THE ANALYSIS OF INTERNALIZED RACISM IN TONI MORRISON’S
THE BLUEST EYE
A THESIS
BY
RIZKA MAULINA
REG. NO. 140705092
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH
FACULTY OF CULTURAL STUDIES
UNIVERSITY OF SUMATERA UTARA
MEDAN 2018
THE ANALYSIS OF INTERNALIZED RACISM IN TONI MORRISON’S THE BLUEST EYE
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A THESIS
BY RIZKA MAULINA REG. NO. 140705092
SUPERVISOR CO-SUPERVISOR
Drs. Parlindungan Purba, M.Hum. Riko Andika Rahmat Pohan, S.S., M.Hum. NIP. 19630216 198903 1 003 NIP. 19840609 201504 1 001
Submitted to Faculty of Cultural Studies University of Sumatera Utara Medan in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Sarjana Sastra from Department of English.
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH FACULTY OF CULTURAL STUDIES UNIVERSITY OF SUMATERA UTARA MEDAN 2018
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Approved by the Department of English, Faculty of Cultural Studies, University of Sumatera Utara (USU) Medan as thesis for The Sarjana Sastra Examination.
Head Secretary
Prof. T. Silvana Sinar, M. A., Ph. D Rahmadsyah Rangkuti, M.A., Ph. D. NIP. 19540916 198003 2 003 NIP. 19750209 200812 1 002
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Accepted by the Board of Examiners in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Sarjana Sastra from the Department of English, Faculty of Cultural Studies University of Sumatera Utara, Medan.
The examination is held in Department of English Faculty of Cultural Studies University of Sumatera Utara on August 09th, 2018
Dean of Faculty of Cultural Studies University of Sumatera Utara
Dr. Budi Agustono, M.S. NIP. 19600805 198703 1 001
Board of Examiners
Rahmadsyah Rangkuti, M.A., Ph.D.
Drs. Parlindungan Purba, M.Hum.
Dr. Siti Norma Nasution, M.Hum.
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AUTHOR’S DECLARATION
I, RIZKA MAULINA DECLARE THAT I AM THE SOLE AUTHOR OF
THIS THESIS EXCEPT WHERE REFERENCE IS MADE IN THE TEXT OF
THIS THESIS. THIS THESIS CONTAINS NO MATERIAL PUBLISHED
ELSEWHERE OR EXTRACTED IN WHOLE OR IN PART FROM A
THESIS BY WHICH I HAVE QUALIFIED FOR OR AWARDED ANOTHER
DEGREE. NO OTHER PERSON’S WORK HAS BEEN USED WITHOUT
DUE ACKNOWLEDMENTS IN THE MAIN TEXT OF THIS THESIS. THIS
THESIS HAS NOT BEEN SUBMITTED FOR THE AWARD OF ANOTHER
DEGREE IN ANY TERTIARY EDUCATION.
Signed:
Date : August 09th, 2018
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COPYRIGHT DECLARATION
NAME :RIZKA MAULINA
TITLE OF THESIS :THE ANALYSIS OF INTERNALIZED RACISM
IN TONI MORRISON’S THE BLUEST EYE
QUALIFICATION :S-1/SARJANA SASTRA
DEPARTMENT :ENGLISH
I AM WILLING THAT MY THESIS SHOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR
REPRODUCTION AT THE DISCRETION OF THE LIBRARIAN OF
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH, FACULTY OF CULTURAL STUDIES,
UNIVERSITY OF SUMATERA UTARA ON THE UNDERSTANDING THAT
USERS ARE MADE AWARE OF THEIR OBLIGATION UNDER LAW OF
THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA.
Signed :
Date : August 09th, 2018
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
First and foremost, the writer would like to thank the Almighty God, Allah
SWT for the guidance and blessing so that this thesis, as one of the requirements for graduating from the Department of English, Faculty of Cultural Studies University of
Sumatera Utara Medan can be finished timely. Here the writer would also like to express her greatest honours and thanks to:
1. Her supervisor, Drs. Parlindungan Purba, M.Hum. and her co-supervisor,
Riko Andika Rahmat Pohan, S.S., M.Hum. for their willingness to spend their
valuable time in supervising her during the improvement of her thesis, as well
as to Dr. Budi Agustono, M.S, the Dean of Faculty of Cultural Studies
University of Sumatera Utara, and Prof. T. Silvana Sinar, M. A., Ph.D., the
Head of Department of English and Rahmadsyah Rangkuti, M.A., Ph.D, the
Secretary of Department of English, for their advice and encouragement
during her study in this faculty and also to Mr. Sukirno for his help in the
administration matter.
