BEHAVIORS AS REFLECTED IN TONI MORRISON’S THE BLUEST EYE
A Thesis
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree
in English Language Education
By Winny
Student Number: 031214145
ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION
FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
I would like to express my gratitude to those who helped and supported me in completing this thesis with their knowledge, attention, and love. First of all, I would like to give my deepest gratitude to Jesus Christ for His grace and His never ending-love. I thank God for His blessings.
It is a great pleasure for me to express my greatest gratitude to my major sponsor Drs. L. Bambang Hendarto Y., M.Hum., for his guidance, support, advice, criticisms, and patience. He has given me many suggestions and corrections to my thesis. And, I would also like to thank all of my lecturers in PBI for teaching me the best knowledge and skills. I would also like to thank all staff in Sanata Dharma university for their services and help.
Allah, and Kids Impact, Debby, Helen, Rinma, Bunga, Dera, Tika, Priska, Melon, Diana, Lina, Abed, Bunda Julia, Bu Nita, Redo, Hendrik, Hotma, Thyaz, and Kak Bobo for the friendship, support, and prayers.
Last but not least, my deepest gratitude is for those who have directly or indirectly helped and supported me in writing this thesis.
Winny. (2008). The Influence of Her Parents on Pecola’s Abnormal Behaviors as Reflected in Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye”, Yogyakarta: Faculty of Teachers Training and Education, Department of Language and Arts Education, English Education Study Program, Sanata Dharma University.
Human behavior is influenced by many factors. The most important factor is family because it is the starting point of one’s personality development where a child learn the values of life and social relationships in the society by watching her parents. The Bluest Eye, a novel written by Toni Morrison, talks about Pecola Breedlove who has abnormal behaviors. She behaves abnormally because of the treatment from her parents.
The aim of this study is to answer the two questions which are stated in the problem formulation. The first is how the characters of Pauline and Cholly Breedlove are described and the second is how do Pauline and Cholly Breedlove influence Pecola’s abnormal behaviors.
In answering the questions in the problem formulation, some theories were applied. They were theory of critical approaches, theory of character and characterization, theory of behavior, and some theories of psychology. The method applied in this study was library research. The sources used were two kinds. The primary source was obtained from the novel The Bluest Eye written by Toni Morrison and the secondary sources were obtained from books on literary works. Because this study was concerned with behavior, psychological approach was applied in analyzing the problems.
The finding of the first analysis shows Pauline Breedlove, Pecola’s mother, is a crippled and lonely woman. Beside being crippled and lonely, she is also an unconfident and irresponsible mother. She never cares about her daughter and she also abandons her family because she considers her family as a burden for her. The first findings also answer the characteristics of Cholly Breedlove, Pecola’s father. He is a high-tempered and revengeful man. And as a father, he is irresponsible in taking care of his family, especially his daughter. He rapes his own daughter twice.
The finding of the second analysis reveal the influence of her parents on Pecola’s abnormal behaviors. There are three abnormal behaviors of Pecola. The first is on Pecola’s dream of having “the bluest eye”. The second is on Pecola ‘s way of seeing others. And, the third is on Pecola’s way of avoiding her reality of life.
Winny. (2008). The Influence of Her Parents on Pecola’s Abnormal Behaviors as Reflected in Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye”, Yogyakarta: Fakultas Keguruan dan Ilmu Pendidikan, Jurusan Bahasa dan Seni, Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, Universitas Sanata Dharma.
Kebiasaan manusia dipengaruhi banyak faktor. Faktor yang paling penting dalam pembentukan kebiasaan adalah keluarga karena keluarga adalah titik awal dari perkembangan kepribadian dimana anak akan belajar nilai-nilai hidup dan hubungan sosial dalam masyarakat dengan cara mengamati orangtuanya. The Bluest Eye sebuah novel karya Toni Morrison bercerita tentang Pecola Breedlove yang yang memiliki kebiasaan abnormal. Ia memiliki kebiasaan abnormal dikarenakan oleh perlakuan kedua orang tuanya.
Tujuan dari skripsi ini adalah untuk menjawab dua pertanyaan yang terdapat dalam rumusan masalah, yaitu yang pertama bagaimana karakter dari Pauline dan Cholly Breedlove dideskripsikan dan yang kedua bagaimana Pauline dan Cholly Breedlove mempengaruhi kebiasaan Pecola yang abnormal.
Dalam menjawab pertanyaan diatas, beberapa teori diterapkan, antara lain teori pendekatan kritik, teori tokoh dan penokohan, teori kebiasaan, dan beberapa teori psikologi. Sumber yang digunakan dalam skripsi ini ada dua macam. Sumber utama didapatkan dari novel The Bluest Eye yang ditulis oleh Toni Morrison dan sumber kedua didapatlan dari buku-buku tentang literature. Karena skripsi ini berkaitan dengan kebiasaan pendekatan psikologi diterapkan untuk menganalisa masalah.
Hasil analisis yang pertama menunjukkan Pauline Breedlove, ibu dari Pecola adalah seorang wanita yang pincang dan kesepian. Selain pincang dan kesepian, ia juga adalah seorang yang tidak percaya diri dan ibu yang tidak bertanggungjawab. Ia tidak pernah peduli dengan anak perempuannya. Ia juga menelantarkan keluarganya karena menganggap keluarganya sebagai beban. Hasil analisis yang pertama juga menjawab karakter Cholly Breedlove. dia adalah ayah dari Pecola. Ia adalah orang yang mudah marah dan pendendam. Dan sebagai seorang ayah, ia tidak bertanggungjawab dalam mengurus keluarganya, terutama anak perempuannya. Ia memperkosa anak perempuannya sendiri dua kali.
Hasil analisis yang kedua menunjukkan pengaruh orang tua terhadap kebiasaan abnormal Pecola. Ada tiga kebiasaan abnormal Pecola. Yang pertama adalah mimpi Pecola untuk mendapatkan “the bluest eye”. Yang kedua adalah cara Pecola memandang orang lain. Dan yang ketiga adalah cara Pecola menghindar dari kenyataan hidupnya.
