The Bluest EyeThe Bluest Eye

(The Bluest I)(The Bluest I)

QuizQuiz

1. What conclusions does Claudia come to 1. What conclusions does Claudia come to when she thinks about being ill in the autumn?when she thinks about being ill in the autumn?

2. Why does Pecola drink 3 quarts of milk?2. Why does Pecola drink 3 quarts of milk?

3. Describe the Breedlove’s “home.”3. Describe the Breedlove’s “home.”

4. How does Mrs. Breedlove end the fight 4. How does Mrs. Breedlove end the fight between herself and Cholly?between herself and Cholly?

5. What are the names of the three whores 5. What are the names of the three whores Pecola goes to visit?Pecola goes to visit?

Dick and Jane . . .Dick and Jane . . .

Morrison claims that she had “used the primer, Morrison claims that she had “used the primer, with its picture of a happy family, as a frame with its picture of a happy family, as a frame acknowledging the outer civilization. The primer acknowledging the outer civilization. The primer with white children was the way life was with white children was the way life was presented to black people.” presented to black people.”

In this way, she forces us to find our place, ask In this way, she forces us to find our place, ask about our relationship to the primer.about our relationship to the primer.

She also makes us wonder what the She also makes us wonder what the degeneration of the primer material means.degeneration of the primer material means.

Morrison’s Comments on the Morrison’s Comments on the BeginningBeginning

““Quiet as it’s kept, there were no marigolds in the fall of Quiet as it’s kept, there were no marigolds in the fall of 1941.”1941.”It’s conspiratorial – it implies a secret between people, It’s conspiratorial – it implies a secret between people, being kept from people.being kept from people.She says the book is the “public exposure of a private She says the book is the “public exposure of a private confidence.”confidence.”You must remember the time the book was written, she You must remember the time the book was written, she says. “In order fully to comprehend the duality of that says. “In order fully to comprehend the duality of that position, one needs to think of the immediate political position, one needs to think of the immediate political climate in which the writing took place, 1965-1969, climate in which the writing took place, 1965-1969, during the great social upheaval in the life of black during the great social upheaval in the life of black people. . . . The writing was the disclosure of secrets, people. . . . The writing was the disclosure of secrets, secrets “we” shared and those withheld from us by secrets “we” shared and those withheld from us by ourselves and by the world outside the community.”ourselves and by the world outside the community.”

More MorrisonMore Morrison

It’s anecdotal, it’s the beginning of a story. It suggests It’s anecdotal, it’s the beginning of a story. It suggests gossip, intimacy.gossip, intimacy.She wanted to set up an intimacy between the reader She wanted to set up an intimacy between the reader and the page. She writes: “I didn’t want the reader to and the page. She writes: “I didn’t want the reader to have time to wonder “What do I have to do, to give up, in have time to wonder “What do I have to do, to give up, in order to read this? What defense do I need to maintain?” order to read this? What defense do I need to maintain?” She says that she wanted certain important facts to be She says that she wanted certain important facts to be emphasized: it’s just before the war (1941), it’s fall, or just emphasized: it’s just before the war (1941), it’s fall, or just before it, in the temperate zone, the speaker is a child.before it, in the temperate zone, the speaker is a child.Foregrounding the absence of marigolds, the trivia of Foregrounding the absence of marigolds, the trivia of that, and backgrounding the information about Pecola’s that, and backgrounding the information about Pecola’s baby makes the reader ask about the narrator. Can we baby makes the reader ask about the narrator. Can we trust the child?trust the child?P. 22 of “Unspeakable Things Unspoken.”P. 22 of “Unspeakable Things Unspoken.”

