earticle

영어

Toni Morrison describes two girls in her autobiographical novel, The Bluest Eye. Pecola is the typical heroine of naturalist novels. In naturalist novels, protagonists are demolished under the influence of the environment and heredity without will. Pecola is born from irresponsible parents who engage in self-hatred. Cholly, Pecola’s father, uses violence and does not take care of his family. Pauline, Pecola’s mother, neglects her duties as a housewife under the guise of a sincere Christian and a faithful maid for a rich white family. Pecola’s neighbors just follow the white people’s standards. They insult Pecola and regard her as a poor ugly black girl. Pecola desires to have blue eyes, the symbol of being white, in order to get out of her miserable situation. After her father rapes her, Pecola achieves her dream to have blue eyes in her insane mental state. Claudia is also a poor black girl. But unlike the Pecola’s family, there is love and an emotional bond within Claudia’s family. In looking after Claudia—who is ill—her mother inculcates the value of the home. She remains as somebody who does not want Claudia to die. Claudia’s father takes responsibility for his family and defends his daughters from a sexual predator. Claudia grows up developing courage and right judgement. She raises objections when African American adults follow the white people’s standards without questions. She criticizes her neighbors for not giving practical help to Pecola. Through Claudia, Morrison is able to prove that one who is raised with love and care cultivates the capability to overcome hardships and purify the polluted mind.