Racism reflected in The Bluest Eye of Toni Morrison

Md. Humayun Kabir :
Toni Morrison, original name Chloe Anthony Wofford, (born February 18, 1931, Lorain, Ohio – died August 5, 2019, New York), American novelist, editor, teacher and Professor at Princeton University, received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1993, noted for her examination of black experience (particularly black female experience) within the black community. Her novels are known for their epic themes, wonderful poetic language and richly detailed African American characters who are central figures to their narratives. Among her best-known novels are The Bluest Eye (1970), Sula (1974), Song of Solomon (1977), Beloved (1987).
The ugly face of racism in American society has successfully been depicted in The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison about 50 years ago. The social reality of that time reflected in The Bluest Eye made it an epoch making novel in the same genre. 50 years anniversary of The Bluest Eye’s publication deserves a lot of discussion on the life and philosophy of Toni Morrison, great feminist writer of 20th century.
The central issue or Morrison’s chief thematic concern is the woman’s struggle in African-American society. And the question of race on the basis of skin color how influenced the psyche of African-American in the American white controlled social structure has been explained in The Bluest Eye in the subconscious process.
The Bluest Eye contains a number of autobiographical elements. It takes place in Lorain, Ohio, where Morrison grew up. Afterward Morrison explains how a schoolmate longed for blue eyes.
The happening of the novel coincides with the political development of 1960s America when the Black beautiful movement was working to reclaim African American beauty. The historical context is clear, the literary context of the Bluest Eye is more complex. By William Faulkner and Virginia Woolf Morrison was influenced and took the black people cause as the subject matter of her narratives.
 ‘Each night, without fail, she prayed for blue eyes fervently. For a year she had prayed’.(The Bluest Eye, page-35) This saying about Protagonist of this novel, Pecola Breedlove hints her mental posture. She thought that everyone of white class would love her, like her, play with her if she had a blue eye. Pauline, Pecola’s mother was also inclined to white beautification. She often talked laughingly with white children but she disliked her own child Pecola; because her Pecola looked ugly.
About Pecola’s mind the author informs, ‘Long hours she sat looking in the mirror, trying to discover the secret of the ugliness, the ugliness that made her ignored or despised at school, by teachers and classmates alike. She was the only member of her class who sat alone at a double desk. (Page-34, The Bluest Eye)
In the center of The Bluest Eye, two things —- beauty and wealth are set in their relation to race and brutal rape of young girl by her own father. How horrible the fact is that Cholly seduced his own child Pecola 11 and impregnated her. How vulnerable the female child is to her father! Savior is predator. Religiously civilized manner is completely absent in the poverty ridden of American black society. Some underlying factors of black society are racism and sexism.
‘They lived there because they were poor and black; they stayed there because they believed they were ugly. Although their poverty was traditional and stultifying, it was not unique. But their ugliness was unique. (Page 28, The Bluest Eye)
Every character of this novel faces a problem to deal with. Cholly was neglected by his parents. Pauline herself was very unhappy with Cholly. Often they quarreled. ‘She in turn, fought back in a purely feminine way —- with frying pans and pokers and occasionally a flat iron would sail toward his head.
Pecola is tortured by her father and mother. Pauline is hit and harassed by her husband. Cholly is left by his parent and brought up by his aunt. Here rich black is against poor black. Maureen is somewhat light skinned; she embodies everything that is considered ‘white’ at least by Claudia’s standard.
Through skin color —- black and white differentiates two races —- black people and white people. Historically black people in American society are immigrants, economically poorer, socially downgrade, illiterate and racially oppressed. On the other white people mean rich, educated, civilized and dominating force, stand on the top of the society having all state privileges.
Morrison succeeds in presenting the ongoing reality of African-American society by focusing on the racism as well as sexism in the black Community. How the black people endure the curse of racism, how black people view of beauty and skin color in the same origin —- are objectively delineated with lucid language by Toni Morrison. She deserves credit to draw social attention to this discriminatory culture in modern society of America.

(The writer is a former student of English Department).