The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison Essay Example

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison Essay What is shame? Shame is defined as a feeling of guilt, regret, or sadness that you have because you are aware you’ve done something wrong. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison follows a young girl named Pecola Breedlove and her family. The central theme of Shame plays an important role in The Bluest Eye because shame shows the characters inner struggles with themselves and others, in addition to how it affects them on the outside. The symbol of the blue eyes is an important characteristic tied into the central theme of Shame. In The Bluest Eye, the blue eyes represent the need to see things in a brighter light. Instead of Pecola praying for a lighter skin color, Pecola prays for blue eyes because she believes that if she gets the blue eyes, she will see things in a new way and society will also see her in a whole new way. â€Å"It had occurred to Pecola some time ago that if her eyes, those eyes they held the pictures, and knew the sight,-if those eyes of hers were different that is to say, beautiful, she herself would be different.† (Morrison, 46). In the end, Pecola does get her blue eyes but for a price. Her sanity. â€Å"A lot. Mr. Soaphead said they would last forever. ‘Forever and ever Amen?’† (Morrison, 193). In this quote, Pecola believes that she has blue eyes thanks to Soaphead’s â€Å"sacrifice†. She loses her mind and talks to herself on a daily basis becau se the community (society) doesn’t want anything to do with her. She’s their â€Å"scapegoat† to make themselves feel more beautiful and happy with their lives. This connects to the central theme of Shame because Pecola was ashamed of her ugliness and how the world views her in an ugly life. Because of that, she believed that if she gets her blue eyes people will love her. We will write a custom essay sample on The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The Breedloves are characterized as black and ugly. â€Å"They lived there because they were poor and black, and they stayed there because they believe they were ugly. Although their poverty was tradit