How well do you know the text?

Title: The Bluest Eye

Author: Toni Morrison

Why is this work important to read?

o This book is very important as it gives a different view as to what happened in a horrible
time of human history
o This part of human history is extremely important as it was a great tragedy in human
rights that still lasts to this day but in a smaller

What are the main contextual factors influencing the text?

o The book was written in a time at which black african-american people suffered greatly
from segregation, racism and other demeaning aspects in society.
o The book also is written in large reference to beauty and the constant idea that white
was perfect and that it automatically equals beauty
o The book also mocks the white people at the time with titles of chapters acting as small
jabs at white supremacy

Give a one sentence description of the work:

o The book greatly captures what it was like to live in America being black with great
simplicity and elegance.

Briefly describe the major theme of the work:

The book acts as a way of capturing the perspective of a young girl in a world that is horrific for
black people especially. Using the theme of racism, beauty as a way of describing an ideal
white mans world the book describes the black people as being seen as anomalies in the world.

In chronological order, list the 5 most important events in the text

1. The characters are introduced into the story. Including the Breedlove’s are introduced
into the book. With Pecola moving into Claudia’s family.

2. The new girl Maureen Peal comes to the school and the girls are vexed on whether to be
her friend or not. Pecola is teased by Maureen and the kids around school about her dad.

3. The book now talks in the perspective of Pauline and following her Cholly. It describes
the way they met. It also describes a lot about their lives before they met each other. With
Cholly impregnating a girl and leaving home.

4. In the Spring chapter the audience finally sees how Cholly raped Pecola.

5. Finally, we see the rest of the community finding out about Cholly and that Pecola had
sex with him twice. We also see Pecola going crazy and her and Pauline move to the end of
town to see out the rest of their days.
Who is the main character(s) and give a one sentence description of them

Pecola - A young confused and naïve girl growing up in a world that considers her ugly who
suffers a tragedy that no one should suffer at any point in time in their life.

What is the setting of the text (time and place) and why is it important?

The book takes place in America in the late 1930s. This is important as it is very early before the
black people started rising up against the white people in history. This was when racism was at
its pure state and it was widely accepted.

What is the dominant symbol in the text and give one specific example of where and
HOW it is used?

Describe the narrative style used in the book and briefly explain how it is used
effectively.

The narrative style is written from a young girl’s perspective which I think is the most effective
way to write the book. This is because the world at which the characters live in is horrific and
writing it through a child’s perspective emphasizes the whole message of the story. The
narrative style switches throughout the book between different characters. This is also used
effectively as some people say there are always 2 sides to a story. In this book there are over 7
sides as seeing the book through all the different perspectives shows how the books main
message regarding racism and living through it, and how it takes a toll on the black people that
live in it.

What is the main conflict?

Different characters throughout the book tackle different conflicts throughout the book. The
younger characters battle through different views on beauty and looking good. The older
characters struggle with problems such as alcohol drunks.

How does the ending resolve the issues presented in the work?

The ending showcases the pain that the past events did to Pecola and how she ends up loosing
her mind with all the problems. The book speaks of Pecola as if she was the sacrifice and she
took the pain for everyone else. It also hints as Pecola being the one to take the pain for the rest
and now they were going to rise up. This was also hinted when Claudia wanted to stand up and
‘save a life’ regardless of how it looked.

Find 3 quotations from the work that speak to you about one of the following: theme,
characterization, symbol/metaphor, narrative style, or ……