The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison Review

The Bluest Eyes By Toni Morrison Review

Written on 12/14/2014

Toni Morrison's writing is beautiful. I am sure any book written by her would be worth reading. The Bluest Eyes was just another one of her fabulous books.

In the addition I brought with me from America ( a handi-down book from my best friend Anna who read it for a college class), there is a special forward from the author. It made me want to go back to every forward I've skipped and read it carefully.

In this forward written by Morrison herself, the conversation Morrison wanted to get people discussing is the central thought. Morrison describes how she wanted to say something about beauty after she realized that beauty is not something that is often recognized, especially in the beholder. She writes, "Beauty was not simply something to behold; it was something one could do."

Also in her forward, she discusses how her young character, Pecola, was subject to racial self-loathing when she wished for blue eyes to be beautiful. In The Bluest Eyes, Morrison questions not only the racial self loathing it self, but also pokes at the question - where do children, the most vulnerable and impressionable part of society, learn such demonstrative thoughts?

Even after describing how she attempted to get at this question and pick it apart to make sense to readers. And then she wrote something particularly inspiring and illumination to a young writer such as myself, that The Bluest Eye it is something she still isn't completely satisfied with, that "many readers remain touched but not moved."

How could one of my idols, who wrote such an amazing novel, still not think her work is good enough? Because she's a writer of course.

But, Morrison, I must say - I was moved.

Some of my favorite quotes from the novel are:

1. "All the world had agreed that a blue-eyed, yellow-haired, pink-skinned doll was what every girl treasured."

I particularity enjoyed this part of the novel because of Morrison's discussion of girls being taught to fuss over and fall in love with these little baby dolls that instilled a thought in them - that these dolls were beautiful...these dolls were worth fussing over. And also, the idea that little girls are raised to be mothers. There suppose to coddle the little baby dolls and when they don't their families do not react positively. Interesting indeed Morrison.

2. "Along with the idea of romantic love, she was introduced to another - physical beauty. Probably the most destructive ideas in the history of human thought. Both originated in envy, thrived in insecurity, and ended in disillusion."

In case anyone needs a reminder that just as there is no perfectly beautiful person, there is no perfect love either. Perfection isn't a goal that can be reached in love or beauty. Thanks Morrison.

3. "Love is never any better than the lover. Wicked people love wickedly, weak people love weakly, stupid people love stupidly..."

What kind of lover are you?

 Obviously, with a novel based around complex societal issues of gender and race, there is a lot that could be said about this book. But it shouldn't be. Read it yourself. See what this book stirs up in you. Hopefully you'll be moved too.