yellow-haired, pink skinned doll was what every girl treasured." (p. 20)

Genre: Realistic/Edgy Fiction; Problem Novel