Unit10TheBluestEye.docx
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Unit10TheBluestEye.docx
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Unit10TheBluestEye
Unit10TheBluestEye
(Excerpts)
ToniMorrison
AdditionalBackgroundInformation
ToniMorrison
ToniMorrisonhasauniquestatusinAmericanliterature.SheisthewinneroftheNationalBookCriticCircleAward(1977),thePulitzerPrizeforFiction(1988)andmanyotherliteraryawards.ShewasgrantedtheNobelPrizeforLiteraturein1993,thusbecomingthefirstAfrican-Americanwritertoreceivethishonor.Shehaspublished10novels,amusical,aplay,andacollectionofcriticalessays.Herdevotedreadersarefoundallovertheworld,andtheyincludebothsexesandallcolors,agesandcreeds.AmemberofboththeNationalCouncilontheArtsandtheAmericanAcademyandInstituteofArtsandLetters,MorrisonhasactivelyusedherinfluencetoencouragepublicationoftheworksofotherAfrican-Americanwriters.
ToniMorrisonwasbornChloeAnthonyWoffordinLorain,Ohioin1931.Shecamefromafamilyofsharecroppers,whomovedfromtheSouthtoOhiotoescapeSouthernracism.Attheageof18MorrisonwenttoWashington,D.C.toattendHowardUniversity,themostdistinguishedblackcollegeinAmerica,whereshebecameinterestedinthestageandjoinedtheHowardUniversityPlayers.AftersheearnedaB.A.inEnglishfromHowardshewenttoCornellUniversityforgraduatestudiesinEnglishliterature.UponreceivingaM.A.fromCornell,shebeganherteachingcareer.From1955to1957shetaughtEnglishatTexasSouthernUniversity,andfrom1957to1964shetaughtatHoward.In1965,shebecameasenioreditoratRandomHouse,wheresheeditedanumberofAfrican-Americanwriters.In1958shemarriedHaroldMorrison,aJamaicanarchitectandhadtwosons.In1964theydivorcedandsheraisedthetwosonsbyherself.Shebeganwritingin1962.Herfirstworkwasashortstory,whichwouldlaterdevelopintoherfirstnovelTheBluestEye(1970).IttellsthestoryofalittleblackgirlnamedPecolaBreedlove,whoyearnstohavethebeautifulblueeyesofawhitegirl.Shebelievesthatifonlyshehadblueeyes,herlifewouldbehappy.
In1971Morrisonresumedherteachingcareer,teachingEnglishatNewYorkUniversity,servingasavisitingprofessoratYalefrom1976to1978,attheStateUniversityofNewYorkatAlbanyfrom1984to1989.Since1989shehasbeenteachingatPrincetonUniversityasamemberoftheAfrican-Americanstudiesprogramandofthecreativewritingdepartment.Meanwhileshecontinuedherwriting.Hernextnovel,Sula(1974)examinesthefriendshipbetweentwoblackwomenSulaandNel,depictinghowtheygrewuptogetherbuttookdifferentlifepathsintheirmaturity.ThenovelwontheNationalBookCriticAward.TheSongofSolomon,publishedin1977,wasagreatersuccessthanherpreviousnovels.SetinMichiganintheearly1930s,thenovelisnarratedfromamale’spointofview.Inhiseffortstorecoverhisancestor’sproperty,asackofgold,MilkmanDeadrediscovershisracialrootsandculturalidentity.ThenovelwasaBook-of-the-MonthClubselection,anditplacedToniMorrisoninthefirstrankofAmericannovelists.TarBabycameoutin1981.Unlikeherpreviousnovels,thisbookhasbothAfrican-Americanandwhitecharacters.Byjuxtaposingtheminthecentralconflictoftheplot,theauthordramatizestheracialcomplexitiesthatcharacterizetheAmericanculturallandscape.Publishedin1987,Morrison’snextworkBeloveddealswithslaveryandinfanticide.ItwasanothertriumphandthewinnerofthePulitzerPrizeforFiction.TheprotagonistSethehasrunawayfromslaveryandisseekingrefugeinOhio.Whentheslavemasterssearchforher,shekillsherbabygirlinordertosaveherfromtheslaveryshehasjustescaped.However,theghostofthebaby“Beloved”,anamewrittenonhertombstone,comesbacktohaunther.InJazz(1992),Joe,theunfaithfulhusbandofViolet,killsagirlhelovessomuchinafitofpassion.Thefragmentednarrativegraduallyunfolds,showinghowandwhythisHarlem,NewYorktragedyhappened.InParadise(1998),whichmovesfreelybetweeneras,theauthorexploresthefoundingofRuby,atinyall-blackfarmingcommunityinOklahoma,anditsancestralfeudsandfinancialquarrels.ThisnovelwasfollowedbyLove(2003),AMercy(2008)andHome(2012).Inadditiontohernovels,Morrisonhasalsowrittenshortfiction,playsandnon-fiction.PlayingintheDark:
WhitenessandtheLiteraryImagination(1992)isacollectionofliterarycriticism.