2. Her parents Masdiana, S.P, Saiful Ismail, Armia, Darni, and as well as her
siblings, Putri, Reza, Rara, Rafif, Imam, Liza, Nia, and Dira who always
pray, encourage, and support her during the academic years.
3. Her best friends, Khairunisha Putri, Puji Esa Suci, Qorry Yohanna Anggraini,
Retno Mandasari, and Wiwit Halimah Harahap for their kindness, help, and
support through these four years.
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4. Karya Salemba Empat Foundation and PT. Indofood Sukses Makmur Tbk
that have given her scholarship and also big thanks for all her friends in
Paguyuban Karya Salemba Empat Nusantara.
5. Last but not the least is to all of her friends in Department of English who
always stand by her.
May God always bless you all.
The Writer
Rizka Maulina
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ABSTRACT
This thesis entitled The Analysis Of Internalized Racism In Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye. This thesis contains an analysis of internalized racism in literary work which is a novel. The novel setting in America‘s Midwest during 1940s as the following years of the Great Depression Era. The aim of this thesis are (i) to explain the factors that influenced internalized racism in The Bluest Eye and (ii) to analyze the impact of internalized racism in The Bluest Eye. The writer uses sociology of literature as the main theory, and some references that related to internalized racism in analyzing the problems. In completing the analysis, the writer used qualitative descriptive method. The writer collects the data from some sources included The Bluest Eye novel, journals, articles, websites, and books which related to internalized racism. The writer found that the main character Pecola Breedlove experienced internalized racism from her community. It arise because of the self-hatred of Pecola‘s community so they made Pecola as victim because she is weak and also because of her uglyness.
Keywords: Internalized, Racism, Influence, Impact.
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ABSTRAK
Skripsi ini berjudul Analisis Internalisasi Rasisme Di The Bluest Eye Toni Morrison. Skripsi ini berisi analisis internalisasi rasisme yang dalam karya sastra yang mana merupakan sebuah novel. Novel ini berlatar di Midwest Amerika selama 1940-an dan tahun-tahun Era Depresi Hebat selanjutnya. Tujuan dari skripsi ini adalah (i) untuk menjelaskan faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhi internalisasi rasisme dalam The Bluest Eye dan (ii) untuk menganalisis dampak internalisasi rasisme dalam The Bluest Eye. Penulis menggunakan sosiologi sastra sebagai teori utama, dan beberapa referensi yang terkait dengan internalisasi rasisme dalam menganalisis masalah. Dalam menyelesaikan analisis, penulis menggunakan metode deskriptif kualitatif. Penulis mengumpulkan data dari beberapa sumber termasuk novel The Bluest Eye, jurnal, artikel, situs web, dan buku-buku yang terkait dengan internalisasi rasisme. Penulis menemukan bahwa sang tokoh utama Pecola Breedlove merasakan internalisasi rasisme dari komunitasnya. Ini muncul karena komunitas disekitar Pecola membenci diri mereka sendiri jadi mereka membuat Pecola sebagai korban karena dia lemah dan jelek.
