Kayla Pearson

OConnor
HOnors English
27 August 2015

Symbols in The Bluest Eye

The Bluest Eye, written by Toni Morrison, was filled with clever symbolism. These symbols
embodied important aspects of the novel that appeared often, aspects such as femininity,
beauty, and racism. Blue eyes are the most important symbol of this novel.
The protagonist of Toni Morrisons The Bluest Eye is about Pecola Breedlove an elevenyear-old African American girl that yearns for love and beauty, things she had never had her
whole life. She begins to notice that one of her caucasian classmates, Maureen Peal, is never
bullied or called ugly as Pecola herself is. Pecola then draws the conclusion that this treatment
is because of Maureens pretty blue eyes. Throughout the story Pecola convinces herself that
blue eyes are the only way to get the treatment, from her classmates and family, that she
desires. Long hours she sat looking in the mirror, trying to discover the secret of her ugliness,
the ugliness that made her ignored or despised at school, by teachers and classmates alike.
(Morrison The Bluest Eye pg. 45).
Blue eyes are a symbol for beauty and love which is why they are prioritized so heavily by
Pecola in The Bluest Eye. Her desire for blue eyes play a significant role in the novel as it is
what leads her to hate herself and further internalize racism. Pecolas wish for blue eyes is
internalized racism because all her life she was led to believe that her race could never be
beautiful, and would only be beautiful if she had the features of a caucasians. These beliefs are
very dangerous to have considering her life was already filled with numerous hardships.
This symbol is used to the disadvantage of our protagonist in The Bluest Eye. Pecola thinks
that these beautiful blue eyes will solve all of her problems. They represent all of her hopes and

dreams which makes her prioritize them too much. At the end of the story blue eyes take on a
different meaning. At the end they show Pecolas tragic loss of hope and innocence. Pecola
only obtains these blue eyes after she is raped twice by her own father and impregnated, only to
lose her child prematurely. Any child would be easily traumatized by such events and Pecola is
no exception. She loses her sanity but it is in this state of mind she convinces herself that she
finally gets her blue eyes. A little black girl yearns for the blue eyes of a little white girl, and the
horror at the heart of her yearning is exceeded by the evil of fulfillment. (Morrison The Bluest
Eye pg. 204).
Pecola Breedlove believed that she could finally gain friendship and love with these blue
eyes. Although her wish for blue eyes was granted it was at the cost of her sanity and
innocence. In the end it was internalized racism, and racism in general, that was Pecola
Breedloves downfall. Had she been taught to love herself and her race in a life working against
her she couldve stood a chance.