The Important Role of Society in the Development of Individuals in “The Bluest Eye” and “Black Boy”

In today’s world, culture plays a vital role in developing one’s identity and character. Societal constructs influence a person’s actions and choices. In the novel The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison and a passage from Black Boy by Richard Wright, the main characters are profoundly influenced by the world they live in. In both pieces of writing, society impacts the main characters. In Black Boy, however, the protagonist chooses a different path.

The Bluest Eye and Black Boy both depict a society and setting in which the main characters, who are black, are considered less than human and treated unfairly.

Throughout the 1940s, black people were systematically marginalized and oppressed, and both authors illustrate this trend. The characters, Pecola and Richard, both feel inferior and threatened by white people. For instance, when Pecola goes to buy something from a white store owner, she feels frightened by his complexion. “She had seen it hiding in the eyes of all white people … The contempt had to be for her…”(Morrison 49). Before confronting the man, Pecola assumes that he dislikes her simply because she is black, and he is white.

The society she has grown up in has conditioned her to believe that whites are superior, leading to her insecurity. Similarly, Richard faces a comparable situation when he encounters a white police officer. “His ‘white’ face stirred a new fear in [Richard]. [Richard] was recalling the story of a ‘white’ man who had beaten a ‘black’ boy.”(Wright 977). Before any interaction with the white officer, Richard was instantly anxious, as the culture has shaped him to feel this way. Seeing the officer, he remembers a story about another black boy who was beaten by a white man. These societal influences result in both Pecola and Richard having unconscious fears of white people.

While The Bluest Eye portrays Pecola like Richard, she ends up taking a different path in how she handles the challenging situations her culture presents. There is a high standard for beauty in Pecola’s culture, but she does not fit this ideal, leaving her defenseless against discrimination and bullying. Pecola often assumes a passive role and never retaliates when attacked. In the text, she is lured into the character Junior’s house where he declares, “You can’t get out. You’re my prisoner” (Morrison 90). Upon hearing this, Pecola becomes despondent and bursts into tears. She stays in Junior’s house and does not attempt to resist him or escape. The harsh societal pressures she encounters make her feel weak and fragile.

In “Black Young Boy,” Richard faces a comparable endeavor but responds differently to the situation. In the story, Richard is initially viewed as weak and afraid on the streets of Memphis. He must go and buy food for his family, but a gang of children sees them as easy pickings, subdues him, and steals his money. Unfortunately for Richard, he needs the food and has no other choice. Although Richard cries initially, similar to how Pecola might have reacted, he continues to the store, yet this time he fights back with a stick. “In blind fear, [Richard] let the stick fly, feeling it crack against a boy’s head” (Wright 972). Unlike Pecola, who accepts the social constructs and abides by them, Richard decides to fight back and becomes a more vicious and assertive individual.

Pecola and Richard confront many of the same social challenges, but they choose different strategies for handling them. In conclusion, people will always face tangible, uncomfortable situations that shape their identities, but they can determine how to approach these circumstances and consequently, their own destiny.

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