Kata Kunci: Internalisasi, Rasisme, Prasangka, Pengaruh, Dampak.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
AUTHOR’S DECLARATION ...... v COPYRIGHT DECLARATION ...... vi DEDICATION ...... vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...... viii ABSTRACT ...... x ABSTRAK ...... xi TABLE OF CONTENTS ...... xii
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ...... 1 1.1 Background of the Study ...... 1 1.2 Problem of the Study ...... 4 1.3 Objective of the Study ...... 4 1.4 Scope of the Study ...... 5 1.5 Significance of the Study ...... 5
CHAPTER II REVIEW OF LITERATURE ...... 6 2.1 Brief Description of Novel ...... 6 2.2 General Concept of Literature and The Sociology of Literature ...... 9 2.3 Brief Description of Racism...... 11 2.3.1 Internalized Racism ...... 13 2.3.2 Prejudice ...... 16 2.3.3 Stereotype ...... 17 2.3.4 Rejection ...... 17 2.3.5 Scapegoat ...... 18 2.3.6 Social Gap ...... 19 2.3.7 Violence ...... 20 2.4. Thematic and Historical Approach ...... 21 2.4.1 Thematic Approach ...... 21 2.4.2 Historical Approach ...... 21 2.5 Racism and Human Rights ...... 23 2.6 Previous Study ...... 25
CHAPTER III METHOD OF RESEARCH ...... 28 3.1 Research Design ...... 28 3.2 Data and Source of Data ...... 30 3.3 Technique of Data Collection ...... 31 3.4 Technique of Data Analysis ...... 32
CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS AND FINDING ...... 33 4.1 Factors That Influenced Internalized Racism in The Bluest Eye ...... 33 4.1.1 Prejudice ...... 33 4.1.2 Stereotype ...... 36 4.1.3 Rejection ...... 38
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4.1.4 Scapegoat ...... 41 4.1.5 Social Gap ...... 43 4.1.6 Violence ...... 46 4.2 Impacts of Internalized Racism in The Bluest Eye ... 50 4.2.1 Inferiority ...... 50 4.2.2 Obsession ...... 53 4.2.3 Isolation ...... 56 4.2.4 Insanity/Madness...... 59 4.3 Finding ...... 63 CHAPTER V CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION ...... 64 5.1 Conclusion ...... 64 5.2 Suggestion ...... 65
REFERENCES ...... 67
APPENDICES i. Biography of Toni Morrison ii. Summary of The Novel The Bluest Eye
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CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of The Study
Literature is a form of creative act from the writer‘s thought and imagination in interpreting life experiences in a form of written works. Literature also gives many lessons and advices through the aspects of human life such as social, cultural, and also religious aspect.
Literature can be described as something created or written through the process of imagination or based on what happens in real life. Talking about literature is basically talking about life itself. Literature is an imagination of the author about life and about everything that the author have felt, thought, or imagined in life. The literary work that created by the authors could reflect the living condition of themselves. Literature can be a picture of life in the past, now, and future. There are many different types of literary works such as poetry, song, essay, play, and novel.
Novel is one of literary work that gives pleasure to the readers. Novel can make the readers as if brought to a certain situation that occur in the story of the novel and feel various conflicts inside it. Through the series of events and problems experienced by the characters, the readers seem to enter the character‘s life in the novel. At the end of a novel, readers can discover meaning, messages or values which are revealed in the novel.
Reading literary works directs reader to see some problems in society. The problems are called the social problems. Novel can be considered as literary work that illustrates social problems and issues such as feminism, discrimination, or prejudice and then dramatized it through the character of the story.
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Discrimination is a treatment or consideration of making a distinction to a person based on the group, class,race, religion, or category to which the person is perceived to belong rather than on individual attributes. This includes treatment of an individual or a group, based on their actual or perceived membership in a certain group or social category in a way that is worse than the way people are usually treated.
Racism is a discrimination and prejudice towards people based on their race or ethnicity. Racial discrimination is one of the worst social problems that still exist up to this moment in every part of the world. Our environtment is still vulnerable to the issue of racism. One form of racism is same race discrimination or internalized racism, wherein the perpetrator and the object of the discrimination are of the same racial group. Black people sometimes adopt a white supremacist mindset that results in self-hatred and hatred of their respective racial group. Minorities suffers from internalized racism buy into the notion that whites are superior to black people.
People nowadays behave as if racism is a common thing. Because of that, it is really important to do a research on racism so that we know what factors that influenced racism, especially internalized racism and also its impacts.
The Bluest Eye is the first novel by Toni Morrison, one of the African-
American authors who received the Pulitzer Prize and the Nobel Prize in literature in
1993. Morrison manages to portray the lives of black people, especially their life experiences in societies that still deal with racism issues. The Bluest Eye presents a more complicated portrait of racism.
In this novel, it can be found the case of internalized racism which is loosely defined as the internalization by people of racist attitudes towards members of their own ethnic group, including themselves. This includes the belief in ethnic
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stereotypes relating to their own group. Internalized racist attitudes in individuals present barriers towards achievement of racial equality, as somebody with internalized racism may believe that they are inferior to people of other ethnic groups. The ―black is beautiful‖ cultural movement fights the internalized racism experienced by African Americans specifically with regard to beauty standards.
