Themes in Bluest Eye

Toni Morrison portrays very powerful themes in her highly-acclaimed, Bluest Eye, some of which may be overlooked in everyday life. These include emotions and changes the main character, Claudia goes through. Ranging from inferiority, hatred, maturity, loss of innocence that accompanies, abuse, trust, and secrets.

What really stuck out to me was a combination of Claudia's low self esteem and her constant sense of inferiority. Whether it was from other neighborhood kids or the overall suppression of the 50s, where children were to be seen not heard. Consider in this same time period where racism was so openly prevalent. The big Hollywood celebrities, like Morrison's example Sherlie Temple, were for the most part the same. It takes a village to raise a child, and when that village influences the child that a certain look is prettier or that different is bad, it can certainly affect someone, not to mention a vulnerable child like Claudia. Society has a rather obvious impact, and Claudia's has given her immense resent and a deep seethed loathe for those she envies. This would provide reasoning as to why Claudia lashes out to little white girls because they are her size and she's overcome with jealousy.

Referring back to Claudia's low self esteem, interaction between her mother could be a possible influence. Even though her mother loves her, she acts stern so it may not always come off as love to Claudia. To quote the Beatles, "All you need is love, love, love is all you need." Being human, that's all Claudia wanted. In children it's an even more urgent desire, attention and a feeling of being special is all Claudia ever really wanted.