The Bluest Eye

[Patient Penelope]

Since many of us on here so far seem to be Champlain sophomores, I thought I'd bring up the book that most of us are currently reading for Core. Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye captured my attention immediately and I am in love with it so far.

From the Foreward:

"When I began writing The Bluest Eye, I was interested in something else. Not resistance to the contempt of others, ways to deflect it, but the far more tragic and disabling consequences of accepting rejection as legitimate, as self-evident. I knew that some victims of powerful self-loathing turn out to be dangerous, violent, reproducing the enemy who has humiliated them over and over. Others Surrender their identity; melt into a structure that delivers the strong persona they lack. Most others, however, grow beyond it. But there are some who collapse, silently, annoymously, with no voice to express or acknowledge it. They are invisible. The death of self-esteem can occur quickly, esily in children, before their ego has "legs," so to speak. Couple the vulnerability of youth with indifferent parents, dismiissive adults, and a world, which, in its language, laws, and images, re-enforces despair, and the journey to destruction is sealed."

The Core faculty most likely assigned this book because of the way it questions true beauty and brings up themes of aesthetics and prejudice. But clearly there are many deeper layers. Because I am anticipating the discussions in class to be flimsy and superficial, I'm wondering what you guys think of this book and I would love to discuss it with you.

[notdan]

You know, we started talking about this book today in my Aesthetic Expressions class and I sat there thinking "I should make a post about it on the forum." You beat me to it!

I haven't actually started reading it, though, so I can't offer any discussion about the book. Wehmeyer did bring up some questions that I thought were kind of interesting, though. Fortunately, they don't pertain specifically to the book, but to an interview with the author we watched in class. A few of the questions were:

Do you hear the voices of the characters when you read?

Is it better to hear a character read in the author's voice? (As opposed to a voice actor, or someone else, I guess.)

There was also a discussion on whether or not the author should be considered a black female writer, or simply a writer, and what each of those titles mean.

I'll probably start digging into that book tonight, though, so I can actually contribute in some real way.

[notdan]

I like how this thread died. I'm guessing that no one really read the book.

It's really a fantastic book, though. I usually hold a grudge against books that are assigned for school just because I'm combative. Bluest Eye won me over with its own merits, though.

Toni Morrison was on NPR's On Point over break. It was a really good show, I recommend listening to it even if you didn't read the book:

www.onpointradio.org/2009/12/toni-morrison

[enkindledpulsar]

I didn't really read Bluest Eye but one of her books that will forever be in my collection is Tar Baby. Beautiful beautiful book. Her symbolism is astounding.