Insanity In Bluest Eye, And The Joy Luck Club

The definition of normal is different to many people, settings, and expectations. Law terms define one who is not normal, or insane, for legal purposes, while social protocols outline rules for one’s behavior. Many criticize these interpretations of normal, and controversy has erupted over these rules, definitions, and expectations. However, extremely unusual characters often have a lasting effect on those they interact with. Authors often use abnormal characters to develop a plot, or provide thematic illustrations. In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, and Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club, authors strategically use abnormal and mentally disturbed characters to elaborate on thematic content. Amy Tan begins her novel with

When creating the monster, he undergoes a serious transformation that reduce his physical and mental health. When recalling a dream that he had, Frankenstein says he “saw the grave worms crawling in the folds of the flannel…” (174). Dreams like this were frequent for Victor Frankenstein, which illustrates his unhealthy obsession with creation. He has such a fixation on creating a sustainable creature, a passion so strong that his own health is jeopardized. The doctor becomes insane, revealing Shelley’s belief that disturbing the natural order of the world has a profoundly negative impact. Furthermore, Frankenstein’s work begins to affect his friends and family. He states, “doubtless my words surprised Henry: he at first believed them to be the wanderings of my disturbed imagination” (83). Shelley warns that abnormal obsessions result in abnormal health. Frankenstein’s attempt to disrupt a natural development led to disastrous consequences. Rather than mental instability from within, Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye explores disturbed characters who result from societal oppression. Pecola, a young girl who loves in a troubled household, grows up facing many unusual problems. In a racist society, she believes that having blue eyes will solve her problems. Unfortunately, Pecola is wrongfully blamed for killing a cat, raped and impregnated