Internalized racism is the result of the implantation of racist stereotypes, values, images, ideologies, and ideologies by white society about one‘s racial group.
The result of this implantation leads to feelings of self-doubt, disgust, and disrespect for one‘s race and oneself. Most of this implantation, or brainwashing, starts from the media but is repeated by society. An example of this in The Bluest Eye is the featuring of Pecola Breedlove, a young black girl who believes she is ugly and wants nothing more than to have the blue eyes associated with the white standard of beauty.
This novel tells the tragic story and problems of Pecola who has to deal with the racist treatment of society, people always see her as an ugly poor disgusting black girl. Consequently, she grows into an adolescent who is lack of self-confident. She is also abused and suffers a traumatic rape by her biological father, Cholly Breedlove.
Pecola is an eleven years old black kid who is anxious to have blue eyes that only a white people has. Pecola's wish is a response to the racist treatment and discrimination she receives from society, environment, and even her family that have same race as her. White skin, blonde hair, and blue-eyed are the beauty standards created by the people around Pecola, so she thinks that people will love her if she has the blue eyes.
The writer choses this novel because the writer wants to examine the problems experienced by Pecola - which the writer have just mentioned above. Cases of racism often occur, people often insult the tribe, nation, religion, and skin color.
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Our own society is more or less the same as the one in the novel The Bluest Eye because we still think that white is beautiful and dark-skinned people are ugly. The writer wants to analyze what are the factors that influences internalized racism in the novel and what are its impacts. Internalized racism is a part of racism, and it has many forms, such as prejudice, stereotype, rejection, scape goat, social gap, violence, and so on.
Because it is an interesting topic, the writer wants to make further analysis about the novel The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison. From the explanation above, the writer entitled this thesis “The Analysis Of Internalized Racism In Toni
Morrison’s The Bluest Eye”.
1.2 Problem Of The Study
Social problem is a kind of serious case that hinders people in getting normal social life and make people don‘t living in harmony. The Bluest Eye is a novel represents a kind of social problem which is racism. In accordance with the title of this thesis, some questions are arranged which act as the center of problems.
Problems that the writer would like to analyze are:
1. What are the factors that influenced internalized racism in The Bluest Eye?
2. What are the impacts of internalized racism in The Bluest Eye?
1.3 Objective Of The Study
In accordance with the statements of problem above, there are two objectives that have been decided:
1. To explain the factors that influenced internalized racism in The Bluest Eye
2. To analyze the impact of internalized racism in The Bluest Eye
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1.4 Scope of The Study
Scope of the study is very important in preparing the thesis so that this research is more focused on the topic that will be discussed. In doing the analysis, we need to limit the fields that are going to be analyzed to make sure that the analysis is not out of context. This research will focus on the factors and the impacts of internalized racial discrimination against the main character Pecola Breedlove in the novel The
Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison and every supporting word, phrase, sentence, and paragraph that are related to the topic.
1.5 Significance Of The Study
Racism is very important to be studied. This research is expected to give benefits in the academic field, which can increase knowledge about racism especially internalized racism in literary works and in the society. And also can be used as further research material about literary works on the theme of internalized racism.
This study can be used as a reference for the readers who are interested in learning the relationship of literature and sociological problems. Besides, the most important thing is this research can make people especially young generation understand that this world is full of diversity, home to numerous different ethnic groups, languages and religions so that all human should be able to live side by side in peace without any kind of discrimination.
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CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
2.1 Brief Description of Novel
The word comes from the Italian, Novella, which means ‗the new staff that small‘. The novel developed in England and America. The novel was originally developed in the region from other forms of narrative nonfiction, such as letters, biographies, and history. But with a shift in society and development time, the novel is not only based on data nonfiction, author of novel can change according to the desired imagination. Sumardjo (1998: 29) said that, novel is a story with the prose form in long shape, this long shape means the story including the complex plot, many character and various setting.
A literary works such as novels, supported by two elements which is the intrinsic and extrinsic. This element directly construct the story so novel form.
Intrinsic elements as follows:
A. Intrinsic Elements
1. Theme
Theme is the basis of the story, the idea of a common base of a masterpiece.
The basic idea is commonly used to develop the story. Stanton and Kenney
(Nurgiyantoro, 1965: 70) have stated that theme is a meaning of story which especially explains a big part of its elements in the simple way. It is more or less synonymous the central idea and central purpose.