Page
TITLE PAGE………. i
PAGES OF APPROVAL……….... ii
STATEMENT OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY……… iv
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .………. v
ABSTRACT……… vii
ABSTRAK……… viii
TABLE OF CONTENT………. ix
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background of the Study ……… 1
1.2 Problem Formulation ………. 4
1.3 Objectives of the Study ……… 4
1.4 Benefits of the Study ……… 5
1.5 Definitions of Terms ……… 5
CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 2.1 Review of Related Theories ……….. 8
2.1.1 Critical Approaches ………. 8
2.1.2 Character and Characterization ……… 10
2.1.3 Behavior ……… 15
2.1.3.1 Factors Influencing Abnormal Behavior….. 16
2.1.3.2 The Influence of Parental Behavior on Children’s Behavior ……….. 18
2.1.4 Children Psychological Development ……… 20
2.1.5 Family ……… 23
2.2 Criticism ……… 25
2.3 Theoretical Framework ……….. 27
CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY 3.1 Subject Matter ………. 29
CHAPTER 4 ANALYSIS
4.1 The Description of Pauline and Cholly Breedlove……… 32
4.1.1 The Description of Pauline Breedlove ……… 33
4.1.1.1 Crippled……… 33
4.1.1.2 Lonely ……….. 34
4.1.1.3 Unconfident ……….. 36
4.1.1.4 Irresponsible……….. 38
4.1.2 The Description of Cholly Breedlove……….. 40
4.1.2.1 Irresponsible……….. 40
4.1.2.2 High-Tempered………. 41
4.1.2.3 Revengeful……… 43
4.2 The Influence of Her Parents on Pecola’s Abnormal Behaviors… 44
4.2.1 On Pecola’s dream of having “The bluest eye”……….. 44
4.2.2 On Pecola’s way of seeing others………. 50
4.2.3 On Pecola’s way of avoiding her reality of life…………. 54
CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS 5.1 Conclusions……… 58
5.2 Suggestions……… 60
5.2.1 Suggestions for Future Researchers……… 60
5.2.2 Suggestions for English Teachers……….. 60
BIBLIOGRAPHY………. 63
INTRODUCTION
This chapter consists of five parts. The first part is background of the study. It explains the reason for choosing the novel The Bluest Eye as the subject of the study. The second part is the problem formulation. In this part, some interesting parts of the novel are formulated into two problems to discuss. The third part concerns the objectives of the study. The fourth describes the benefits of the study. The last part is the definition of terms. This part discusses some important definitions related with the discussion.
1.1 Background of the Study
According to Lidz, a person’s basic personality is formed in his childhood because of the effect brought from his phase. Childhood gives a big contribution to human behavior (54). The family takes the most important factor in shaping the child’s behavior. In childhood, a child gets education from his family. A child learns something by imitating his parents or the members of his family.
entitled “The Bluest Eye”. This novel is an example of novel that tells the influence of parental behavior on children. The novel tells a story of a character named Pecola Breedlove. She is an eleven-year-old black girl who believes that the bluest eye will make her beautiful. She is the victim of her own parents. Her mother, Pauline Breedlove is a person who does not now how to take care of her family well and considers her family as a burden for her. Pauline has bad background family. She has many siblings and her family has neglected her so she does not have any idea of how to take care of her children. Pecola’s father, Cholly Breedlove, is abandoned by his father. His auntie raises him, and when he grows up, he looks for his father, but his father rejects him. Because Pauline is uneducated, she always believes in superstition that she and her whole family have been cursed because they are very ugly. Pauline and Cholly Breedlove have bad family background and that makes them not know how to take care of their children and how to be a good model for their children. Pecola lives in the situation where she blames herself because of her ugliness. She thinks that if she had the bluest eye, her parents would like her.
imaginative girl. She finally goes mad by believing that her cherished wish has been fulfilled and that she has the bluest eye.
What happens to Pecola suggests that family plays an important role in shaping children’s behavior. A family is entrusted to fulfill a child’s biological needs, to nurture, and at a same time to enculture and lead the child to go trough an integrated personality development. Nurturance concerns not only the filling of the child’s physical needs but also his emotional needs for love, affection, and a sense of security (Lidz 46).
In our modern society, however, many psychological problems have plagued the children because the coalition between a father and a mother is broken. The parents who are supposed to be the examples for their children cannot carry out the duty well. I choose this topic to remind the readers about the importance of family to children behavior. Even though the story in this novel is fictious, it does not mean that it cannot happen in real life. Lack of family loyalty can cause bad impact on children behavior.
the story, we can learn that family support is very important in someone’s life.
1.2 Problem Formulation
In order to analyze the topic in Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, I limit the discussion into two problems formulated as follows:
1. How are Pauline Breedlove and Cholly Breedlove described?
2. How do Pauline and Cholly Breedlove influence Pecola’s abnormal behaviors?
1.3 Objectives of the Study
This study is conducted to reveal the importance of parents’ role in children behavior in Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye. There are two objectives of this study. The first is to analyze the characteristics of Pauline Breedlove and Cholly Breedlove. Secondly, it is to reveal the influences of her parents on Pecola’s abnormal behavior.
1.4 Benefits of the Study
There are some terms in this study which need explaining further to avoid the ambiguity and misunderstanding.
1.5.1 Family.
According to Pikunas, family is an enduring social group based on marriage and blood relationship, exercising hereditary and environmental influences of prime dimensions on offspring (60). Horton and Hunt (216) state that family is the basic social institution from which other institutions have grown as increasing cultural complexity made the necessary. Therefore, family is very important in forming one’s behavior.
1.5.2 Character
Mary Rohrberger and Samuel H. Woods define a character is a person who involves and acts put in a story in particular time and place (20-21). Abrams in Glossary of Literary Terms states that characters are “the persons presented in the dramatic or narrative work who are interpreted by the readers as being endowed with moral and disposition qualities that are expressed in what they say (the dialogue) and by what they do (the actions) (21)”. So, by analyzing the characters of the novel, we can conclude that the character is a good or bad person.
1.5.3 Behavior
In A Comprehensive Dictionary of Psychological and Psychoanalytical Terms, Horace B. English states that there are two definitions of parent. The first is an organism that has produced offspring. The second definition is a father or a mother. The word parental is the adjective of the word parent which means having the quality of parent. Thus, parents’ role is the role of the persons who are child’s own parents; while parental role is the role of a person who has the quality of parent.
1.5.5 Influence
CHAPTER 2
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Some theories are applied to support the analysis in chapter four. The related theories are explained in this chapter in order to help the readers have a clear description about the foundation of the study. This chapter consists of review of related theories, criticism and theoretical framework.
2.1 Review of Related Theories
In order to analyze the influence on Pecola’s strange behavior, I need some theories to support the study. In this part, there are seven subchapters. The first is critical approaches. The second is character. The third part is behavior. The fourth concerns the factors influencing abnormal behavior. Then, the next part is the children psychological development. The sixth part is the influence of parents’ behavior toward children’s psychological development. And, the last is family.
