We learn some of Cholly and Pauline’s past, and the experiences they had that molded them into their current selves however, I could not find enough sympathy for them to give them a pass for the way they treated their children, particularly in their treatment of Pecola.Īt school, Pecola has an even tougher time, because many of the other children taunt her and make fun of her. The Breedloves are poor, and Pecola’s father, Cholly, is an abusive, violent alcoholic, while her mother Pauline is an apathetic, unnurturing mother who is more focused on the white family she works for than on her own. The story takes place during the Great Depression, and we learn that Pecola has been made to feel that she is ugly and unlovable by her family and community alike, which has a horrible effect on her self-image, especially at her young age. And it made me wonder how many other young girls because they are different or don’t look the way a culture believes they should, grow up having similar experiences, albeit not as extreme.

It made me sad for this 11-year-old African American girl who grew up in poverty and faced abuse, incest, rape, and an enforced feeling of inferiority based on a societal ideal of beauty that ended up literally driving her mad.

Such is the case of Pecola Breedlove’s story, told in Toni Morrison’s first novel The Bluest Eye. Sometimes a book you read has an effect on you that you just know will be lasting.

Maureen peal the bluest eye