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<Author and Content>
"The Bluest Eye" published in 1970 and written by Nobel Prize in Literature writer Toni Morrison was shocking. Morrison has overwhelming stories about black American women. I have read Morrison’s work for the first time this time at a book club and have read through the book having a question in mind, "do black girls still have this kind of complex?"
The story of a black girl named Pecola, who is the main character, told by Claudia ("I" in the book) in the U.S. during the Great Depression. Pecola, an elementary school student, begins to live with Claudia's family when Pecola’s father goes to jail. Living in a rough environment due to discrimination and domestic violence around her, she believes that life must change if her eyes were blue, and her appearance were cute. She keeps praying for blue eyes every day, and even after a year, her wishes do not come true, and her environment does not change. She complains that she wants blue eyes to the failed preacher, Soaphead. Pecola imagines that white classmates live like a dream, and longs for wealthy black classmates. Pecola seems to be always in trouble, such as unwanted pregnancy and discrimination.
(The postscript of the book says that “this book also continued to be denied and was finally published 25 years later.”)
<Discussions at Book Club>
When I was a student in Chicago, where the districts I live in are clearly separated by race. I knew from the local news what was happening in the city, but I did not really understand the inner pride, inferiority complex, and living conditions of black people as I did not know them personally. Nowadays, the web and social media can give some ideas of their lives, but because issues are so deep-rooted and complex that some stories and miseries described in the book stayed in my mind for a few days.
Some sociologists say that, "if you grow up in a poor environment, there are people who get higher education or become a social activist to get out of that environment. But because of the opposition from their friends, family, or people surrounding them, or someone pulling their legs, many people after all end up staying in the same environment, and that trend is especially true among blacks who have deeper issues."
Even at young age, Pecola denies herself with the “beauty” determined by society. She has an inferiority complex and a lump of hardship. From an early age, it was this strong tendency of society then that made Pecola believe that her problems would be solved if she had "blue eyes." Even as a toddler she must have felt that "white people are happy people." All the misfortunes (especially matters relating to her father) that come to Pecola, such as when interacting with irresponsible psychic mediums and white discriminatory shopkeepers, reveal a complex of inner and outer appearance in all her actions and emotions. Sometimes it was hard to read on. I read this book became this book was a “book of the month” assigned by the book club. If I read the book when I did not know the depth of issues exist in the American black society at all, perhaps I could not have slept because of shock. It is now a different era, but in contrast to Michelle Obama's life (both were from the generations who commute to school with race in mind), their life is extremely depending on whether the hardships and efforts are rewarded. Also, the wide and breadth of the definition of "freedom" made me think in conversation with other members.
Here are some excerpts of the thoughts from the members of the book club.
"I felt sorry for this African American girl, but the book is well written and described the situation so that reading makes me sympathetic to Pecola's situation."
"I read the book in Japanese but wondered, "how are these sentences written in English?” I regret that I could not read the book in English because I ran out of time. Ms. S, who saw Toni Morrison's documentary film, said that she would love to read her other works. Morrison’s books are so intense that they may not be understood unless readers are of the same race. I don't know, but I also want to read Morrison’s other works."
"This book, ‘The Bluest Eye’ was an extremely overwhelming book, and an immensely helpful book for me to understand how harsh the environment black people have lived through, and that situation continues even now. I borrowed a movie of Toni Morrison's 'Beloved' from a library and started watching it. It was so dark and complicated that I had to give it up. I finally started to understand the author’s intension after reading about the book in the Wiki. The reality and darkness described in 'Beloved' goes beyond 'The Bluest Eye'.”
"It was an honor to get to know ‘The Bluest Eye’ and read through it. I was overwhelmed by the author's keen insight and human love, but I was relieved to be able to share my thoughts with other members of the book club (as we all had some feelings of indigestion after reading the book). The literature written by Toni Morrison; I would like to challenge to read her other works. First, I will look for a video."
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