2.1.1 Critical Approaches
Literature is one of works of art which is said to have an aesthetic value. The aesthetic value will give result in an aesthetic response that is, in a way, an evaluative judgment which is given to the work of literature by the readers. The
Mary Rohrberger and Samuel H. Woods, in their book Reading and Writing about Literature (1995) state that to have a reasonable judgment, we need to employ a means which is called a critical approach. In short, we can say that it brings us to a better understanding of its nature, function, and positive values. Rohrberger and Woods present five approaches to analyze a novel. These approaches are used in order to understand the positive aesthetic values of literary work. These approaches are the formalist approach, the biographical approach, the sociocultural-historical approach, the mythopoeic approach, and the psychological approach (6-19).
The first approach is the formalist approach. This approach tries to examine the literature work about reference to the fact of the author’s life without reference to the genre of the work or its place in development of the genre or in literary history, and without reference to its social milieu. This criticism emphasizes merely on the work of literature itself and its esthetic meanings. It regards literature as “a unique form of human knowledge that needs to be examined on its own terms”. It means that all elements necessary for understanding the work are contained within the work itself. Its main goal is to determine how such elements work together with the text’s content to shape its effects upon readers (7).
defined as the attitudes and actions of a specific group of people. The subject matter of the novel itself is those attitudes and actions (12).
The last two approaches are the mythopoeic and the psychological approach. Based on the mythopoeic approach, the readers will be able to analyze a novel by trying to discover certain universally recurrent patterns or a human thought. The universally recurrent pattern are those that found first expression in ancient myth and folk rites and are also basic to human thought that they have meaning for all men (15). Then the last approach is the psychological approach, which is an approach that brings the readers to analyze the novel from the psychological point of view of human beings. Freud’s theory about human is used to analyze the characters in a novel (18).
2.1.2 Character and Characterization
A character is an important element in a story. The author creates a character in the story to make the story alive. The author builds the character similar with the real people in the world. Stanton (17) states that character refers to individuals that appear in the story and refers to the mixture of interests, desires, emotions, and moral principles that makes up each of these individuals. Thus, in brief it can be said that character is the person in the story who has the characteristics like common human being in the real life. He has temperament and moral that is expressed in his speech and action in the story.
character in fiction is a person who thinks, does and acts in certain time and place in the story. He has characteristics like human beings in real life.
Abrams (20) makes it clearer by stating that character is a person presented in a dramatic and narrative work, which is interpreted by the reader as being endowed with moral, and disposition qualities of mind and it can be found out in the dialogue and the action in the story. Holman and Harmon (82) support Abram’s definition that in character, the reader finds idea of the moral constitution of human personality, the presence of moral uprights. Besides, the reader can also find the simpler notion of the presence of creatures in art that seem to be human beings of one sort of another.
A character has an important role in a novel; it makes the story more meaningful because the author could convey the message of the story to the readers through the characters. A character can be a creature or an imitation of human being in which a reader can find moral constitution of human personality.
According to Milligan, there are two kinds of characters. They are major and secondary characters. The major characters are those who appear more often in the story then the other characters. Whole secondary characters are those who appear less in the story (195).
Characterization in a novel is aimed to get complete description of the character. According to Holman and Harmon (81) characterization is a creation of imaginary persons. The character introduced by the author in details, so that the readers might obtain a complete description of certain character.
Murphy (161-173) states nine ways to make the characters understandable to the readers. The explanation of each way will be given as follows:
2.1.2.1 Personal description
The author may portray a person’s character based on appearance and clothing. By looking at the person’s clothing, the reader may see the character’s appearance. On the other hand, the author may also portray his character using his skillful ‘voice of adjectives’ the term used by Murphy which means what the characters are like and the author gives the reader the character’s appearance in detail: skin-color, hair, eyes, etc (161).
2.1.2.2 Character as seen by another
The author may also describe the character through the eyes and opinion of others, instead of describing the character directly. He/she represents the character’s performance and personality by letting other characters in the story convey their readers what they are like, based on the character that they encounter. The readers may gain the description as a reflected image (162).
2.1.2.3 Speech
2.1.2.4 Past life
The author may give the past life of one character in the story in order to understand the character. By learning something from someone’s past life in the story, the author respects events that have helped to shape a person’s character. The author may reveal person’s character by giving direct comment, through the person’s thought or through conversation with others (166).
2.1.2.5 Conversation of others
Through conversations with other characters, the author may give clues to the readers in order to show the person’s character. People often talk about people and the thing they say may give us reference to the character of the person spoken about (167).
2.1.2.6 Reactions
The character often reacts to various situations and events which may reveal his/her character. Using this kind of characterization, the author presents a clue to the readers who might expect to find the quality of the characters in dealing with carious situations and events they encounter (168).
2.1.2.7 Direct comment
On one occasion, the author may give comments explicitly about his characters and gives his opinion about the characters in the story. In other words, the author has the possibility to describe or comment on a person’s character directly (170).
The author is able to give readers direct knowledge of what a person is thinking about. He can do what we cannot do in real life, he can tell the readers what different people are thinking. Here, the author is able to reveal the inmost thoughts of a person as if he were the secret listener. So with the picture of ideas in the character’s mind, whether it is good or bad the readers can guess the nature of the character well (171).
2.1.2.9 Mannerism
The author may describe a person’s mannerisms or habits, which may also tell readers something about his character. The author reveals the habits of the character both the positive and negative ones (173).
2.1.3 Behavior
Maslow states that, “much of human behavior can be explained by the individual’s tendency to seek the personal goal that makes life rewarding and meaningful” (Hjlle and Ziegler, 368). It means that one forms his behavior in order to achieve the goal in his life and try to make his life meaningful.
Human behavior can be distinguished into normal behavior and abnormal behavior. A person is considered normal if his/her behavior conforms to, or not deviating from the usual or the average norm, not suffering from mental disorder or mental deficiency. If his/her behavior deviates from this norm, he or she is considered abnormal (Ross 8).
2.1.3.1 Factors Influencing Abnormal Behavior
According to Lidz (1986), the factors influencing abnormal behavior are divided into six parts. The first factor is hereditary factor. It happens in psychosa case, tuberculosis disease, neurosis, idiocy, psychosa syphilistic (by syphilis disease).
situation also cause the abnormality. Finally, when the mother experiences a heavy stroke in the stomach and it hits the head of the fetus or another part of its body (31).
The third factor influencing abnormal behavior is birth. There are a lot of risks during the delivery. Either the mother or the baby may suffer from risks. Especially when she gives the first birth. Solid pressures in the uterus hamper the baby’s head. The pressures cause intracranial haemorrhage or serebral haemorrhage. The fourth factor is post-natal. The hindrance and the accidents occur in the first three years. Factors causing the abnormality are like traumatic experiences, the head injury, and stiff; the baby suffers a high temperature and also an infection (32)
heavy stress. It is the condition that makes people under pressure. The heavy stress can also be caused by the frustration in losing his pride, norm conflicts in the society and modern life style pressure (34).
