The repetition of the word “funkiness” made this particular quote stand out to me, and it forced me to go back and reread the last paragraph to see exactly what this quote signified. The context is given before the quote is referring to the mother of a minor character in the novel, a mother who was raised well and enjoyed a fairly nice life for a colored woman, especially compared to Claudia and Pecola. However, although Geraldine (the mother) was granted this better lifestyle, more was expected out of her, so this must be taken into account before I just assume that her life was automatically better than the main characters’. The narrator states that Geraldine was taught “the careful development of thrift, patience, high morals, and good manners” throughout her schooling (Morrison 83). This jumps out at me because it accentuates the correlation between her upbringing and the way she views herself now. For example, Pecola has no access to such teachings as Geraldine, indicating that this now may make her more inferior to her due to her lack of social mannerisms. Because of this, Pecola views herself as …show more content…
Although Pecola sees herself as the inferior, at least she has human-like aspects and has not completely lost all feeling and nurturement as a human. To eliminate this “funkiness” means to banish all thoughts, ideas, and social mobility of a female. She has become apathetic to all the emotions presented around her, to where not even her own child or husband could bring a twinge of joy to her. Does this quote signify that all whites and others living that type of lifestyle have been robbed of their emotions? Anything that made Geraldine seem real has been eliminated; she now resembles a robot that is simply going through her day to day tasks instead of a
Despite knowing that they are "nicer, brighter," they cannot ignore "the honey voices of parents and aunts and the obedience in the eyes of [their] peers, the slippery light in the eyes of [their] teachers" when Maureen is around or the topic of conversation (74). The way Maureen dresses and behaves in front of adults is not the only way she affects Claudia and Frieda. With racist comments such as, "What do I care about her old black daddy...[and] you ugly! Black and ugly black e mos. I am cute," she infuriates the girls, for in their eyes Maureen is black too. Racist attitudes like Maureen's affect the poorer, darker blacks and can eventually lead them to think racist thoughts of their own.
Because of racism and her own personal background, Pauline neglects her family and allows Pecola to be victimized. One reason that Pauline turns out the way she does is that she always felt inadequate. Growing up Pauline blamed her foot for her constant source of humiliation. “The easiest thing to do would be to build a case out of her foot.” “That is what she herself did” (Morrison 110). In addition, once she moved to Ohio she had to contend with regional and social class barriers to norms of beauty that she had never imagined. For example, she couldn't keep up with latest fashion and this takes a big toll on her spirit.
The essence of a literature, in most cases, parallels life’s mysteries. As Ernest Hemingway put it, “To be truly memorable, a book must have at its core one of life’s great quests: the quest for love, truth, or power.” In other words, the very heart of a text must show its readers the pursuit of self-fulfillment. Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, reveals through the customs and traditions of Ibo culture, as well as the choices and consequences made by each character that a body of work is only worthwhile if there is a search for love, truth, or power.
Instead of comforting her child or trying to make sure she isn’t hurt Mrs. Breedlove begins attacking Pecola. She is more concerned with her crying charge as she calls her baby and comforts her. She tells Pecola to take the laundry and get out. Pecola is further showed that because of the color of her skin even her mother does not deem her more important than a blonde haired, blue eyed white child. The uncaring and harsh attitude of her mother and father only lower her self-esteem and her poor
Lions, and impala, and buffalo, oh my! While on safari in Africa, novice hunter Francis Macomber embodies the cowardice within mankind, on the other hand his professional guide, Robert Wilson, represents a force of masculinity. Such character foils are especially prevalent when Macomber chooses to flee when coming face to face with a lion, while Wilson chooses to stand his ground and fight. Thus in Ernest Hemingway's “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber”, the notion that everybody is afraid of something, but not everybody is a coward is highlighted through the thoughts, appearance, and actions of the two main male characters.
