Study Guide
The Bluest Eye:
- Short introduction to why the book has been banned
- Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye has been banned due to sexually explicit material, “disturbing” language, and graphic descriptions. There are even some who claim that the entire book is essentially an “underlying socialist-communist agenda”.
- Where has this book been banned?
- It has been successfully banned in Baker City, Oregon. This rose from many being concerned about Chooly’s rape scene with Pecola. And the Davis County School District in Farmington, Utah have also made the decision to remove the novel from its schools.
- Give a short synopsis of the book before starting the discussion
- The Bluest Eye follows many characters, the main one being a young African-American girl named Pecola. We also follow sisters Claudia and Frieda since they are friends with Pecola and she actually stays at their home due to her father burning down their house. The first indicator that Pecola came from instability. Growing up, Pecola was raised believing that she was ugly due to her dark skin, and with this idea in mind, the audience watches all the terrible things that happen to this innocent little girl. Pecola is essentially convinced that none of this tragedy would happen if she had blue eyes.
- Do you think both explicit scenes and language were necessary? If so, what purpose did they serve?
- We came to the conclusion that both the language and explicit scenes were necessary. When it comes to stories with harder topics, sometimes it's necessary for the more gruesome and graphic scenes to be included. Some stories are able to make the same points without graphic scenes, but Toni Morrison chose every little word very intentionally. Especially since this is a shorter read, you can tell that every decision made within this story is meant to be there and it is integral to the plot.
- Which scenes had a lasting impact on you?
- One thing we wanted was to juxtapose the inappropriate scene with Frieda and Pecola and how they are individually handled. Since Frieda had familial love, her parents stood up for her and believed her. Meanwhile, Pecola’s mother doesn't believe her and beats her once Pecola tries to confide in her. Growing up all of her life, Pecola lacks true, unconditional, familial love. They technically grew up in similar environments, but their outcomes are astronomically different due to love.
- Another scene that had a lasting impact was when Pecola, Frieda, and Claudia were all on the bed and Pecola asked Frieda how you get someone to love you. Frieda couldn't answer because she was asleep and Claudia pretended not to hear because she had absolutely no way to begin to answer that question. Love was never something that she had to worry about obtaining.
- Should the book be banned? Why or why not?
- We do not think that this book should be banned. This book is not supposed to be an easy read. It’s not supposed to have a happy ending. This book is supposed to tell a story that others would be too scared to tell. It gives a voice to people who would normally be silenced.
- What is the best way to address the more difficult content? If there is any?
- The best way to address the more difficult content could be the use of trigger warnings.