The last factor influencing abnormal behavior is socio cultural. For example, people become the victims in the discrimination based on a certain group or political affiliations, economic recession and unemployment, and social changes and technological achievements (35).
2.1.3.2 The Influence of Parental Behavior on Children’s Behavior Robinson states that abnormal behavior in the individual is usually a reflection or “symptom” of unhealthy family (in Sue 104). He also says that behavior is ruled largely by the attributes of the family, especially the way the parents behave towards their children. In those statements, it can be clearly understood that parents take the biggest part in shaping their children’s behavior. Parents have the major share of responsibility for socializing the children. If parents behave towards the children as though they are worthwhile, the children are likely to develop a positive image and sense of self-worth. This sense of self is needed by all people to endure through defeats, conflicts, and many other stressors.
of a sense of trust. How trust develops in the children depends very much on the parents (56).
According to Craig, parents’ behavior also affects children’s behavior in three ways (322). First, parents serve as models for the child to identify with and imitate. A child will imitate the actions that he sees from his parents. If he sees his father usually beat his mother when they have a fight, the child will automatically beats his friends when he is unpleased. Second, most parents have specific expectations about the way they want their children to respond and behave. Children take a look on how their parents behave in daily life. They will consider an event as a positive thing if their parents give a positive response. Finally, parents control the rewards and discipline the child receives. It means that when parents give rewards to their children when they have good grades in schools, that will motivate the children to learn hard to get the best grade in schools.
2.1.4 Children Psychological Development
According to Erikson (81-88) there are eight stages of development. Erikson’s stages of development emphasizes on the importance of individual’s interaction with the social environment in shaping behavior. The following are the explanations.
The first stage is 0-1 year old. At the beginning of the first year of life, the baby spends most of the time eating and sleeping. In this stage, the baby builds the trust on his mother. The ability to do all these things may develop a sense of basic trust (101). The second stage is 2 to 3 years old. In this stage, the child learns to control himself. If he succeeds, he will feel proud. And failing to do so brings him the feelings of shame and doubt, which lead the child to leave this stage with a lasting sense of insecurity. In this stage, children’s curiosity is growing stronger; the infants absorb the information very quickly and learn to imitate it (82).
The third stage is 4 to 5 years old. The child begins to master skills and tries hard to perform well. The danger of this stage is the development of guilt. The child has already begun to learn what is forbidden. However, his ambitions are unlimited and he may become aggressive and manipulative in trying to achieve his goals (83). As in Freudian system, this is the time of Oedipus Complex.
in his society (84). If the child’s needs are not fulfilled in his family, he will feel that something is missing in his life and tries to find his own identity.
The fifth stage is 13 to 19 years old. According to Erikson, this stage is just beginning to form an identity. Adolescents begin to sense their individuality. They become aware that they have the strength to control their own destinies and to define themselves and their goals (85).
The sixth stage is 20 to 30 years old. Young adults are ready and eager to unite their identities with those of others. They seek relationship of intimacy, friendship and working relationship, as well as loving. They are ready to develop the strength they will need to fulfill commitments to others, even though commitment needs some sacrifice and compromise. Erikson states that the danger in this stage lies in isolation. It is the inability to take chanced with one’s identity by sharing true intimacy. An unstable identity may take one avoid relations with others and lead him/her to isolation (99).
The seventh stage is 31 to 65 years old. This stage sees the development of generativity. It is concern with establishing and guiding the next generation. In general, this means that adults want to have children to whom they can transmit their values. More broadly, generativity includes productivity and creativity. By not giving to the need for generativity, one risks stagnation, in which impoverished personality and regresses into self-concern (103).
lives. The danger is that one may feel desperate because of the nearness to death. One may feel that one’s life has been without meaning and there is no time to go back and begin again. They can show to the young a feeling of completeness that can counteract with the feeling of being helpless and dependent, of being finished with life (105).
According to Craig (396), middle childhood (ages 6 to 12) is the time when the child is adjusting to the new environment of school, is forming close ties with people outside the home, and is developing work and play habits along with many new interests. During this period, the child experiences many new things and challenges which prepare him for adolescence and adulthood.
2.1.5 Family
According to Pikunnas, family is an enduring social group based on marriage and blood relationship (58). As a primary group, the family with children is bound together by kinship and intimate relations marked by care, affection, and support, as well as mutual sharing in various activities and concerns. The leading functions of family are providing affection, support, and companionship, bearing and raising children, teaching and transmitting culture, religion, economics, and moral to the young, developing personalities, dividing and discharging labor within the family outside.
basic institution, which develops the society. Further, they say that family is very important in children rearing and to fulfill human needs. Family must carry a lot of functions such as conceiving and raising the children, caring for the ill and aged, etc. Besides, the members of a family have certain responsibilities toward one another.
The World Book Encyclopedia (24-25) explains that most people belong to two families during their lives, the first as the children and the second as parents. Marriage becomes the beginning of a family life. When a woman and a man get married, they become the husband and the wife and are responsible for supporting and caring for the children. The success of a marriage depends on what the members want and how they live.
Family is also a chief vehicle for ensuring a smooth or a rough start life since family makes up the basis for every society. It serves three vital humans needs found everywhere. First, the family provides for the protection and early training of infants. Human infants are perhaps the most helpless of all living creatures. They must be fed, washed, and dressed. They cannot move far by themselves. As they grew older, they must be trained to be a responsible member of the society. Third, the family sets up a division of labor so that each member of contributes something. The man usually earns a living while the women looks for the children. Both parents care for the children, who also assume responsibilities as they grow up.
cause the negative self-image development (93-94). Children will understand who they are and their roles in social life for the first time in family.
Children receive their first training in their home. Kaalish states that parents and other significant figures probably have the greatest influence of values and attitudes because the parents have the authority in estimating child’s attitudes (55). Parents are models for the children, whether consciously or unconsciously, they will copy the models. The children live with parents, so they internalize the parents’ values such education, religion, humanism, and work. It will be easier for children to adapt to the family and the closest people value, which he interacts, rather than other people.
2.2 Criticism
Rohrberger and Woods in Reading and Writing about Literature state their opinion that after the readers understand the literary work, they will judge and value any work of literature, and the judgments on the work of literature is called criticisms. Each person might make different critics depends on the taste of each person (3).
Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye which becomes the subject of my study, also receives many criticism from critics. Toni Morrison is a very talented Afro-American author who receives a Nobel Prize for literature. She was the first black woman to receive such award. The Bluest Eye was her first novel. The story talks about an Afro-American little girl who wishes to have blue eyes with a hope that her life could be better.
criticisms. There are many critics and literary experts who try to analyze her work. They also give comments and criticisms on her. Her works have been seen not only as exemplifying the struggle of a particular people, but also as illustrating the problems and emotions of all human beings. She is admired for her use of language and her interesting narrative devices.
Those criticisms, comments, ideas, and appreciations have given the contributions to literature directly and indirectly. They give the contributions directly because they dedicate those criticisms to the author himself/herself or to the work of literature. The purpose of those criticisms are aimed to let the authors know what their strengths and weaknesses are, so the authors may improve the work of literature based on those criticisms. The authors also have a chance to acknowledge and to focus on the weaknesses in themselves; so, they can be more motivated to improve.
Sue Houchins states that Toni Morrison focuses almost exclusively on African-American characters, and draws upon black folk traditions (http://www.georgetown.edu/bassr/heath/syllabuild/iguide/morrison.html accessed on April 20, 2008). It is true that in all of her literary works, such as dramas and novels, she uses African-American people as the major characters. Although Toni Morrison also put some white characters in her novels, but they do not have the major roles and do not play as much roles as the African-American characters do. In her novel, The Bluest Eye that I used as the primary source of this study, we can see that most and main characters are dominated by Afro-American people.
This analysis needs some theories to answer the problems which are mentioned in the previous chapter. They are theory of critical approaches and some theories related to family and the psychological development of children. The theory of character and characterization is used to analyze Pecola’s parents, Pauline and Cholly Breedlove. This theory is used to see how Pecola’s parents categorize in bad parental behavior toward their child.
CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY
This chapter is divided into three parts. The first is subject matter, which concerns the novel that is observed in the study. Second is approach of the study, which states the approach used in the study. The last is procedure, which deals with the steps taken to complete the analysis.
3.1 Subject Matter
This study analyses a novel by Toni Morrison, The Bluest Eye. The novel was published in 1970 by Holt, Rinehart, and Winston. It was written during the years of some of the most dynamic and turbulent transformations of Afro-American life. The novel has 206 pages and was published by Plume, New York, USA in 1970.
The Bluest Eye is divided into an untitled prelude and four large units, each named after a season. The four larger units begins with “Autumn” and end in “Summer”, in which unit is divided into smaller sections.
The major character in this novel is Pecola Breedlove. An eleven-year-old girl who is the victim of her own parents. There are many characters such as MacTeer’s family, Maureen Peal, Cholly Breedlove, Pauline Breedlove, Soaphead Church, Geraldine, etc.
3.2 Approach of the Study
In order to analyze the abnormal behavior of Pecola that is majorly caused by her parents, I use psychological approach and theory about family to answer the problem formulated in the previous chapter. It means that I am going to discuss the characters from psychological perspective, specifically the abnormal behavior. According to Rohrberger and Woods, psychological approach is an approach to literature which involves the effort to locate and demonstrate certain recurrent patterns and which refers to a different body of knowledge, that is Psychology.
The main character behaves abnormally because her own parents abandon her. This analysis is closely related to the psychological development. Therefore, psychological approach is applied in this study to answer the problems which are related to psychological field. Furthermore, I also use theories on family to help me to understand the children’s behavior influenced by their parents’ behavior. Thus, it is clear why I apply psychological approach in analyzing the abnormal behavior of Pecola.
3.3 Method of the Study
novel several times to get deeper understanding about the character, their behavior, attitudes, and psychological states. The second step was making mind mapping about the characters that are going to be discussed. The third was making the outline of this study.
CHAPTER 4 ANALYSIS
This chapter presents the analysis of the novel. This chapter answers the problems previously stated. It consists of two parts. The first part deals with the character analysis, which is primarily to answer the first problem. This part discusses two characters in the novel, Pauline Breedlove and Cholly Breedlove. The second part discusses the abnormal behavior that Pecola suffers from.
4.1 The Description of Pauline Breedlove and Cholly Breedlove
In a novel, a character can be major or secondary. According to Milligan, there are two kinds of characters. They are major and secondary characters. The major characters are those who appear more often in the story than the other characters. While secondary characters are those who appear less in the story (195). The major character influences the other characters and even the story itself. By contrast, the secondary character is less important than the major character.
Based on these definitions, it can be concluded that Pauline and Cholly Breedlove are major characters in Toni Morrison’s novel, The Bluest Eye. They are major characters because they give big contribution to the development of the other major character, Pecola. The novel also talks about Pauline and Cholly past life that effect their present life especially on how they raise their children.
flat character has simple characterizations (37).
Pauline Breedlove and Cholly Breedlove are round characters because it is difficult to describe them in a single phrase or word. The readers cannot predict their behaviors. They have their own ways of seeing lives and solving their problems. Their characters have changed from the beginning until the end of the story. Therefore, to analyze the characteristics of Pauline and Cholly Breedlove, some of Murphy’s theory of characterization are applied. Pauline and Cholly are described as follows:
4.1.1 The Description of Pauline Breedlove, Pecola’s mother 4.1.1.1 Crippled
It is described in the novel that Pauline looks limp when she walks. It is because when she is two years old, she impales her foot on a nail. She believes that accident has determined her destiny. In her mind, she is cursed when the terrible incident happens. It makes her limp and ugly.
Although she was the ninth of eleven children and lived on a ridge of red Alabama clay seven miles from the nearest road, the complete indifference with which a rusty nail was met when it punched clear through her foot during her second year of life saved Pauline Williams from total anomity. The wound left her with a crooked, archless foot that flooped when she walked-not a limp that would have eventually twisted her spine, but a way of lifting the bad foot as though she were extracting it from little whirlpools that threatened to pull it under (110).
blames her foot for her ugliness and her bad fate.
4.1.1.2 Lonely
During her childhood, Pauline is isolated from other family members, and therefore she cultivates her own pleasures. Her family later migrates to Kentucky where they move into a larger house with a garden. Pauline is also in charge of caring for the house and her two younger twin brothers, Chicken and Pie.
Near the beginning of World War I, the Williamses discovered, from returning neighbors and kin, the possibility of living better in another place. In shifts, lots, batches, mixed in with other families, they migrated, in six months and four journeys, to Kentucky, where there were mines and mill-work. In Kentucky they lived in a real town, ten to fifteen houses on a single street, with water piped right into the kitchen. Ada and Fowler Williams found a five-room frame house for their family. The yard was bounded by a once-white fence against which Pauline’s mother planted flowers and within which they kept a few chickens. Pauline, now the oldest girl at home, took over the care of the house. She kept the fence in repair, pulling the pointed stakes erect, securing them with bits of wire, collected eggs, swept, cooked, washed, and minded the two younger children-a pair of twins called Chicken and Pie, who were still in school (111-112).