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2. Plot
Plot is the story development pattern formed by causality. In general, the plot is divided into the following sections:
a) Introduction to the story situation
b) Disclosure of events
c) Towards a conflict
d) Height of the conflict
e) Completion
Conflict is the essence of the groove. Conflict is a disagreement. Kind of conflict include:
a) Human contradiction with theirself (inner conflict)
b) Conflicts with other human
c) Conflicts of humans with the environment, whether the economic, political,
social, or cultural
d) Conflicts of man with God or faith
Stanton (1965: 14), suggested, the plot is a story that contains the sequence of events, but each incident is only connected in cause and effect, an event which caused or led to the occurrence of other events. Kenny (1966: 14), stated that, promoted to the plot as the events shown in the story is not simple, because the author set the events based on the relation of cause and effect.
3. Setting
Setting elements can be divided into three main elements, which are place, time, and social. Setting on the location of the place suggest the occurrence of the events recounted in a work of fiction. Elements may be used where the places with a
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certain name, initials, and there may be certain locations without exact name. Setting of time associated with the problem of "when" of events recounted in a work of fiction problem, "when" is normally associated with the factual, the time to do or be associated with historical events. Social setting suggested on matters relating to the conduct of social life of the community in a place that is told.
4. Characters
Characters are the leaders of the stories. Characters may be flat and minor, or round and major. The main character in a story is generally known as protagonist, the character who opposes the main caracter is the antagonist. Character is revealed by how a character responds to conflict. Abram (1981: 76) says that, Character is people who are appeared in a narrative prose or novel and it is interpreted by the readers as a person who has moral quality and certain tendency such as being expressed in what they say and what they do.
5. Point of View
Point of view is a technique, or strategy that the author used to express ideas and stories. Understanding about point of view, Point of view suggests the way a story is told. It is a way and or views of the author used as a means for presenting the characters, action, background and events that make up the story in a work of fiction to the reader.
6. Mandate
Mandate, is the author trying to convey the message to the reader.
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B. Extrinsic Elements
Extrinsic Elements are elements outside the literary works, but it does not directly affect the structure or organism system literature. Extrinsic elements consist of individual subjectivity authors state that have attitudes, beliefs, and worldviews that all of it affects the literary work done.
2.2 General Concept of Literature and The Sociology of Literature
In analyzing this thesis the writer use sociological approach and theories.
Because it is the most suitable approach to understand about social life in the novel.
Sociology of Literature is a specialized area of study which focused its attention upon the relation between a literary work and the social structure.
Swingwood in the Literature Of Sociology said that sociology and literature have a very close relationship. The close relation lies in the object or target that discussed.
According to Swingewood (1972:11), Sociology is a scientific approach that emphasizes the objective analysis of man in society, about social instituion, and social process.
Literature : An Introduction To Reading And Writing written by Roberts and
Jacob (1993) gives the explanation of literature. According to Robert and Jacob
(1993:1): literature refers to composition that tell the stories, dramatize situations,express emotion, and analyze and advocates ideas. In some stories, the oral tradition of literature still exist, with many poems and stories designed exclusively for spoken delivery. Literature helps us grow, both personally and intellectually. It provides an objective base for knowledge and understanding. It links us with the broader culture, philosophic, and religious world of which we are a part. One of which is included in a literary work is novel.
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Literature is a part of human life. As people know, since human functions as a social individual, human uses literature as a media to socialize with others. Novel is one kind of literature. Novel can portray characters and actions which represent of real life dealing with human life, passion or ambition, desire, happiness, sadness, love and many else related to human life. Wellek (1977:94) state that : literature
‗represents‘ ‗life‘; and ‗life‘ is, in large measure, a social reality, even though the natural world and the inner or subjective world of the individual have also been objects of literary ‗imitation‘. Literature is the expression of life in the world of truth and beauty; it is the writer record of man‘s spirit of the thought, emotion, and expression. Literature is traditionally described as the body of writing that exist because of inherent imaginative artistic qualities (Luken, 2003:3).
Literature should hold a mirror up to society and reflects what is happening there. The author should connect their work to the real life about what they see in the society.
Besides using the theory of sociology of literature in general, in the process of completing this thesis the writer also use theories that related to factors and impacts of internalized racism as can be seen below:
As a by-product of oppression, internalized oppression/racism occurs as a result of living in an oppressive context (Lipsky, 1987; personal communication, B.