Morrison – summing upMorrison – summing up

She wanted to use a language that was She wanted to use a language that was speakerly, aural, colloquialspeakerly, aural, colloquialShe wanted signal that the language would be She wanted signal that the language would be coded in black culture – that whites might be coded in black culture – that whites might be other to it and not fully understand itother to it and not fully understand itShe wanted to create an intimacy with her She wanted to create an intimacy with her readerreaderShe wanted to give voice to women and to girls, She wanted to give voice to women and to girls, a point of view that she says was missing from a point of view that she says was missing from African American literatureAfrican American literatureShe wanted to shape a silence, while breaking itShe wanted to shape a silence, while breaking it

Doreatha Drummond MbaliaDoreatha Drummond Mbalia

Claims that there are three beginnings to the textClaims that there are three beginnings to the text1. The Dick and Jane Primer beginning, in its three 1. The Dick and Jane Primer beginning, in its three manifestations. She says this represents the three manifestations. She says this represents the three classes of people we’ll meet in the novel – the rich, or classes of people we’ll meet in the novel – the rich, or well off, white or nearly so, Claudia’s family and other well off, white or nearly so, Claudia’s family and other home-owning blacks, and the Breedloves.home-owning blacks, and the Breedloves.2. The marigold page – which tells the whole story, 2. The marigold page – which tells the whole story, presenting the outcome of the story to be told. Of presenting the outcome of the story to be told. Of Pecola’s suffering and her family’s dissolution.Pecola’s suffering and her family’s dissolution.3. Then the novel begins with “Nuns go by quiet as lust . 3. Then the novel begins with “Nuns go by quiet as lust . . .” An introduction to the neighborhood, the story, the . .” An introduction to the neighborhood, the story, the “how” of Pecola’s demise.“how” of Pecola’s demise.

Shelly WongShelly Wong

Claims that Mbalia’s reading is naive. She believes that Claims that Mbalia’s reading is naive. She believes that the breaking down of the Dick and Jane narrative isn’t the breaking down of the Dick and Jane narrative isn’t about setting up class divisions, but instead the breaking about setting up class divisions, but instead the breaking “up – and down – [of] conventional syntactic hierarchies, “up – and down – [of] conventional syntactic hierarchies, conventional ways of ordering private and public conventional ways of ordering private and public narratives” signals her intention to “defamiliarize” the narratives” signals her intention to “defamiliarize” the signifying terrain. Wong claims that “In refusing the terms signifying terrain. Wong claims that “In refusing the terms of the dominant culture’s patterning of experience, one is of the dominant culture’s patterning of experience, one is in a position to restate the familiar, that is, to retrace the in a position to restate the familiar, that is, to retrace the particular contours of one’s own experience, to regain particular contours of one’s own experience, to regain the practice of one’s own narrative.”the practice of one’s own narrative.”In other words, the breaking down of the Dick and Jane In other words, the breaking down of the Dick and Jane narrative is a signal that this is a new kind of story, a narrative is a signal that this is a new kind of story, a reconstruction of “truth” from a new perspective – a black reconstruction of “truth” from a new perspective – a black perspecitve.perspecitve.

Why start with Autumn?Why start with Autumn?

Spring usually symbolizes the beginning of Spring usually symbolizes the beginning of things. To start with autumn is implies things. To start with autumn is implies death and decay, the end.death and decay, the end.

She ends with summer, commonly She ends with summer, commonly associated with life in full bloom, but in her associated with life in full bloom, but in her conclusion, there is death, dissolution, conclusion, there is death, dissolution, destruction.destruction.

Time?Time?

How does Morrison use time?How does Morrison use time?

There’s the adult Claudia, in the present.There’s the adult Claudia, in the present.

There’s the child Claudia, in the past.There’s the child Claudia, in the past.

There’s a slippage in past time. Does the There’s a slippage in past time. Does the piece narrated by the omniscient narrator piece narrated by the omniscient narrator come chronologically before or after the come chronologically before or after the story about Pecola’s coming to live with story about Pecola’s coming to live with the McTeers? the McTeers?

Narrators – Clues toNarrators – Clues to

If there are no chapter headings, then the If there are no chapter headings, then the story is told by Claudia – either child or story is told by Claudia – either child or adultadultIf there is a chapter heading, then the If there is a chapter heading, then the story is told by either an omniscient story is told by either an omniscient narrator or, in Pauline’s section, by narrator or, in Pauline’s section, by Pauline herself. Pauline herself. How does this work for you in terms of How does this work for you in terms of story telling? story telling?

Pick a Line-ParagraphPick a Line-Paragraph

Why was this significant to you as a Why was this significant to you as a reader?reader?