She enjoys her life, but when she turns into fifteen, she becomes restless and melancholy. She dreams that a stranger, a man, or a god will take her away from her sufferings.
When the war ended and the twins were ten years old, they too left school to work. Pauline was fifteen, still keeping house, but with less enthusiasm. Fantasies about men and love and touching were drawing her mind and hands away from her work. These feelings translated themselves to her extreme melancholy (113).
food preferences” (110).
After Pauline gets married to Cholly, she feels happy because her husband treats her tenderly. However, life becomes more difficult. Pauline feels lonely and isolated because her husband goes to work until lately and she is left home by herself. All she does is taking care of the house. When she goes outside the house to find any friends, she is surprised by how unfriendly the other women are. Pauline is laughed by the few black women in town just because she does not straighten her hair and does the make up like they do. She begins to spend money on clothes that will make the women look at her differently. All that she wants is to make friends with others. She wants to the other women accept her for who she is. She does all that because she feels lonely without anyone she could be able to talk to.
In her loneliness, she turned to her husband for reassurance, entertainment, for things to fill the vacant places. Housework was not enough; there were only two rooms, and no yards to keep or move about in. The women in the town wore high-heeled shoes, and when Pauline tried to wear them, they aggravated her shuffle into a pronounced limp (117-118).
One day, Pauline decides to get a job as a housekeeper in a white woman’s house. She feels lonely, and she wants to do something to fill her loneliness. She spends so much money on clothes and that makes her relationship between her husband worst. They quarrel a lot about money, and Pauline feels lonelier because she does not get attention from her husband anymore. “Cholly commenced to getting meaner and meaner and wanted to fight me all the time. (…)Look like working for that woman and fighting Cholly was all I did. Tiresome.” (118-119)
make up and straighten her hair.
4.1.1.3 Unconfident
Besides feeling ugly because of her leg, Pauline is an unconfident woman. She learns in the movies about how to dress and do make up. And she develops destructive ideas about physical beauty and romantic love from the movies she watches. She tries to make herself look like a movie star; she makes her hair like Jean Harlow that she sees on a magazine. She does all that because she is not confident with her own appearance. She thinks by learning how to dress like a movie star, she will be more beautiful and more confident.
I ’member onetime I went to see Clark Gable and Jean Harlow. I fixed my hair up like I’d seen hers on a magazine. A part on the side, with one little curl on my forehead. It looked just like her. Well, almost just like. Anyway, I sat in that show with my hair done up that way and had a good time (123).
She feels a little bit confident by doing her hair like a movie star. Tragically, when she is chewing candy while watching a movie, she loses one of her front teeth. That incident makes he lose her self-confidence so badly. Once again she thinks that she is cursed. Pauline and Cholly begin to fight again. Her first baby fails to fill the hole in her life. Pauline becomes a person who is lack of self-confidence, crippled, and toothless.
He began to drink less and come home more often. They eased back into a relationship more like the early days of their marriage, when he asked if she were tired or wanted him to bring her something from the store (121).
{…}
crisis. She always blames her leg for her bad luck and condition. From her reaction of losing her front teeth, she looses her self-confidence. By losing her front tooth, she learns that she is ugly whatever she does. And, when she tries to turn her ugliness into beauty, she feels cursed. In her mind, whatever she does to turn into beauty, she will always looks ugly. It does not make things better, but makes things worst.
4.1.1.4 Irresponsible
According to Pikunas, if a young mother has a happy background of her childhood and she feels good at her relationship with her parents and siblings, she will look for the way to recreate that experience and tries to make her family happy like she did. She will model her mothering from her mother’s example (61).
Pauline Breedlove does not have good experiences of her childhood. Her childhood leaves bad memories in her. She never remembers that her mother ever plays with her and her siblings. Pauline does not feel the love from her mother because there are not enough attentions from her mother. This makes Pauline not know how to take care of her children well.
During her childhood, Pauline is isolated from other family members, and therefore, she cultivates her own pleasures. Her family later migrates to Kentucky, where they move into a larger house with a garden. Pauline is also put in charge of caring for the house and her two younger twin brothers, Chicken and Pie.
the house. She kept the fence in repair, pulling the pointed stakes erect, securing them with bits of wire, collected eggs, swept, cooked, washed, and minded the two younger children-a pair of twins called Chicken and Pie, who were still in school (111-112).
Pauline Breedlove is not the kind of a good mother. As a good mother, she should teach Pecola good values as the basis of her personality, but she does not. She never cares and pays attention to her daughter because she sees Pecola is unworthy and ugly. Besides, she shows Pecola many bad attitudes about her relationship with Cholly Breedlove. They always fight and hurt each other. Pauline cares more to her employer’s child than Pecola. When Pecola, Claudia, and Frieda go to see Pauline at her employer’s house, she hears the little girl call Pauline as “Polly”. While Pauline makes her children calls her Mrs. Breedlove. This situation shows how irresponsible Pauline is.
“What’s going on out here? Pecola, who are these children?” “That’s Frieda and Claudia, Mrs. Breedlove.” (107)
…
“Who were they, Polly?”
“Hush. Don’t worry none,” she whispered, and the honey in her words complemented the sundown spilling on the lake. (109)
4.1.2 The Description of Cholly Breedlove, Pecola’s father 4.1.2.1 Irresponsible
Cholly Breedlove is Pecola’s father. He has bad background of his past life. He is abandoned by her mother on a trash heap when he is four days old, and he is raised by his Great Aunt Jimmy. “When Cholly was four days old, his mother wrapped him in two blankets and one newspaper and placed him on a junk heap by the railroad” (132).
When he grows up and gets married he does not have any idea of how to take care of his family because he does have a figure of a family, especially a figure of a father. Because of his past life, he does not know how to take care of his children well. He is described as a man with a bad image. Cholly always gets drunk and when he comes home, he always argues with his wife in front of his children, Pecola and Sammy.
Cholly had come home drunk. Unfortunately he had been too drunk to quarrel, so the whole business would have to erupt this morning. Because it had not taken place immediately, the oncoming fight would lack spontaneity, it would be calculated, uninspired, and deadly (40).
dysfunctional was the appearance of children. Having no idea of how to raise children, and having never watched any parent raise himself, he could not even comprehend what such a relationship should be. (160)
Cholly is not able to give his love and affection to his children. He never cares about them; even he acts as if he hates them, especially towards Pecola. Ironically, Cholly makes his self image as an irresponsible father much more worse by raping her own daughter, Pecola.
