Lesson 9 The Bluest Eye.docx

Lesson 9 The Bluest Eye.docx

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Lesson9TheBluestEye

TheBluestEye（Excerpts）

byToniMorrison

GuidetoReading

WhenwediscusscontemporaryAmericanliterature,itisimpossiblenottomentionthenameandworksofToniMorrison.ANobelPrizewinnerforliterature,shehaswrittenuptonowsevennovels,makingsignificantcontributionstothedepictionofAfricanAmericanexperience.UnlikesomeAfricanAmericanwriterswhoexposewhiteracismagainsttheblacksinadirectway,Morrison’sexplorationtendstobeintroverted,focusingontherelationshipswithintheblackcommunity.Hernovelsoftenrevealhowthedominantwhiteculturehasdeprivedtheblackpeopleoftheirownculturalvaluesandthedestructiveimpactthisculturalmutilationhasbroughtaboutamongtheblackpeople.AlthoughmostofhernovelsareapparentlysetinherhometowninOhio,theynotonlydepicttheblackexperienceinthatregion,buttellaboutsharedhumanconditionswithuniversalthemesoflove,death,betrayal,andtheindividual’sresponsibilityforhisorherownfate.

Morrison’sfirstnovelTheBluestEye,fromwhichthefollowingtextistaken,tellstheheartbreakingstoryofPecolaBreedlove,avulnerableblackgirl,livinginLorain,Ohio,intheearly1940s.Inasocietywhereblueeyesandwhitenessareequatedwithbeauty,andtherefore,goodnessandhappinesswhileblacknessisperceivedugliness,Pecola’sgreatestdesireistohaveblueeyes.Eachnight,withoutfail,shepraysforprettyblueeyes.Shebelievesthathavingblueeyesisthekeytowipingoutalltheunbearablemiseriesforherfamily—theirhopelesspoverty,theconstantfightingbetweentheparents,thecontemptofotherchildren,etc.Sheimaginesthatwithblueeyes,shewillbecomeabeautifulgirllovedbyeveryone.InherwildimaginationPecolafeelsthatthecolorofhereyeshasbeenfinallytransformed.Ironically,insteadoflove,whatshegetsintheendistheviolenceofherfather’srape.Ratherthanhappiness,shesinksdeeperintotheabyssofmisery.Herdreamoffindingshelterinherfantasyofwhitenessmercilesslydestroyed,thegirlisthrownintomadness.

Followingisoneofthemostvividscenesinthenovel.Inthisparttheauthordescribesaparticulartypeofblacks—brown-skinnedpeople.Theyholdthemselveshighabovetheotherblacks.Thesesugar-brownormilk-browngirlsarefrombetterfamilies,“gotoland-grantcolleges,learnhowtodothewhiteman’sworkwithrefinement,”marrysuccessfully,livingintheirowninviolableworldsinquiet,blackneighborhoods.Withacertainproportionofwhitebloodinthem,theyfeelsuperiortootherblackpeople.Likethewhites,theydetestblackness,andprojecttheirhatredandcontemptforitontoNegroeswithdarkerskins.Theyblindlybelieveinthemainstreamwhiteculturalvaluesandimitatethewhitemiddleclassineverypossibleway.Theyareunabletoestablishhealthyrelationshipswiththeirownpeople.Geraldineissuchawoman,andhersonJuniorisonthewayofbecomingonelikeher.Incapableofhumanlove,Geraldinefindscomfortinhercat.Sowhenhercatiskilled（byherson）,shepoursallherangerontoPecolaandcruellydrivesthepoorgirlfromherhome.Onceagain,Pecolaismadeavictim.Yet,Geraldine,whohasvictimizedthishelplessblackgirl,isalsoavictimherself—avictimofracialprejudicethathaspenetratedintothemindsofblackpeoplelikeherandwarpedtheirtrueidentity.

Thissceneisvividanddisturbing.Afterreadingthestorythereaderfindsithardtoforgetthecharactersandtheirfate.Realisticdetails,metaphoricallanguageandthefreshestandmoststrikingproseallcontributetoMorrison’seffectiveexplorationofcomplexthemesthroughtellingsimplestories.

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1.TheycomefromMobile.Aiken.FromNewportNews.FromMarietta.FromMeridian.Andthesoundsoftheseplacesintheirmouthsmakeyouthinkoflove.Whenyouaskthemwheretheyarefrom,theytilttheirheadsandsay"Mobile"andyouthinkyou'vebeenkissed.Theysay"Aiken"andyouseeawhitebutterflyglanceoffafencewithatornwing.Theysay"Nagadoches"andyouwanttosay"Yes,Iwill."Youdon'tknowwhatthesetownsarelike,butyoulovewhathappenstotheairwhentheyopentheirlipsandletthenameseaseout.

