"So charged with pain and wonder that the novel becomes poetry" - New York Times

The Bluest Eye was written by Toni Morrison and published in 1970. Morrison uses Lorraine, Ohio as a backdrop to tackle serious issues, such as the media’s portrayal of beauty and self-hatred induced by internalized racism.

The story is told mainly from the viewpoint of an adolescent girl, Claudia. She is an interesting narrator because she does not go along with the ideals of the society, or her friend, Pecola. Claudia does not value the “beauty” of Shirley Temple’s porcelin skin. Pecola, on the other hand, is defined by structures set by those in authoritative positions. She has internalized the notion of white beauty so much that the only way she will be perceived as beautiful is by acquiring sky blue eyes. Morrison emphasizes this desire is what drives Pecola to ruin, and unfortunately is was because no one really complimented Pecola on her personally, they only focused on her race.

"We don't have the vocabulary to tell children what to value. We do say, "Oh, you're so beautiful. Oh, you're so pretty. Oh—that's not really what we really ought to be saying. What do you tell a child when you want to say, "You are good, and I like that. You are honest and I like that. [Y]ou are courageous. I really like that. I really like the way you behave. I like the way you do yourself. Now. The way you are.' That's the vocabulary we need." - Toni Morrison

One of the goals in writing this book was for the tender and fragile nature of adolescent girls to be exposed, and how some girls end up horribly scarred because there are no other chioces, so they do the best they think they can.

This novel is worth reading because it is written by a great author who has been overlooked too often. It is a tool to educate the youth of our world because it shows the reality of people's lives. If you are interested in thought provoking quetions, learning more, or discussing this book further, please follow this link.