They also come to symbolize her own blindness, for she gains blue eyes only at the cost of her sanity. Oprah's Book Club selected The Bluest Eye in 2000, assuring its yet wider readership. Along with the idea of romantic love, she was introduced to anotherphysical beauty. From the title alone, its apparent that blue eyes have a particular significance in Toni Morrisons work The Bluest Eye. Claudia fondly remembers those few days that Pecola stayed with them because she and her sister, Frieda, didn't fight. But for most African American people, light eyes are a physical impossibility. The girls' reactions range from ignorance and terror as Pecola initially wonders if she is going to die, to Frieda's authoritative reassurances, and finally to Claudia's awe and reverence for the new and different Pecola. Everyone has capacity for self growth and all can consciously shape their lives and can achieve self realization. . That fall, the MacTeer family Mrs. MacTeer and her daughters, Frieda and Claudia stretches to include two new people: Mr. Henry, who moves in after his landlady, Della Jones, becomes incapacitated from a stroke, and Pecola Breedlove, whom the county places in their home after Pecola's father, Cholly, burns down the family house. . . We had dropped our seeds in our own little plot of black dirt just as Pecola's father had dropped his seeds into his own plot of black dirt. Marigolds Symbol in The Bluest Eye | LitCharts She always had an interest in literature and even took Latin in high school. Quiet as it's kept, there were no marigolds in the fall of 1941. This has a profound influence on the readers interpretation of the novel as it suggests certain opinions and points of view to them as well as giving them deeper insight to the emotions of the protagonist, Symbolism is used to provide a deeper meaning to things; it leaves the audience thinking about a more profound message than what is seen on screen, or written on paper. Finally, the theme of self-esteem is symbolized by the dolls that Pecola receives as gifts. Stewart, Amber ed. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. The way the content is organized, Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. Pecolas "unbeing" serves as a cautionary tale for what the forces of parental abuse and societal negligence and derision can create. Sula was nominated for the American Book Award. Complete your free account to request a guide. Course Hero. Morrison uses this admiration for light eyes as a symbol of how African Americans learn to hate their own identities. It symbolizes the path that a deceased person has to go through this world to the other. It begins with Pecola, who first wishes to disappear during her parents violent altercation over the coal, but finds it impossible because in her mind she cant make her eyes disappear. But for the female characters in The Bluest Eye, these images also represent the unattainable goals society has given them. Marigolds are one of important motifs of this novel. Silk is an expensive fabric, something of worth just like this babys life. She admits that as a child she was the only black and the only one who could read. The blue eyes represent the whiteness and privilege that Pecola is denied because of her race, and they serve as a reminder of the racism and discrimination that she faces.

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