Rating: 
Summary: Insecure Eyes
Review: Has all of society become enthralled with the Hollywood/Paris runway ideal of what beauty is? Humans beings have become overly obsessed with making themselves beautiful in order to be accepted by the rest of society. Toni Morrison uses this theme as the main subject of The Bluest Eyes. Pecola Breedlove was in love with the idea of having blond hair and blue eyes to be beautiful so that the other children would include her. She is convinced that the only way her life could improve would be that she look like Shirley Temple. Liekwise, many adolescents in our country have the same preconceived notions set in place by movies and the media. Morrison's writing tenique, although sometimes very detailed, is complementary for the subject matter being presented. She repeatedly goes off on tangents about specific characters, but this only adds to the development of the plot. The descriptive dialoge leaves the reader feeling the same pain and abuse that Pecola felt and, at the same time, feeling compassion for the racial hatred that was inflicted so prevelently in that community. I think that the material dealt with in the book is intended for a mature audience. I would definitly recomend this book for adults to read.
Rating: 
Summary: Jane & Dick: A Strategy to Convey a Message
Review: In her novel, The Bluest Eye, Toni Morrison organizes the plot into strategic sections in order to convey the message of an ironic world through the eyes of a twelve year old girl. Morrison uses the idea of a "perfect world" as a child would imagine it and tells it in a single paragraph: the "see Jane and Dick" children's tale. As the novel's guide, the tale serves as both an ironic symbol and as a foreshadower in its organizing of the plot. The novel is divided into four parts: autumn, winter, spring, and summer. Immediately preceding the first part, which is autumn, are two pages whose stylistic prose make them so distinctive. Here, Morrison presents the readers with the childhood tale most remember reading: "Here is the house. It is green and white...It is very pretty...See Jane...She wants to play...See Mother...See Mother...Play, Jane, play." (3). This fourteen-line paragraph is then repeated a total of four times throughout the book, each one a little different from the rest in its style. It is the fourth run of the tale that is most significant, though. Morrison divides her parts into sections, or chapters. All except the first chapter of each part begin with a short segment of the tale. The appearance of the segments is in the same, sequential order that was first presented in the beginning. What is included in the tale and the chapter it is appearing is how the tale serves as a foreshadower. The first chapter with this distinctive element begins with "HEREISTHEHOUSEITISGREENANDWHITEITHASAREDDOORITISVERYPRTTYPRETTYPRETTY" (33). As one keeps reading, he finds that the chapter is primarily about the home of the main character, twelve-year-old Pecola Breedlove. This chapter gives the reader a glimpse of the young girl's horrid physical surroundings. Irony comes into play with the realization that Pecola's home is not "green, white, and pretty," but is merely a run-down storefront. The next chapter's tale segment includes the part about Jane, America's perfect poster child introduced in children's literature at a tender age. As the "Jane chapter" is actually about Pecola Breedlove herself, the reader then realizes for the first time that "Jane" is a symbol of Pecola. Both girls have their idea of perfection and yearn for a friend. Many chapters later in the spring part, a new chapter begins with "SEEFATHERHEISBIGANDSTRONGFATHERWILLYOUPLAYWITHJANEFAHTERISSMILINGSMILEFATHERSMILESMILE" (132). In accordance with Morrison's pattern, this chapter was about Pecola's father, Pecola Breedlove. As she does so in other various chapters, Morisson enables herself to present a glimpse of her significant characters' motives. Irony is again a major factor when the reader learns more about the person inside Cholly. He is a cold-hearted, disrespectful, and abusive man who rapes Pecola. Needless to say, these traits are very much in contrast to those traits that a father like Jane's would possess. By using the children's tale of Jane and Dick as a guide throughout the novel, Morisson is able to effectively organize her plot line with grim foreshadowing and elaborate irony, thus enabling her to reflect the tragedy of a young girl with an idea of life perfection.