Morrison’snovelsaremostlysetinblackcommunitiesinthethirtiesorforties,buttheydonotmerelytellstoriesaboutaparticularcommunityduringaparticularperiod.Morrisondoesfarmorethanjusttellgoodstories.Whentalkingaboutthenovel,shesays,“Itshouldbebeautiful,andpowerful,butitshouldalsowork.Itshouldhavesomethinginitthatenlightens;somethinginitthatopensthedoorandpointstheway;somethinginitthatsuggestswhattheconflictsare,whattheproblemsare.Butitneednotsolvethoseproblemsbecauseitisnotacasestudy,itisnotarecipe....IfanythingIdo,inthewayofwritingnovels(orwhateverIwrite),isn’taboutthevillageorthecommunityoraboutyou,thenitisnotaboutanything.Iamnotinterestedinindulgingmyselfinsomeprivate,closedexerciseofmyimaginationthatfulfillsonlytheobligationofmypersonaldreams—whichistosayyes,theworkmustbepolitical....Itseemstomethatthebestartispoliticalandyououghttobeabletomakeitunquestionablypoliticalandirrevocablybeautifulatthesametime.”(“Rootedness:
TheAncestorasFoundation”)TheNobelPrizecitationpointsout,“Inherdepictionsoftheworldoftheblackpeople,inlifeasinlegend,ToniMorrisonhasgiventheAfro-Americanpeopletheirhistoryback,piecebypiece.”Yet,atthesametime,herworkisalwayssymbolicofthesharedhumancondition,transcendinglinesofgender,race,andclass.Themostenduringimpressionhernovelsleaveisof“empathy,ofcompassionwithone’sfellowhumanbeings”.
In2012TonyMorrisonreceivedthePresidentialMedalofFreedom.
TheBluestEye
Publishedin1970,thenovelissetintheblackcommunityinLorain,Ohio,in1941,longbeforetheCivilRightsMovement.Inthosedays,blacknesswassynonymouswithugliness.Thedominantwhitecultureexerciseditshegemonyanddictatedstandardsofbeauty.Manyblackpeopleacceptedandinternalizedwhitevaluesanddevelopedself-contemptandself-hatredforthemselvesorotherblackpeople,makingsomeoftheirownpeoplevictimsandscapegoats.Tooverthrowwhiteculturalhegemonyandliberatethemselvesfromoppressionandself-oppression,inthe1960s,blackpeopleraisedthepoliticalslogan:
“Blackisbeautiful.”
Morrison’snovelTheBluestEyesdepictstheperniciouspsychologicalimpactthatthedominantwhiteculturalvalueshavehadonblackpeople.
ThestorycentersaroundthetragiclifeofalittleblackgirlnamedPecolaBreedlove.TheBreedloveswerethepoorestfamilyinthetown,livinginthefrontofanabandonedstore.Theplacewassouglythat“visitorswhodrivetothistinytownwonderwhyithasnotbeentorndown,whilepedestrians,whoareresidentsoftheneighborhood,simplylookawaywhentheypassit”.Pecola,elevenyearsold,wasblackandugly.Herfather,ChollyBreedlove,wasdriventoalcoholismbyalifeofappallingracialoppression.Onceheburneduphishouseandturnedhisfamilyoutdoors.Hermother,Pauline,drivenbyherhusband’srageandtheunbearablemiseryofherlife,foundpeaceonlythroughworkingasaservantinawhitehome.Shegavemorecareandattentiontohermaster’schildrenthanherownlittlegirl.Thepoverty-strickenandfrustratedcouplequarreledandfoughtconstantly,totallyignoringtheirdaughterPecola.Atschoolotherchildrenbulliedandridiculedher,callingherugly.Imprisonedbydirepovertyandextrememisery,Pecolawishedforlighterskin,blondhairandespeciallyblueeyeslikemoviestarShirleyTempleandotherwhitegirls.Everydaysheprayedforamiraclethatwouldgiveherapairofthebluesteyes.Shebelievedthatheruglinesswasthesourceofallhermiseryandthathavingblueeyeswouldbethekeytohappiness.Shewasconvincedthatifshehadblueeyes,shewouldbecomeprettyandhappyandthatallherproblemswouldbegone.Finally,becomingmad,shethoughtthathereyeshadbecomeblue.Inherimaginationshehadbeentransformedintoaprettygirl.Asshewaswaitingforloveandhappinesstocometoher,ironicallyherdrunkenfathergothome,andgave“love”tohisdaughterbyrapingher.Thelittlegirlbecamepregnantandshegavebirthtoastillbornchild.Shesankdeeperintodespairandmadness.Bytheendofthenovel,“Shewassosadtosee.Grownpeoplelookedaway;children,thosewhowerenotfrightenedbyher,laughedoutright...thedamagedonewastotal.”Pecola’sfatherdiedintheworkhouse;hermotherstilldidhouseworkforwhitepeople.Pecolaandhermothermovedtoalittlehouseontheedgeoftown.Theblacklittlegirlwasoftenseenpickingherway“betweenthetirerimsandthesunflowers,amongallthewasteandbeautyoftheworld—whichiswhatsheherselfwas”.Thenarratorplantedsomemarigoldsinthespringthatyear,buttheynevercameout.Usingthedeadseedsofmarigoldsasametaphor,thenarratorobservesinconclusion,“Ieventhinknowthatthelandoftheentirecountywashostiletomarigoldsthatyear.Thissoilisbadforcertainkindsofflowers.Certainseedsitwillnotnurture,certainfruititwillnotbear,andwhenthelandkillsofitsownvolition,weacquiesceandsaythevictimhadnorighttolive.Wearewrong,ofcourse,butitdoesn’tmatter.It’stoolate.Atleastontheedgeofmytown,amongthegarbageandthe
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