In our Black Studies class, one week’s reading assignment was “The Bluest Eye”, by Toni Morrison. I have read this book twice before in classes at William and Mary, making this the t
hird time I’ve read it in college, and I read it once in high school, having read the book a total of 4 times now. The one thing I enjoy is that each time I’ve read it, I’ve learned something new.I like this reading assignment this week because it ties in with my Community Action Project in my Black Studies class. Our CAP project addresses beauty in society and takes a look at and a stand for alternative forms of beauty coming from women of color instead of just the standard form that excludes many women. “The Bluest Eye” addresses this issue of standardized beauty. The book revolves around the lives of several young black girls living in an ignored black community with surrounding white areas. The story documents the challenge of the girls Frieda, Claudia, and particularly Pecola, to accept that they don’t meet their society’s standard of beauty of blue-eyed, blonde haired girls and the struggle they face inwardly to prove to themselves that they, too, are beautiful and ask why they were born black.
This idea of beauty is still a standard in our society, even among girls still. A recent movie that shows this standard is Little Miss Sunshine. In the movie, a young girl enters a pageant but her and her family realizes she could never win because she doesn’t meet the standard of beauty. What makes it more interesting is that she does meet the former blue eyes and blond hair standard for girls, but is still considered ‘ugly’ because she does not have the body or poise. This shows that a standard of beauty still exists in our society.
hird time I’ve read it in college, and I read it once in high school, having read the book a total of 4 times now. The one thing I enjoy is that each time I’ve read it, I’ve learned something new.I like this reading assignment this week because it ties in with my Community Action Project in my Black Studies class. Our CAP project addresses beauty in society and takes a look at and a stand for alternative forms of beauty coming from women of color instead of just the standard form that excludes many women. “The Bluest Eye” addresses this issue of standardized beauty. The book revolves around the lives of several young black girls living in an ignored black community with surrounding white areas. The story documents the challenge of the girls Frieda, Claudia, and particularly Pecola, to accept that they don’t meet their society’s standard of beauty of blue-eyed, blonde haired girls and the struggle they face inwardly to prove to themselves that they, too, are beautiful and ask why they were born black.One point of the story that deals with beauty is Claudia’s hatred of Shirley Temple and Raggedy Ann dolls. Throughout the story, Shirley Temple, who was a standard of young girl beauty, is brought up multiple times in a negative way from Claudia. “I couldn’t join them in their 
adoration because I hated Shirley…What I felt at that time was unsullied hatred. But before that I had felt a stranger, more frightening than hatred for all the Shirley Temples in the world.” (Morrison, page 19) In this quote, Claudia speaks of “all the Shirley Temples”, or in other words, her generalization of white beauty and how she hates it because it’s the only beauty standard that exists for girls and she will never meet it. Another quote comes from Claudia speaking about white Raggedy Ann dolls. “Adults, older girls, shops, magazines, newspapers, window signs-all the world had agreed that a blue-eyed, yellow-haired, pink skinned doll is what every girl child treasured.” (Morrison, page 20) These quotes show that their world had a standard of beauty for girls that didn’t include girls of color. This idea can be damaging to girls, just as the story shows Pecola going mad at the end of the story wishing for blue eyes to be beautiful.
adoration because I hated Shirley…What I felt at that time was unsullied hatred. But before that I had felt a stranger, more frightening than hatred for all the Shirley Temples in the world.” (Morrison, page 19) In this quote, Claudia speaks of “all the Shirley Temples”, or in other words, her generalization of white beauty and how she hates it because it’s the only beauty standard that exists for girls and she will never meet it. Another quote comes from Claudia speaking about white Raggedy Ann dolls. “Adults, older girls, shops, magazines, newspapers, window signs-all the world had agreed that a blue-eyed, yellow-haired, pink skinned doll is what every girl child treasured.” (Morrison, page 20) These quotes show that their world had a standard of beauty for girls that didn’t include girls of color. This idea can be damaging to girls, just as the story shows Pecola going mad at the end of the story wishing for blue eyes to be beautiful. 
This idea of beauty is still a standard in our society, even among girls still. A recent movie that shows this standard is Little Miss Sunshine. In the movie, a young girl enters a pageant but her and her family realizes she could never win because she doesn’t meet the standard of beauty. What makes it more interesting is that she does meet the former blue eyes and blond hair standard for girls, but is still considered ‘ugly’ because she does not have the body or poise. This shows that a standard of beauty still exists in our society.
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