The confused mixture of his memories of Pauline and the doing of a wild and forbidden thing excited him, and a bolt of desire ran down his genitals,(…)He wanted to fuck her tenderly. (…) again the hatred mixed with tenderness. So when the child regained consciousness, she was lying on the kitchen floor under a heavy quilt, trying to connect the pain between her legs with the face of her mother looming over her (163).
Cholly’s action to Pecola shows that Cholly is not a good father. He abandons his family and never takes care of them. Cholly’s action to his children is affected by his past life which makes him an irresponsible man. He does not know how to make his family feel comfortable and secure. All he does is making his family suffer. He drinks. He always fights and beats Pauline in front of his children. He even rapes his own daughter. That is why from all of his reactions and thoughts, we can see that Cholly is an irresponsible husband and father.
4.1.2.2 High-tempered
Cholly Breedlove is also described as a high-tempered man because he always had a quarrel with his wife, Mrs. Breedlove. When he comes home drunk, he always fights with Mrs. Breedlove. They hurt each other and they beat each other. But, they agree not to kill each other.
palms of his hands, and teeth (43).
Cholly thinks that he is a free man, free but very dangerous. He could act brutally when somebody stands in front of him to stop him doing things. He is free to do whatever he wants. At that time, he is free to drunk and play with women whenever he likes. He is a free man without rules to live in. Cholly represents the negative form of freedom.”{…}Cholly was free. Dangerously free. Free to feel whatever he felt––fear, guilt, shame, love, grief, pity. {…}Cholly was truly free” (159-160).
Cholly’s high tempered characteristic can be seen by his reactions when he has a fight with his wife. He beats his wife, and he uses bad words to show his anger. Starting from the beginning of the story, Cholly has burnt down his house and left his family outdoors and nowhere to go. That is why Pecola stays with the MacTeer’s family.
{…}but that old Dog Breedlove had burned up his house, gone upside his wife’s head, and everybody, as a result, was outdoors. (17)
That old triftling Cholly been out of jail two whole days and ain’t been here yet to see if his own child was ‘live or dead’. (25)
Because of his wrong doing, he is put into the jail. After he gets out of the jail, he does not even go to his family to check how his family is and where they live. He goes to the place where no one knows. This reaction shows the result of Cholly’s high-tempered characteristic. He does anything he likes without thinking of the consequences that could give bad effects to his family, especially to his children. 4.1.2.3 Revengeful
feels insulted by the treatment of the two white men. He feels ashamed with Darlene because of the sexual humiliation. “Cholly, moving faster, looked at Darlene. He hated her. He almost wished he could do it––hard, long, and painfully, he hated her so much” (148).
Since his childhood, he is already filled his heart with the feeling of hatred and desperation. Since the incident happens with the two white men, Cholly hates white men and in return, he kills three white men. It happens because he is humiliated by two white men in front of the girl he likes when he is fourteen. “He was in time, to discover that hatred of white men- but now. Not in impotence but later, when the hatred could find sweet expression. For now, he hated the one who had created the situation, the one who bore witness to his failure, his impotence” (151).
He could go to jail and not feel imprisoned, for he had already seen the furtiveness in the eyes of his jailer, free to say, “No, suh,” and smile, for he had already killed three white men. (159)
It is also described in the novel, Cholly hates white men because they humiliate him. Cholly’s action by killing three white men shows that he fills his heart with hatred. This characteristic of Cholly gives bad impact to his children, especially Pecola. The effect of Cholly’s past life gives big contribution to his present life. When he suffers from an unhappy situation, he starts to think of getting revenge and having the hatred in his mind.
4.2 The Influence of Her Parents on Pecola’s Abnormal Behaviors
will learn the values and social relationship in the society (124).
As parents of Pecola, Pauline and Cholly Breedlove give a big influence to Pecola’s behavior. In order to make the study clearer and more organized, I will divide three kinds of abnormal behavior of Pecola caused by the parenthood of Pauline and Cholly Breedlove.
4.2.1 On Pecola’s dream of having “The bluest eye”
According to Lidz, a mother is a primary and a major nurturing figure for a child. Mother’s behavior affects the problem rather than solving the problem, the child will feel that his mother is a good friend to share their problems. It is the role of an advisor (58-59).
It is described in the novel that Pecola is the only daughter in the Breedlove family. As a mother, Pauline should be the closest person in Pecola’s life. However, what happens to Pecola is she does not get enough attention from his mother. Pauline never cares for Pecola’s life and what happens to her. When Pecola does something good, Pauline never praises her or when Pecola does something bad, her mother never corrects her. That is why Pecola acts abnormally by wishing to have the bluest eye. Another reason of Pecola’s acts abnormally is because she has no friends. Her classmates and teachers hate her.
Long hour she sat looking in the mirror, trying to discover the secret of the ugliness, the ugliness that made her ignored or despised at school, by teachers and classmates alike. She was the only member of her class who sat alone at a double desk (45).
her mother, Pauline.
When Pecola is in Pauline’s womb, Pauline makes a promise that she will love her baby no matter what she looks like. She will accept her whatever the condition is. When Pauline is giving birth to Pecola, she feels insulted with the doctor’s statement about black women delivering a baby like horses and they do not feel the pain when they are delivering their baby. Then after Pauline sees her daughter, in her mind she hates Pecola because it is her that makes Pauline embarrassed. The first time Pauline sees her daughter, she knows that Pecola is born ugly.
When he left off, some more doctors come. One old one and some young ones. The old one was learning the young one about babies. Showing them how to do. When he got to me he said now these here women you don’t have any trouble with. They deliver right away and with no pain. Just like horses (124-125).
According to Craig, a child who is rejected by her family develops negative feelings because it seemed to him that his parents giving him a negative respond (322). It is described in the novel that Pecola acts abnormally because nobody in her family cares for her. Pauline goes to work as a housekeeper since her children are so young. Pecola does not get attentions from her parents. The rejections of Pauline towards her daughter makes Pecola feel lonely. Hurlock also states that rejection of the child by his parents can be shown by parents’ attitudes. They will never pay attention to the child and never care about their child’s needs. This leads to resentment, feeling of helplessness, frustrations, nervous mannerism, and hostility to others (497).
Pecola also wishes she would rather die than to see the fights anymore. She suffers because of her parents’ fights. This situation makes Pecola’s feeling unconfident. She sees her friends Claudia and Frieda MacTeer have a good family, but she does not have one. She always sees her parents fight everyday. According to Lidz, the relationship between parents and child is very crucial. If the communication between parents and children is unhealthy, it creates a lot of problems and obstacles in the children’s lives (34). Unfortunately, Pecola experiences the same.
