The Real Meaning of Beauty in “The Bluest Eyes”

What are the features of a really beautiful individual? The average person, commonly unsure and confused, often asks themselves whether they are beautiful or ugly. Beauty cannot be defined by one person or any group because beauty is subjective. As humans grow and reach adulthood, it becomes easier to gain a better understanding of self-worth and beauty. However, when there is an imbalance in equality, it is easy for confused individuals to remain perplexed, and they may never develop emotionally. In the novel “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison, Morrison creates the thematic essence of the story while also addressing a very critical theme in American history.

Though fictional, the novel written by Morrison presents significant issues concerning African American self-loathing due to white supremacy.

Morrison skillfully demonstrates the struggle of a young black person in a society that not only idolizes white individuals but also considers them as the superior race, in a very realistic manner. This realism is likely due to the fact that the main character, Pecola Breedlove, is a child. As children, there is no comprehension of what’s right, wrong, beautiful, or ugly. This clean slate, however, can be tainted by the dark shade of a negative belief. Morrison continues to develop the theme suggesting that society influences the bias within racial thought-processes. Americans admired Shirley Temple and white dolls resembling her; instances where whites were favored in such media naturally led to a national belief that true beauty could only be achieved by a white person. Symbolically, it’s now clear that the name of the novel itself, “The Bluest Eye”, implies that the bluer the eyes and the blonder the hair, the more beautiful a person is considered to be. Within the novel, Morrison emphasizes the shaming black individuals face regarding their skin color, “I am cute! And you ugly! Black and ugly black e mos. I am cute!”

This quote, stated by the lighter-skinned Maureen (73), truly encapsulates the stigma that black individuals began to believe regarding their skin color defining their beauty or attractiveness.

Maureen genuinely believed that the color of her skin was superior to that of other African Americans because she was born with much lighter skin than a darker African American. However, Maureen did not generate these incredibly judgmental ideologies on her own. White men and women propagated generations of racism that eventually permeated the black community. The following quote aptly demonstrates the enduring impact of racial biases that whites allowed to pass from generation to generation, “White boys; his mother did not like him to play with niggers” (87). White people did significant damage, but the oppressed only suppressed themselves more. For instance, Mrs. Breedlove utterly withdraws any love that she has for her daughter Pecola because Pecola is not as fair-skinned as her other child, Geraldine.

In conclusion, the concept of possessing blue eyes to cope with societal pressure clearly reflects the grave inequality within the mindset of an African American. Could the cruelty of the world be diminished due to physical features? As discussed in earlier paragraphs, the media and individuals within society have created a subjective picture of what beauty truly is, and it is an image that young and grown African Americans still need to define for themselves.

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