Creator: Toni Morrison

Medium: Literature

Work: The Bluest Eye (1970)

Questions about human culture:

• What is the role of beauty in a society that is often ugly?
• How do we deal with the pain of racism and discrimination?
• What is the relationship between self-image and self-worth?
• How do we find our voice in a world that often silences us?

Big questions that influenced the cultural work:

• The nature of racism and its effects on individuals and society.
• The importance of family and community.
• The power of language to shape our understanding of the world.
• The need for self-expression and self-determination.

Connection to the larger human need to express:

The Bluest Eye is a powerful exploration of the human need to express ourselves. The novel’s protagonist, Pecola Breedlove, is a young black girl who is deeply insecure about her appearance. She longs for blue eyes, which she sees as a symbol of beauty and acceptance. Pecola’s desire for blue eyes is a metaphor for the larger human need to be seen and accepted for who we are.

The Bluest Eye also explores the ways in which racism can silence and oppress people. Pecola’s family and community are constantly telling her that she is not good enough, simply because she is black. This message of inferiority takes a toll on Pecola’s self-esteem, and she eventually begins to believe that she is ugly and worthless.

The Bluest Eye is a powerful and moving novel that explores the complex relationship between race, beauty, and self-image. It is a reminder that the need to express ourselves is a fundamental human need, and that we all deserve to be seen and accepted for who we are.

Additional Considerations:

Toni Morrison was a groundbreaking author who wrote some of the most important novels of the 20th century. Her work explored the themes of race, gender, and class in a way that was both insightful and powerful. The Bluest Eye is one of her most famous novels, and it is a powerful exploration of the human need to express ourselves.

The novel has been praised by critics for its lyrical prose, its complex characters, and its unflinching look at the effects of racism. It has also been banned from some schools and libraries because of its explicit content. However, The Bluest Eye remains an important and influential novel that continues to be read and discussed today.