Society Conformity Effect on Pecola's Individuation Process in Toni Morrison's "The Bluest Eyes"

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Society conformity effect on Pecola's individuation process in Toni Morrison's "The Bluest Eyes" 1.1 Background of the Study The domination of WASP (White Anglo-saxon Protestant) in all social aspects allow them to create social standards. They create role model of ideal family, ideal manner, ideal beauty, etc. African-Americans who are the subordinate community have no choice other than following the standards in order to survive in the society. The social standards often do not fit their own values, culture, and lives. As a result, in order to follow the standards they are forced to divorce themselves from their own values, culture, and even their real personalities. This situation leaves them two choices, either denying their own values in order to be accepted by the society or accepting their own values to be banished from the society. Whichever choices they take, they must take the most painful consequence. This issue is brought up in many of Toni Morrison’s works. Her first published novel entitled The Bluest Eye, portrays two female characters who take two different choices. Pecola Breedlove chooses to divorce herself from her own values and personality. However, her action only results in failure. She becomes insane because of her impossible wish to have the bluest eye. On the other hand, Claudia is able to maintain her values though she cannot fit the beauty standard. The Bluest Eyes begins with a prologue which portrays the ideal picture of American happy family. The family consists of mother, father, a daughter and a son. Here is the house. It is green and white. It has a red door. It is very pretty. Here is the family. Mother, Father, Dick, and Jane live in the green-and-white house. They are very happy. That is the standard value of a happy family in America. However, Pecola does not have the quality to be in a happy family just like Jane.

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