How Self-Worth is Determined
Tony Morrison’s “Bluest Eye “ highlights yet again how society view little black girls and their family.Beauty and self worth is a concept which one gain from within.Pecola who struggles with finding acceptance and self -worth sees herself as one of the ugliest black girl in the community .In this novel it’s arguable that Morrison as shown that black young girls in society are forced to accept that worthiness is given to only girls who look like white doll , with blue eyes, have light skin and have blond hair.According to Morrison the world is teaching little black girls about themselves in that of which it places and an image in their minds that for them to live up to expectations of society they must be this angelic picture of a perfect child wit the color of a shirley temple .The world has done this because it has constantly place black girls as outcast due the color of their skin thus implying the racist traits and ecnomic privelges .
Furthermore Morison argues that little black girls are drawn to the ideas that society place on them they are victimized and in desperate need to find self-correction wanting acceptance and love given to little white girls with yellow haired and blue eyes. Pecola wants to be white as she believes whitness brings physical beauty and worthy of love . For example , “ Three quarts of milk .Thats what was in that ice box yesterday “(38).Pecola drinks milk because she wants to be white and feel a sense of whiteness .Black to Pecola is being ugly as blackness was taught to hr by her mother of unworthy of love , her desire of Shirley Temple is a way in which she wants to be beautiful .
Pecola’s attempt to finding beauty and value in herself was once crushed by the clerk whom is a representation of society .For example , “ Then Pecola “ looks up at the clerk and sees the total absence of human recognition “(48).Dandelions , weeds/flowers are symbols used by society to determine beauty and elf worth . While flowers represents beauty society ses weeds/dandelions as ugly unworthy no value and that’s what the Clerk saw Pecola as less than human , this reflects how society sees Pecola .Pecola’s interaction with the white clerk dandelions are not human ,thus showing that Pecola and many other young black girls are forced to accept that they are ugly and not human , no values unworthy of love and recognition.Morrison suggest that self-esteem even in the absence of society or racial privilege is to stop believing in false things present to you acceptance is key acknowledging who you are that you are appreciated .Also the comfort of family allows little black girls to feel worthy of love even when the world say she is not.
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