A Puzzling Workout

While others might say that having blue eyes shows beauty, Toni Morrison found it almost repulsive when trying to imagine her friend with such a feature. The Bluest Eye tells the story of Pecola who fell victim of racial profiling as she was mocked for traits such as her dark skin. Being rejected by society can have a wide variety of effects on each and every one of us. With the support of family and friends we can learn to cope with this pain; however, lacking this close company can lead us to shrink and become a so-called Lone Ranger. Pecola responded to the fire against her by dreaming and praying for features (blue eyes and blonde hair) which she believed would make her beautiful, allowing her to fit in.

In the introduction of this novel, Toni Morrison talks about self-loathing and breaking under the pressure of rejection. This self-loathing is often a very powerful force and even quite dangerous much like the addictive nature of gambling in a casino. The other extreme of self-loathing is the point at which one just crumbles under the immense hatred steered toward themselves, turning themselves "invisible". Beauty and conformity seem to a central reason many start to loath and hate themselves as they fail to understand that inside them they hold true beauty. 

Although this novel isn't a memoir, it is based on a conversation that Toni Morrison had with a young girl in elementary school. Morrison still incorporates "invented friends, classmates" to create the presence of truth or verisimilitude. It seems as if this novel will address the question of race and beauty, and I am looking forward to reading it.