Bluest Eye Stereotypes

Ted Chiang was once quoted as saying that “Girls have always been told that their value is tied to their appearance; their accomplishments are always magnified if they're pretty and diminished if they're not”. The idea of beauty standards being so prominent in society operates at the nexus of race and gender; Toni Morrison’s Bluest Eye reflects on the question of how society constructs the idea of beauty. The story portrays the problematic notions of gender norms and racism and the role of women in society. Morrison unravels gender stereotypes by holding accountable popular discourses peddled by the media which help shape beauty standards for women, especially young girls. Morrison uses strong writing and well-crafted prose to construct a poignant

This idea of media influencing Pecola is evident throughout the novel but especially when the novel discusses characters such as Shirley Temple and Mary Jane. “A picture of little Mary Jane, for whom the candy is named. Smiling white face. Blonde hair in gentle disarray, blue eyes looking at her out of a world of clean comfort. The eyes are petulant, mischievous. …She eats the candy, and its sweetness is good. To eat the candy is somehow to eat the eyes, eat Mary Jane… Be Mary Jane.” Morrison incorporates vivid imagery to discuss the different distinct features of Mary Jane. Words such as “smiling white face, gentle disarray, petulant and mischievous are used to demonstrates how Mary Jane was marketed as a beautiful endorser of this candy. This connects to when Pecola goes to buy candy from Mr. Yacobowski who treats her in an inhumane way by disregarding her and reluctantly taking the pennies from her hand as he doesn’t want to touch her. The marketing of this candy for consumers who only identified and looked like Mary Jane creates more racism. This candy, therefore, is a metaphor for the soothing source that helps Pecola connect with the white culture by becoming a consumer for this market where White people are marketed as superior. The words “Be Mary Jane” signifies how amazed Pecola was by Mary

This story punctuates the journey of Pecola in the 1940s where racism and sexism were prominent themes in life how her journey comes to represent fundamental problems with society. This idea finds fruition in the works of Morrison whose protagonist in the story attempts to be the ideal girls which she thinks can only happen through blue eyes. Also, in the current political and social period, this story holds particular significance as women’s rights have again come under siege whether it be through the pro-life laws that limit women’s choices. Therefore, the author advocates for a just society where equality can prevail, and humanity can take precedence over divisive politics and discrimination even though it is done through a creation of a realistic but unfortunate ending. Therefore, as pointed out by, Ted Chiang “Girls have always been told that their value is tied to their appearance; their accomplishments are always magnified if they're pretty and diminished if they're not” This thought can be clearly seen in “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison. Thus, this novel educates the audience about the present by presenting a fictional past that has