The Bluest Eye Classism

“‘You are ugly people’” (39). One of the first things that catches the eyes of Morrison’s readers in The Bluest Eye is the classism between her pages. Morrison digs deep within her character’s lives and sets up character flaws that will eventually fall victim to classism. Toni Morrison sets up strong foundations of classism in her book, The Bluest Eye, that shares a harsh truth between the children, adults, and ideas and concepts of beauty. To start off her book, Morrison intrigues her readers within the first page by showing tensions between the MacTeer girls and their neighbor Rosemary. Rosemary is a nosy little white girl who likes to poke fun at Claudia and Frieda MacTeer because they are not upper class like her. Rosemary’s family is

Pauline Breedlove works for a kind, rich family who live in an elegant house. The Fishers, the family Pauline works for, own many beautiful furnishings that Pauline herself has always wished she could someday own. The upper class life that Pauline wants is right in front of her. She gets to join in on the lifestyle everyday when she heads to work. At the Fisher house Pauline is able to go back to feeling like she can keep a nice house and have the ability to sort and organize things. This new family makes her happier than her own family has in a long time. After a while Pauline is absorbed into the routine of the Fisher life and begins to care for the Fisher family more than her own. She soon earns the nickname of Polly while taking care of them. The nickname that the Fishers give her show how they accept her into their high class life, and Pauline welcomes this with joy. The family has a young daughter that Pauline takes care of daily. The Fishers respect Pauline, and Pauline respects the Fishers. Pauline cooks, cleans, and cares for the Fisher family in every way. She is their most valued servant, and they cherish her. She is like a second mother to their daughter, and Pauline has grown quite accustomed to the way they live. She developes more respect for taking care of the Fishers than she has for taking care of her own family. She treats the Fishers better and is even willing to fight for their upper

One character who struggles with beauty is Pauline. Ever since she was a little girl her perception of beauty has been amiss. Pauline at the age of two stepped on a rusty nail that punctured through her foot. After her foot healed Pauline was left with an indefinite limp. As she grew up Pauline’s limp affected how others saw her, and she because distant. As a young teen Pauline is introduced to classism when everyone in her town distances themselves from her because she is different. As she grows up further her foot does not bother her at all because Cholly, her husband, loves her, and her injured foot. Cholly and Pauline move together to Lorain, Ohio. Once they settle in Ohio, Pauline is influenced by the women who live around her because she does not fit into their social class. The women influence her to become more than she is, to become beautiful. Pauline begs Cholly for money to buy new clothes to fit in better, and he refuses. Pauline then finds a job to provide the new clothes for herself. “When Cholly began to quarrel about the money she wanted, she decided to go to work. Taking jobs as a day worker helped with the clothes, and even a few things for the apartment, but it did not help with Cholly” (118). Pauline tries really hard to be beautiful but the new clothes are not enough to fit in. Still feeling like she is not high class enough, Pauline changes how she talks in hopes that