Touchy Blue Eyes

I read a book review of Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye on one of the sites. I liked the concept of it that a black girl named Pecola who yearns for blue eyes. She thinks the blue eyes would make her beautiful and her all problems in the life would be solved. People' s attitude towards her would also change because then she would be a beautiful girl.

Immediately went to the second hand book shop at Fountain and bought it for Rs 200 though it was a pirated copy.

When I finished the book, I was completely zapped by it. Its not only the girl's yearning for blue eyes but the all about racism, sexuality, seduction, incest, rape, repression and innocence.

Pecola, belongs to a poor black family in Ohio province. Her mother Pauline does all the household work, father Cholly, a drunker and brother Sammy does not have any great existence in their life.

The black, ugly girl keeps wishing for blue eyes and everyday prays for that. She thinks if she could look beautiful with blue eyes then all her worries and sorrows would be gone. She can have more attention from her parents. There would not be any quarrel between them. Teachers would treat her like other girls and life would be definitely different.

The story starts with Pecola being pregnant from her own father. Her father has failed in his life forever at all levels. He lives a distant life and blames humiliations experienced in past for that. Cholly represents the negative freedom in the society. He drunks, he beats his wife, he doesn't earn and he also rapes own daughter.

Pauline came from a village and becomes an independent women when she realizes her husband's drinking problem. She has a lame foot and impurity complex for her ugliness. She feels most alive when she is at work, cleaning a white woman's home. Pauline, encourages her husband's violent behavior in order to reinforce her own role as a martyr.

But there is one more character Soaphead Church, who is the pastor of the local church. He is the wicked person in the novel and a pedophilic. He sexually exploits Pecola and promises her to give the blue eyes.

Pecola is a symbol of a vulnerable part of the society. Unable to fight with surroundings, she forces herself into a fantasy world. She is the target of hatred for everyone. It also indicates the impurity complex of the black community towards their colour.

The author gives fairly enough chance to every character to justify themselves. But still Pecola's exploitation cannot be justified. Finally she looses her mind and just remains the reminder of human cruelty.

Author has lashed the hypocrisy in the society through the novel. The society decides norms and punishes the vulnerable if they break it. But one can do anything if he or she is mighty enough.

The past exeperinces of life always reflects the future. Person gets bad experience in the life. But human mind is so wicked that instead of fighting against the society, it takes revenge from the poorest part of the society.