The Bluest Eye: Spring

Theme Textual Support – Use quotes, examples from text, and cite the page numbers
Beauty: What is  In this quote it is evident that beauty isn’t necessarily the direct looks but it also the way people are treated.
beauty? Who ‘ “Noooooo. He touched me.”
determines what is “Where?”
beautiful? How does it “Here and here.” She pointed to the tiny breasts that, like two fallen acorns, scattered a few faded rose leaves on her dress.
affect one’s identity? “Really? How did it feel?” ‘
When Frieda was touched it wasn’t the direct beauty that Claudia felt insecure in but rather the idea that she was touched and
she wasn’t. Morrison didn’t directly make Claudia feel jealous however it could be felt when Claudia was asking questions about
how it felt rather than comforting Frieda who was just groped.
 “ “I can’t go to school no more. And I thought maybe you could help me.”
“ Help you how? Tell me. Don’t be frightened.”
“My eyes.”
“What about your eyes?”
“I want them blue.”
Soaphead pursed his lips, and let his tongue stroke a gold inlay. He though it was at once the most fantastic and the most
logical petition he had ever received. Here was an ugly little girl asking for beauty. A surge of love and understanding
swept through him, but was quickly replaced by anger. Anger that he was powerless to help her. ” – 174
Here is Pecola going through the same thing she has been going through the entire book. She still yearns for blue eyes after
everything that has happened to her and she even blames them for her problems. On top of this Morrison makes blue eyes
seem like a bigger deal by even making Soaphead feel bad for her and calling her ugly. Soaphead feels sorry and calls her ugly.
He even begins to feel angry that he can’t help her.

Racism: What are the  “Becoming. Everybody in the world was in a position to give them orders. White women said, “Do this.” White children
effects of racism on said, “Give me that.” White men said, “ Come here.” Black men said, “Lay down.” The only people they need not take
the individual? The orders from were black children and each other.” – Page 138
community? What is This quote above really depicts how the hierarchy of the society works and the racism behind it. The book displays the system in
Morrison saying about a hierarchy to show in detail how racism was depicted at the time.
“racial self-hatred”?  “There stood two white men. One with a spirit lamp, the other with a flashlight. There was no mistake about their being
white; he could smell it. Cholly jumped, trying to kneel, stand, and get his pants up all in one motion. The men had long
guns.
Hee hee hee heeee.” The snicker was a long asthmatic cough.
The other raced the flashlight all over Cholly and Darlene
“Get on wid it, nigger,” said the flashlight one.
“Sir?” said Cholly, trying to find a buttonhole.
“I said, get on wid it. An’ make it good, nigger, make it good.” – 147 - 148
This quote really depicts the racism in the book. As it shows both sides. One more than the other but still both. The idea that
Cholly can ‘smell’ that they were white really shows that there were two sides to that story. However, one was more depicted
than the other when the white people caught a couple having sex and they decide to stay and watch. On top of that, the
derogatory term ‘nigger’ was used more than once and the method it was used in the second with a comma prior to the word
shows that the intentions that the white people had with word was more than just a reference to a black person.
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Love: How is love
expressed? What  “The songs caressed her, and while she tried to hold her mind on the wages of sin, her body trembled for redemption
impact does love and a salvation, a mysterious rebirth that would simply happen, with no effort on her part. In none of her fantasies was she
lack of love have on ever aggressive; she was usually idling by the river bank, or gathering berries in a field when someone appeared, with
the individual? gentle and penetrating eyes, who---with no exchange of words---understood; and before whose glance her foot
straightened and her eyes dropped. The someone had no face, no form no voice, no odor. He was a simple Presence, an
all-embracing tenderness with strength and a promise of rest.” – 113
This is a very descriptive quote of Pauline (Polly’s) fantasy that supposedly later comes true. It really depicts how Pauline
expresses love and how she wants love to be expressed towards her.
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Power/Powerlessness  “They even gave her pleasure to stand in her kitchen at the end of a day and survey her handiwork. Knowing there were
: How do feelings of soap bars by the dozen, bacon by the rasher, and reveling in her shiny pots and pans and polished floors. Hearing, “We’ll
power/powerlessness never let her go. We could never find anybody like Polly. She will not leave the kitchen until everything is in order. Really,
impact the actions of she is the ideal servant.”
individuals? What are Pauline kept this order, this beauty, for herself, a private world and never introduced it into her storefront, or to her
the consequences for children. “
those individuals? In the quote above it is evident that Pauline seeks the justification of others to ensure that she is in order. She does not decide
whether or not she has done a good job. She waits to see what the family thinks of what she does. This makes her seem
powerless. Now because of this she does anything to please the family and waits to see what they think of her as it is very
important to her. Waiting to see what the family thinks for her makes her powerless as she isn’t in charge of her own emotions
and actions as they are dictated by the family she works for.