You nasty little black bitch. Get out of my house” (page 92). Geraldine was used to seeing other colored kids having things in common with Pecola, and that made it easy to place her into the stereotype of being dirty, unclean, and
A surge of love and understanding swept through him, but was quickly replaced by anger. Anger that he was powerless to help her”(Morrison 175). Pecola persevered through her struggles against life at home and colorism from the others around her but never triumphed against the adversity she was faced
In the course of The Bluest Eye, Pecola Breedlove has shown signs of low self esteem. She would always be the one to compare herself to something she admires to be beautiful. Perhaps, sometimes problems surround her get a little too much, she has not yet realized the fog will clear up. For example in the autumn chapter, a quote has said “Thrown, in this way, into the binding conviction that only a miracle could relieve her, she would never know her beauty. She would only see what there was to see: the eyes of other people.” There is no such thing as a “Pecola’s point of view”. She lives off of people's judgements and believe physical appearance is all there is to a person. Her desire to be beautiful is not having attractive long black hair and golden skin color, but blonde hair with a white pigmentation. Which causes her to dream and want even more.
In addition, of all characters, Pecola has been most damaged by her circumstances in life, beginning with having a family incapable of normal expressions of love and protection. Nearly every event in her life leaves her a victim, "Although their poverty was traditional and stultifying, it was not unique. Their ugliness was unique" (Morrison 53 ). The novel examines what influences led to her fate and what influences kept her from being helped. She believes she deserves the abuse and neglect she experiences at home based on her self-perceived ugliness.
Connections may be drawn between the ways one may see themselves and the ways they may project themselves to others. The individuals that choose to judge a being on their appearance or attitude may see an individual differently as compared to peoples who do not judge people based on external judgments, rather on internal and emotional judgements. In truth an individual has no way of knowing the ways that others perceive them. Until and unless the others verbally inform the individual in question about their thoughts on them. The same applies to Okonkwo from ‘Things Fall Apart: By Chinua Achebe”.
There are many themes that seem to run throughout this story. Each theme and conflict seems to always involve the character of Pecola Breedlove. There is the theme of finding an identity. There is also the theme of Pecola as a victim. Of all the characters in the story we can definitely sympathize with Pecola because of the many harsh circumstances she has had to go through in her lifetime. Perhaps her rape was the most tragic and dramatic experience Pecola had experiences, but nonetheless she continued her life. She eliminates her sense of ugliness, which lingers in the beginning of the story, and when she sees that she has blue eyes now she changes her perspective on life. She believes that these eyes have been given
In another episode in the novel, when Pecola is on her way to buy her Mary Janes, the reader is able to realize the extent of the impact this idealization had (and still has) on African-American as well as many other cultures. Morrison makes a point to emphasize the fact that this affected everyone in the novel, whether the character admired or despised this ideal. Mrs. Breedlove "passed on" to Pecola the insecurity she had "acquired" throughout her life. Her insecurity and self-hate had been in her since her childhood but it was made worse by her emulating the movie actresses.
Perspective. It is something you see through your glasses. It is also something that depends on your peripheral vision. It is something that either speaks truth or spills lies. But most importantly, it is something that is perceived and interpreted differently in anyone’s eyes, open or shut, wandering or still, at any place, and at any time.
Besides the inherent self-confident issue, the outside voice from community is also affecting Pecola’s view. For example, in the “accident” when Pecola went into Junior’s house, Junior killed the cat and impute to Pecola. His mother, Geraldine, saw Pecola was holding the dead cat. Without any thought and didn’t even ask for the truth, Geraldine simply called Pecola a “nastylittle black bitch.” This event, again, reinforces Pecola’s view of what beauty means.
Chinua Achebe published the fictional account Things Fall Apart in 1958. It was written to provide a new perspective on the African culture and the societies of the pre - colonial villages in Africa. He tried to dispel stereotypes and overshadow the writers who previously persuaded the world to shun Africa and its culture. Things Fall Apart told the story of the village of Umuofia over a period of many years and how they behaved and what happened with white foreign missionaries entered their lives and started the village of Umuofia on the path to falling apart.