Pecola, on the other hand, restricted by youth and sex, experimented with methods of endurance. Though the methods varied, the pain was as consistent as it was deep. She struggled between an overwhelming desire that one would kill the other, and a profound wish that she herself could die (43).
The other way for Pecola to deal with her sufferings is wishing herself to disappear. For her, if she disappears, she will not see the fights of her parents. She will not suffer deep pain every time she watches her parents fight. But, every time she tries to disappear, her eyes always remain there. She can never make her eyes disappear. Pecola really wants her eyes to disappear because she does not want to see the fights anymore. If she could just make her eyes disappear, she would not need to see things she does not want to see. So, the only way to escape from her horrible family is to make her eyes disappear. She always fails to make her eyes disappear. Her eyes are always there.
eyes make her isolated from her family, teachers, and classmates. Everybody does not like her because of her eyes. Everybody sees her ugliness and looks down to her because of her eyes. “Try as she might, she could never get her eyes to disappear. So what was the point? They were everything. Everything was there, in them. All of those pictures, all of those faces” (45).
According to Erikson, a child like Pecola will begin to understand what is happening in her society and if the child’s needs are not fulfilled in the family, she will feel that something is missing in her life and tries to find her own identity. That is exactly happens to Pecola. She wishes if she could have beautiful eyes, everybody would like her and she will be able to stop her parents’ fights and her family will live happily ever after. She believes that her parents will not fight in front of her beautiful eyes. Pecola also believes that if she has the beautiful eyes, she will be able to see the good things in her life. Because all she wants is to have a good life, but what is happen to her is the opposite. All people around her reject her; even her own parents reject her. Pecola is losing her self-confidence. She unconsciously blames herself for being an Afro-American girl and being ugly, because with this appearance, she suffers bad things on her life. That is why, to escape from her real life, she dreams of having the bluest eye.
It had occurred to Pecola some time ago that if her eyes, those eyes that held the pictures, and knew the sights-if those eyes were different, that is to say, beautiful, she herself would be different. Her teeth were good, and at least the nose was not big and flat like some of those who were thought so cute. If she looked different, beautiful, maybe Cholly would be different, and Mrs. Breedlove too. Maybe they’d say, “Why, look at pretty-eyed Pecola. We musn’t do bad things in front of those pretty eyes (46).”
Fishers family. Since Mrs. Breedlove works for the Fishers family, she begins to neglect her house and family. She does not care about her family or house anymore. Mrs. Breedlove compares the situation of her family and the Fishers family. She sees the perfection in the Fishers family and she sees that there is only disaster in her family. She considers her family as a burden for her. She really enjoys working in the Fishers family; she starts to give affection and love to the Fishers family.
According to Erik Erikson’s stages of development, at the age like Pecola, she begins to understand what happens in her family or society (84). At this age, Pecola tries to search for her self-identity. Craig also adds that during this period, a child is experiencing many new things that will prepare her for adolescence and adulthood (396). In the novel, Pecola experiences the same thing.
More and more she neglected her house, her children, her man –they early-morning and late-evening edges of her day, the dark edges that made the daily life with the Fishers lighter, more delicate, more lovely. It was her good fortune to find a permanent job in the home of a well-to-do family whose members are affectionate, appreciative, and generous. (127).
By neglecting her own family and not giving love and good examples to her children, Pauline implements the unwanted and insecure feelings to Pecola. Feeling unwanted by her family, Pecola starts losing her self-confidence and starts to have the fantasy of having the bluest eye. At that time, Pecola is hallucinating herself talking to a friend. She tells her friend that she has the bluest eyes already, and she is so happy about her eyes. “Just because I got blue eyes, bluer than theirs, they’re prejudiced” (197). Pecola wishes to have the bluest eyes, so that everyone will admire her only.
Here comes someone. Look at his. See if they’re bluer You’re being silly. I’m not going to look at everybody’s eyes You have to
No, I don’t.
Her abnormal behavior of having the bluest eyes has broken her insanity. His father’s rape is the climax of her sanity and when she believes that God grants her wish to have the blue eyes, by giving sign of a dead dog. Pecola becomes insane and mentally disturbed. Pecola tells her friend to look at everybody’s eyes because she is afraid if there is someone with bluer eyes than hers.
The damage was done total. She spent her days, her trendil, sap-green days, walking up and down, up and down, her head jerking to the beat of a drummer so distant only she could hear. Elbows bent, hands on shoulders, she failed her arms like a bird in an eternal, grotesquely futile effort to fly. Beating the air, a winged but grounded bird, intent on the bluye void it could not reach, could not even see-but which filled the valleys of the mind (204).
Pecola’s wish for the bluest eyes is her way to escape from her reality, which has caused her lost insanity. Pecola’s deep sufferings, rejection, despise from her own parents give a big contribution in creating Pecola’s abnormal behavior.
4.2.2 On Pecola’s way of seeing others
The abnormality that Pecola’s suffers is caused by the rejections and hatred of her own family. She receives bad treatment from her parents. Pecola believes that the main cause that her parents hate her because of her ugliness, skin color, and because they are poor. Because of the treatment of her parents, Pecola starts to think that if she wants to live a better life, she must have beautiful face, bright skin color, and bluest eyes.
She also knew that when one of the girls at school wanted to be a particularly insulting to a boy, or wanted to get an immediate response from him, she could say, “Bobby loves Pecola Breedlove! Bobby loves Pecola Breedlove!” and never fails to gets peals of laughter from those in carshot, mock anger from the accused (46).
symbolizes the eyes as the things that determine how a person has his life. Thus, whenever a person wants to change her life, she must change the color of her eyes first.
“Pecola stood a little apart from us, her eyes hinged in the direction in which Maureen had fled. She seemed to fold into herself, like a pleated wing. Her pain anatagonized me. I wanted to opened her up, crisp her edges, ram a stick down that hunched and curving spine, force her to stand erect and spit the misery out on the streets. But she held it in where it could lap up into her eyes (73-74).”
According to Lidz, psychological trauma is the experience that destroys the sense of security, sense of ability, pride, and it will be hard to recover from the trauma. This trauma will leave scars in a child’s life until she grows up (34). Pecola feels the deep pain inside, but she cannot share it with the others. She is powerless to spit her pain out of her life. She cannot do anything to avoid the rejections of her parents and mockery of her friends. All she knows that everybody hates her because she is black, poor, and ugly. But, she can do anything to change it. As a poor girl, she does not understand why there are so many people hate
