Toni Morrison Research Paper

Toni Morrison, originally known as Chloe Anthony Wofford, has written numerous novels including the winner of the Nobel Prize, The Bluest Eye. She was born on February 18, 1931 in the small town of Lorain, Ohio. Her father, George Wofford, and mother, Ramah, attempted to protect their daughter from the racist environment of the South by moving their family to Ohio. They succeeded; Toni Morrison had a racially diverse group of friends when she was younger. She was a brilliant child, being the only student in her class with the ability to read. She graduated in 1949 and attended Howard University in Washington D.C, where she majored in English. A few years later, she began writing her first novel, The Bluest Eye. Throughout the process of creating the book,

She is proud to be an African American and tries to incorporate it as much as possible. Another major influence for her book was a real life interaction with a young girl who dreamed for blue eyes. Morrison’s reaction to the girl was anger and confusion on what leads a young girl to desire a transformation in her looks. These thoughts stayed with her and eventually led to the writing of The Bluest Eye during the Black is Beautiful movement working to reclaim African-American beauty. Pieces of Morrison’s life can be seen throughout the story. It is set in the town where she grew up, Lorain, Ohio. In one of Morrison’s many interviews, she admitted “I am from the Midwest so I have a special affection for it. My beginnings are always there.... No matter what I write, I begin there.... It's the matrix for me.... Ohio also offers an escape from stereotyped black settings. It is neither plantation nor ghetto” This shows that her hometown is the perfect start to a story. Also, the story is told from a nine year old, which is the age that Morrison would have been when the story took place, 1941. Since the story was set during the Great Depression, Morrison’s family was struggling with money similar to the MacTeer