Rating:
Summary: Beauty
Review: The description Toni Morrison uses throughout this novel makes it an enjoyable read. I found some minor difficulty in identifying the order of events, particularly because it skipped around a lot. As the book went along, it became easier to piece the puzzle. The lengths one goes to for beauty can destroy you. This was true for Pecolia. She strove to be beautiful and have blue eyes but when she finally achieved this, she went insane. This problem of desiring to be beautiful still exists in today's society. Anorexia and Bulimia are major forms of destruction that affect young teenagers. After completing this novel, I feel that I have gained a better understanding as to what beauty truly is.
Rating: 
Summary: Heartbreaking Marigolds
Review: Having blue eyes myself, it's hard for me to comprehend why someone would want to change the beauty and uniqueness of oneself. Yet, the authors explination of young Pecola's life gives the answer to that statement. Pecola is growing up in a rough household in which her parents constantly argue, her brother constantly runs away, and Pecola hides behind her "ugliness." The young girl feels that if only she could conform to the societies ideal beauty her family life would change into a more loving and caring enviroment. Since the society looks upon "Shirley Temples" as the ideal beauty, Pecola feels that if only she would have blue eyes she would be beautiful and all her problems would go away. I felt that even though this book takes place in the 1940s, the same problems exist for young girls growing up today. The tall skinny supermodel look is something all young girls of the 21st century strive for. Just as in the 1940s the ideal beauty was to be white with blonde hair and blue eyes. I feel that the descriptions of this book may not be appropriate for children, but a mature young adult would find it educational.
Rating:
Summary: Critical Stylistic Elements in "The Bluest Eye"
Review: n her powerful novel The Bluest Eye, Toni Morrison expertly uses complex symbols, diction, and folklore combined with superstition to emphasize the necessity of taking pride in one's race. For instance, Morrison creates innumerable symbols to chronicle the spiritual deterioration of Pecola, a young and destitute black girl. Everyone in her community sees her as a pitifully ugly girl with a tarnished family history. Pecola, recognizing the other's disdain for her, prays for blue eyes. To her blue eyes represent the essence of white beauty and possess the ability to solve all of her problems. However, as the novel progresses, blue eyes come to symbolize myriad evils including jealousy, hubris, and most importantly, self-loathing. Thus, Pecola abandons her blackness and consequently herself for the unobtainable. Tragically, Pecola's hopeless obsession grows from her mother's worship of beauty. When Pecola's mother Pauline first marries she finds that she "had known there was so much laughter in the world"(116). However, when Pauline, who places a tremendous amount of respect in beauty, loses her front tooth, her life turns to shambles. The tooth mirrors Pauline, and the "brown speck...which sat on the enamel for months and grew...finally eating away to the root..." which caused the tooth to fall represents how her overwhelming fixation on appearances rot her soul. As a result of this, Pecola grows up in an environment in which her mother looks at her ugly face in disgust therefore making her wish for beauty. Profound symbols permeate the novel in such a way that nearly possesses an underlying message. Morrison's meticulous use of diction also elucidates the crucial relationship between one's self and one's ethnicity. For example, Pecola's father Cholly also plays a significant role in her loss of spirit. While still a young man, Cholly's father publicly disowns him. As Cholly's background slips through his fingers, the pain and humiliation cause him to psychologically return to the womb. Diction such as "like a baby", "fetal position", "no sound, no sight, only darkness and heat", "enclosed Cholly like the skin and flesh", "crawled" and "water's beginnings" all serve to vividly describe this journey(187-158). Because of this incident, Cholly now can simultaneously have adult and immature feelings. This weakness later leads to him paternally love his daughter while raping her at the same time. Furthermore, both folklore and superstition accentuate how one must recognize his race in order to be a complete person. One of the novel's narrators, the young Claudia, wholeheartedly believes in superstitions and old wives' tales. Bored, Claudia finds herself examining "the white spots on my fingernails. The total signified the number of boyfriends I would have. Seven."(27). Likewise, when Claudia discovers that her older sister Frieda has been sexually assaulted she conjures up the mental image of Frieda as a "big and fat" blob, "her face surrounded by layers of rouged tears"(101). In order to prevent the weight gain that comes from being "ruined", Pecola and Frieda set out to find some whiskey(101). Their complete faith in these unsubstantiated myths portray the innocence of childhood. On the other hand, Pecola never believes in any of this nonsense because she had denounced her heritage. Thus, she never delights in the entertainment silly superstitions and communal folklore brings. Instead, Pecola chooses to steadfastly deify those blue eyes and destroy herself. Clearly, through innumerable symbols, captivating diction, and folklore paired with superstition, Morrison strengthens her purpose of causing the reader to personally analyze whether or not he takes enough pride in his ethnicity.