 “The only people they need not take orders from were black children and each other. But they took all of that and re-
created it in their own image.” – Page 138
This quote shows how powerless kids are in the book. Before this sentence the book talks about how women are at the bottom
of the hierarchy. Throughout the whole book Morrison uses children to emphasize the horrific scenes that occur. Morrison
reassures how kids are weak and powerless in some cases by displaying the hierarchy of the society.
 “Sullen, irritable, he cultivated his hatred of Darlene. Never did he once consider directing his hatred toward the hunters.
Such an emotion would have destroyed him. They were big, white, armed men. He was small, black, helpless. His
subconscious knew what his conscious mind did not guess---that hating them would have consumed him, burned him up
 like a piece of soft coal, leaving only flakes of ash and a question mark of smoke.” – 149 - 151
This quote really shows how much of an effect white people have on black people. Not in a racist way but in terms of power.
The black people are practically helpless if their sub-consciousnesses are wired this way. The event was definitely a traumatizing
experience however the fact that he can’t even express any emotion towards them really shows how powerful the effect of
being white has in the world The Bluest Eye takes place.
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Community: How do 
we create  “Finally it was decided to fetch M’Dear. M’dear was a quiet woman who lived in a shack near the woods. She was a
environments of competent midwife and decisive diagnostician.” - 136
inclusion rather than  “Their voices blended into a threnody of nostalgia about pain. Rising and falling, complex in harmony, uncertain in pitch,
exclusion? How do we but constant in the recitative of pain. They hugged the memories of illnesses to their bosoms. They licked their lips and
build each other up clucked their tongues in fond remembrance of pains” – 137
rather than tear each This quote comes shortly after Aunt Jimmy was extremely sick. To the point where the whole community came together and the
other down? local doctor (M’Dear). The way the community decides when it’s time to do something rather than individuals. Then after she
regains her strength her and other members of the community reminisce times how when they were sick and how they got
better.
 “Aunt Jimmy’s funeral… The ladies had cleaned the house, aired everything out, notified everybody, and stitched
together what looked like a white wedding dress for Aunt Jimmy, a maiden lady, to wear when she met Jesus. They even
produced a dark suit, white shirt, and tie for Cholly. The husband… meals appeared, hot water for the wooden tub,
clotches laid out. At the wake he was allowed to fall asleep, and arms carried him to the bed…. Aunt Jimmy’s people
came from nearby towns and farms. Her brother O. V., his children and wife, and lots of cousins.” - 140
This quote comes after the death of Aunt Jimmy. It shows how when someone leaves a lasting influence no matter the size
people care. As people came from everywhere and considering the time it may not have been an easy task. Regardless of
Cholly’s past the people let him grieve in peace. They let him fall asleep and they prepare food and hot water for him. All these
commodities that are hard to get on the normal are provided for those that just lost. This is how in the book the community is
displayed to build each other up as opposed to tearing others down.
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Other Themes?  Naïve – When Frieda gets back into the house acting completely different because Mr. Henry groped her, Claudia has no
idea what happened and she a bit jealous. Claudia doesn’t understand to the full extent what happened.
‘ “Noooooo. He touched me.”
“Where?”
“Here and here.” She pointed to the tiny breasts that, like two fallen acorns, scattered a few faded rose leaves on her dress.
“Really? How did it feel?” ‘
Instead of comforting her Frieda is curious about how it felt and it can be inferred that she would have wanted to be in that
position.
 Religion (Inferiority Complex) – The community or everyone in the book turns to the idea that it was all in hopes of a
better future. In other words they have a mindset on the inferiority complex. The idea that everything is behind a big
figure and he controls it.
“there was the omnipresence of the deity, strophe and antistrophe of the chorus of mourners led by the preacher. There
was grief over the waste of life, the stunned wonder at the ways of God, and the restoration of order in nature at the
graveyard.” – Page 143
“ “oh, Lord, yes. But I told her the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Wasn’t her fault none. She makes good peach pies.
But she bound to believe it was the pie did it, and I ‘spect she right.” ” - 141
 Puberty –
“Pauline was fifteen, still keeping house, but with less enthusiasm . Fantasies about men and love and touching were
drawing her mind and hands away from her work. Changes in weather began to affect her, as did certain sights and sounds.
These feelings translated themselves to her in extreme melancholy.” - 113
This quote really depicts the way the characters are developed or created in the book. Morrison usually focuses on the
kids within the book. This section really shows that as it focuses on how a girl is transitioning from being an old girl to a
young adult. Morrison decides to really describe and focus on this to really emphasize how young and helpless these girls
are and what its like when they begin to experience things that they don’t understand.
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