2.Meridian.Thesoundofitopensthewindowsofaroomlikethefirstfournotesofahymn.Fewpeoplecansaythenamesoftheirhometownswithsuchslyaffection.Perhapsbecausetheydon'thavehometowns,justplaceswheretheywereborn.Butthesegirlssoakupthejuiceoftheirhometowns,anditneverleavesthem.TheyarethinbrowngirlswhohavelookedlongathollyhocksinthebackyardsofMeridian,Mobile,Aiken,andBatonRouge.Andlikehollyhockstheyarenarrow,tall,andstill.Theirrootsaredeep,theirstalksarefirm,andonlythetopblossomnodsinthewind.Theyhavetheeyesofpeoplewhocantellwhattimeitisbythecolorofthesky.Suchgirlsliveinquietblackneighborhoodswhereeverybodyisgainfullyemployed.Wherethereareporchswingshangingfromchains.Wherethegrassiscutwithascythe,whereroostercombsandsunflowersgrowintheyards,andpotsofbleedingheart,ivy,andmother-in-lawtonguelinethestepsandwindowsills.Suchgirlshaveboughtwatermelonandsnapbeansfromthefruitman'swagon.Theyhaveputinthewindowthecardboardsignthathasapoundmeasureprintedoneachofthreeedges--10lbs.,25lbs.,50lbs.--andnoiceonthefourth.TheseparticularbrowngirlsfromMobileandAikenarenotlikesomeoftheirsisters.Theyarenotfretful,nervous,orshrill;theydonothavelovelyblacknecksthatstretchasthoughagainstaninvisiblecollar;theireyesdonotbite.Thesesugar-brownMobilegirlsmovethroughthestreetswithoutastir.Theyareassweetandplainasbuttercake.Slimankles;long,narrowfeet.Theywashthemselveswithorange-coloredLifebuoysoap,dustthemselveswithCashmereBouquettalc,cleantheirteethwithsaltonapieceofrag,softentheirskinwithJergensLotion.Theysmelllikewood,newspapers,andvanilla.TheystraightentheirhairwithDixiePeach,andpartitontheside.Atnighttheycurlitinpaperfrombrownbags,tieaprintscarfaroundtheirheads,andsleepwithhandsfoldedacrosstheirstomachs.Theydonotdrink,smoke,orswear,andtheystillcallsex"nookey."Theysingsecondsopranointhechoir,andalthoughtheirvoicesareclearandsteady,theyareneverpickedtosolo.Theyareinthesecondrow,whiteblousesstarched,blueskirtsalmostpurplefromironing.

3.Theygotoland-grantcolleges,normalschools,andlearnhowtodothewhiteman'sworkwithrefinement:

homeeconomicstopreparehisfood;teachereducationtoinstructblackchildreninobedience;musictosoothethewearymasterandentertainhisbluntedsoul.Heretheylearntherestofthelessonbeguninthosesofthouseswithporchswingsandpotsofbleedingheart:

howtobehave.Thecarefuldevelopmentofthrift,patience,highmorals,andgoodmanners.Inshort,howtogetridofthefunkiness.Thedreadfulfunkinessofpassion,thefunkinessofnature,thefunkinessofthewiderangeofhumanemotions.

4.Whereveriterupts,thisFunk,theywipeitaway;whereitcrusts,theydissolveit;whereveritdrips,flowers,orclings,theyfinditandfightituntilitdies.Theyfightthisbattleallthewaytothegrave.Thelaughthatisalittletooloud;theenunciationalittletooround;thegesturealittletoogenerous.Theyholdtheirbehindinforfearofaswaytoofree;whentheywearlipstick,theynevercovertheentiremouthforfearoflipstoothick,andtheyworry,worry,worryabouttheedgesoftheirhair.

5.Theyneverseemtohaveboyfriends,buttheyalwaysmarry.Certainmenwatchthem,withoutseemingto,andknowthatifsuchagirlisinhishouse,hewillsleeponsheetsboiledwhite,hungouttodryonjuniperbushes,andpressedflatwithaheavyiron.Therewillbeprettypaperflowersdecoratingthepictureofhismother,alargeBibleinthefrontroom.Theyfeelsecure.Theyknowtheirworkclotheswillbemended,washed,andironedonMonday,thattheirSundayshirtswillbillowonhangersfromthedoorjamb,stifflystarchedandwhite.Theylookatherhandsandknowwhatshewilldowithbiscuitdough;theysmellthecoffeeandthefriedham;seethewhite,smokygritswithadollopofbutterontop.Herhipsassurethemthatshewillbearchildreneasilyandpainlessly.Andtheyareright.

6.Whattheydonotknowisthatthisplainbrowngirlwillbuildherneststickbystick,makeitherowninviolableworld,andstandguardoveritseveryplant,weed,anddoily,evenagainsthim.Insilencewillshereturnthelamptowheresheputitinthefirstplace;removethedishesfromthetableassoonasthelastbiteistaken;wipethedoorknobafteragreasyhandhastouchedit.Asidelonglookwillbeenoughtotellhimtosmokeonthebackporch.Childrenwillsenseinstantlythattheycannotcomeintoheryardtoretrieveaball.Butthemendonotknowthesethings.Nordotheyknowthatshewillgivehimherbodysparinglyandpartially.Hemustenterhersurreptitiously,liftingthehemofhernightgownonlytohernavel.Hemustresthisweightonhiselbowswhentheymakelove,ostensiblytoavoidhurtingherbreastsbutactuallytokeepherfromhavingtotouchorfeeltoomuchofhim.

Whilehemovesinsideher,shewillwonderwhytheydidn'tputthenecessarybutprivatepartsofthebodyinsomemoreconvenientplace--likethearmpit,forexample,orthepalmofthehand.Someplaceonecouldgettoeasily,andquickly,withoutundressing.Shestiffenswhenshefeelsoneofherpapercurlerscomingundonefromtheactivityoflove;imprintsinhermindwhichoneitisthatiscomingloosesoshecanqu