Rating: 
Summary: A Major Disappointment
Review: I was anxious to read this book, I know Oprah loved it and I heard alot of great reviews. So I started it and was disappointed right away. This book, like most books, didn't get my interest right away. It also didn't hold my interest like other books. I found my mind wandering so I would have to go back and reread certain passages. Then when I finished the book I was disappointed. What was the point of this book? I read this whole book and didn't get anything from it. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone and will make sure I never read this book for a second time.
Rating:
Summary: True to the Heart (tlm 7)
Review: As I read this book , I realized that it had different things going on. I really liked it because it gave deep details of everything that happened. One's life can be different from someone else's by just one feature, and the book gave those distinct details. A young girl about the same age of the main character might wonder why things have to be the way they are. She might even want to change the way she looks, just like Pecola did. From the way things seemed to me, Pecola and all of her family and friends were having enough trouble living in the 1900's. Living in a small state like Ohio made matters worse, but through it all they stuck together. As young as some of the main characters were, they seemed to know what things were about and how to deal with them. The families in this book really went along with one of the themes: Put up with what you were born with; make bad things good. From my point of view, reading this book would give you a view of what real life is.
Rating:
Summary: A very tear jerking story SH pd.1
Review: I read this novel and it was excellent. It had a wonderful plot. Although the story was very detailed, it captured what was going on so anyone could understand. Some parts were very tear jerking. At moments it made me realize what a good life I have had. Hearing all the abuse that went on makes me thankful. I could not imagine being abandoned and then abused. For the two small children in the book that were abused by Cholly and watched him abuse their mother I am sure that they could never get those memories out of their heads. Pecola, that poor young girl, she seemed so helpless. I felt like jumping in the book and taking her away from the awful place. Overall this was an excellent piece. I could read it over and over again. I can see how this book got the Nobel Piece Prize, it was great. I enjoyed reading "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison.
Rating:
Summary: A breathtaking page-turner!
Review: Toni Morrison is an amazing and inspiring writer who uses imagery and metaphor to lead the reader through the depressing life of young Pecola, the novels main character. The reality of prejudice and hatred toward blacks in the early 1900s is depicted throughout the novel through Pecola's hardships. The story is told years later by one of the characters involved in Pecola's life. This gives the story a childlike innocence, yet is still told from an adult. The Bluest eye is extremely heartbreaking and gloomy, however is inspiring and leaves the reader anxious, yet petrified to hear what poor Pecola will have to endure next. Morrison's language is so well perfected that it is difficult to believe that this was her first novel. Personally, I usually prefer more upbeat novels; however, this novel was amazing! Some scenes were hard to read because of the deep description that Morrison included, yet it was an exceptionally significant story for hearing how it was to live as an ugly black family in the South. I would recommend this novel to anyone!
Rating:
Summary: Very good. Interesting and Educational
Review: I finished this book in about a week. It was very deep and took me to a place and time I've never been. Yes, I've been through Loraine, Ohio BUT not in the 1940's nor as a Black. Wake up, readers! For many of you, yes this is a culture shock. BUT it did happen and is still happening today in the 21st century. Racial Prejudice--not only ugly children and people.This book's main character, Pecola, was a fighter that gave up the fight. She was violated. A child violated. This angers me but in today's society, like it or not, IT HAPPENS! Doesn't matter your color, children are being hurt yet this is a wonderful book to warn you of what our children are still going through in the school yards, in the class rooms, at the lockers in school. Ms. Morrison, wonderful job and my hat is tipped to you! Thank you!
|
