The+Bluest+Eye

Katheren Pomera December 14, 2008 11th Grade- 2nd Period English Homework- The Bluest Eye Essay   Family should be the most important thing a person should treasure, for family will always be there for you when you need them. Family does not require a person to be rich, poor, pretty or ugly. Family is suppose to be there through good or bad. The novel, “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison, examines what an African-American family is like during the early 20th century, and how racial discrimination and stereotypes have long life effects on people like African-Americans. Some of the most significant characters in “The Bluest Eye” is the Breedlove family. The Breedlove family consists of father Cholly, mother Pauline, and two children Sammy and Pecola. This family functions through violence, lack of love and lack of communication. Cholly and Pauline are incapable of being effective parents to both Sammy and Pecola because Cholly had a horrible past and Pauline struggles with an inner conflict to be part of the white community.  The Breedlove family lived their lives just as how people expec African-American people to be living; disgusting, miserable and ugly. This family is different compared to a typical family; instead of supporting one another, they bring each others’ self-esteem down, they verbally and physically fight with each other. Cholly and Pauline, the parents, are usually the ones that are committing violence in the house. Cholly abuses Pauline and the children, and Pauline does the same to Cholly and her kids. “Cholly had come home drunk. Unfortunately he had been too drunk to quarrel, so the whole business would have to erupt this morning. Because it had not taken place immediately, the oncoming fight would lack spontaneity; it would be calculated, and deadly.” (40) Both Sammy and Pecola have gotten used to their parents fighting and abusing. However, children are not supposed to be exposed to violence at a young age because children carry what they learn from their childhood throughout their lives. Though parents like Cholly and Pauline must have known that violence should not be tolerated in any case, they still decide to hurt one another at home in front of their children. Cholly and Pauline’s actions toward their children are the effects of Pauline’s current and Cholly’s terrible past.  Pauline grew up in Kentucky and lived with her whole family. She was a girl who enjoyed doing chores at home. Though Pauline did not attend school when she was young, she grew matured and generous. She met Cholly when she was sitting by a tree. Their first encounter was very kind and gentle. When Pauline met Cholly, she was longing for someone to entertain her, and Cholly filled that role in her life. “Pauline and Cholly loved each other. He seemed to relish her company and even to enjoy her country ways and lack of knowledge about city things.” (115) Though they’ve only had few meetings the two decided to get married and move to Loraine, Ohio. Moving to Ohio for Pauline was a big change. Cholly had a job and left Pauline all by herself at home. Later on Pauline became bored and started to seek for something that can amuse her boring life. Pauline began to watch movies. She enjoyed the movies and eventually compared her real life to the life she saw in the movie. It became hard for her to go home to her husband because she knew that her real life is very different to the ideal life that she is looking for. Pauline’s desire to be part of the white community affects her life at home with Cholly and her future kids, Sammy and Pecola. This ended and brought violence and hatred with each other.  The violence in this family started from Cholly and Pauline’s small verbal fights. However, Cholly always comes home drink every day and that small argument turned into physical fights. Though the violence stopped for few months when Pauline was pregnant, it started again when she gave birth. Pauline would even abuse her children. “Sometimes I’d catch myself hollering at them and beating them, and I’d feel sorry for them, but I couldn’t seem to stop.” (124) Pauline abuses her children whole heartedly but there’s always a sincere feeling when she abuses them. In this household there is more violence than communication that occurs. Also, when they do talk to one another, there are still boundaries that have to be aware of. “Her calling Mrs. Breedlove Polly, when even Pecola called her mother Mrs. Breedlove…” (108) Pauline let other people, specifically white people, call her nicknames because Pauline feels closer to white people when they give her nicknames like “Polly”. While in the other hand, regardless the fact that Pecola and she has a mother and daughter relationship, Pecola still has to address her own mother with “Mrs.”. Pauline’s relationship with her children shows that they all have a very distant relation with one another and the family lacks of communication.  The family’s bond is affected by the parents’ situation. On Pauline’s part, her connection with Sammy and Pecola is greatly affected by her desire of living with the whites. Whereas Cholly’s case, his relationship with Sammy and Pecola is the result of his childhood experiences. Cholly grew up in Georgia without a parent. However, he had a great aunt who adopted him named Jimmy. Cholly was only 4 years old when his mother tried to leave him by a railroad. Therefore Cholly only grew up with only an aunt that frequently reminded him how grateful he should be because she had saved his life and it wasn’t for her, he would be nothing. Later, his Aunt Jimmy died and so Cholly decided to run away and seek for his missing father, When Cholly found his father, Cholly was rejected. As a young boy, Cholly experienced abandonment and lack of love from adults. For Cholly only received // maltreatment //from Aunt Jimmy and as a child he needed love to become a better person as he grows.  Cholly’s childhood affected his life greatly to the point where he would beat his own children and even rape Pecola. No parent would ever do such a thing to their child no matter house close their relationship is. Ironically the relationship Pecola and Cholly has is far away from being close as they do not even exchange words with each other. As for Sammy and Cholly’s is even worse than strangers. What usually comes of Sammy’s and Cholly’s relationship is violence, “Sammy, who had watched in silence their struggling at his bedside suddenly began to hit his father about the head with both fists, shouting, ‘You naked fuck!’ over and over and over.” (44) Instead of caring and loving, this family does arguing and fighting.  If only Cholly had received the love that any child deserved, Cholly would have been a better parent to both Sammy and Pecola. Nevertheless, no one taught him how to love and nobody showed him what love is. Also, Pauline would have also been a good parent if she wasn’t sensitively affected by the stereotypes that she was exposed to in Loraine, Ohio. And if Cholly had provided her a good life when they moved to Ohio, she wouldn’t have had to turn to movies and compared her life to the life she saw in the movies. The people that are greatly affected by Pauline and Cholly’s actions are Sammy and Pecola because these children do not even know what they did to deserve these harassments from their parents.