Love, July 12, 2002; Moanne, 1999). According to Pharr (1996), systems of oppression often employ specific tools to achieve the subjugation of targeted groups.
These tools include, but are not limited to, stereotyping, scapegoating, and blaming the victim.
Internalized racism has been argued to be harmful to a person of color‘s mental health, given the injury resulting from it includes reinforcing the superiority of
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Whites and maintaining a ―self-perpetuating cycle of oppression,‖ while leading to feelings of self-doubt, eroding self-esteem and -worth, and generating helplessness and hopelessness (C. P. Jones, 2000; Speight, 2007).
Examples of manifestations of internalized oppression that havebeen cited in the literature on intergenerational transmission include anger, depression, rage, substance abuse, learned helplessness, damaged self-esteem, sexual and domestic abuse, suicide, fear, guilt, anxiety, dependency, violence, child abuse, and dependency. (Bombay et al., 2009; E. Duran, 2006; B. Duran & E. Duran, 1995;
Evans-Campbell, 2008; Kellerman 2001; Poupart, 2003; Wesley-Esquimaux &
Smolewski, 2004; Whitebeck et al., 2004).
2.3 Brief Description of Racism
Racism is a form of discrimination. Discrimination is the differential treatment of individuals considered to belong to a particular social group. Discrimination is the prejudicial treatment of an individual based on their membership in a certain group or category. It involves the actual behaviours towards groups such as excluding or restricting members of one group from opportunities that are available to another group. The act of discrimination could cover all aspect of life, because everybody could experience discrimination no matter wherever or whoever you are. In
Bowling‘s book Racism, Crime, and Justice (2002:38), he states: Discrimination consist of unequal, unfavorable and unjustifiable treatment based on a person‘s sex, gender, race, ethnicity, culture, religion, language, class, sexual preference, age, physical disability or any improper ground. It includes refusal to offer employment, pay fair wages, to provide housing or medical treatment or to provide a commercial
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or social service. It can also take the form of harrasment, attack, exclusion, and expulsion.
According to Soekanto (1993: 360): The word racism is a word derived from
English racism. Racism is derived from the word race which has several meanings, namely: First, a population class based on genetic criteria, second, the class of genotypes, and the third, any population that is genetically distinct from other populations/race.
Racism is prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one's own race is superior. When someone's treated differently or unfairly just because of their race or culture, it called racial discrimination or racism.
Racism have many different forms, for example like written or verbal threats or insults, personal attacks of any kind including violence, being treated differently or being excluded because of your race or culture, and people making racist jokes.
Race has been a fundamental to the construction of family in the United States since the country was settled. People of color were incorporated into the country and used to meet the need for cheap and exploitable labor. (Bonnie Thornton Dill 2017:25)
Racial Discrimination is one of dominant discrimination in the United States. It is happened because the black people is minority and because of the history of their race. The black people being discriminated because they come from slavery. Then occurs some prejudice based on the physical appearance and characteristics towars their behaviour.
Some people makes stereotypes that black people are dirty, uneducated, criminal, irresponsible,diseased, and many else. That‘s why these conditions make them hard to live their life normally and get the opportunities in the society. There is
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another form of racism, which is internalized racism which will be the main topic of this thesis.
2.4 Internalized Racism
Racism, in itself, is a divisive and deeply-rooted custom in the United States whose presence causes a blatant disruption of core American beliefs in freedom and equality. In recent years, racial controversy has found its way to political and social platforms, resulting in numerous protests and riots. Unfortunately, it is rather common for one to think that racism is a belief that should be categorized as a race- to-race issue, almost as if it is an interaction between two different parties. However, there is a very problematic form of racism that is not as discoursed in today‘s world: internalized racism. Internalized racism is defined by sociologist Stuart Hall as, ―the
‗subjection‘ of the victims of racism to the mystifications of the very racist ideology which imprison and define them.‖ For years, psychologists have conducted social experiments to grow closer to an understanding of what causes it and its branching effects. The ultimate conclusion is clear: internalized racism is prevalent in the black community because it is rooted in the raging self-esteem struggles sparked by centuries of unjust prejudice and belittlement (Matthews, 2017).
After almost two decades from the apartheid era, the black people has taken a
U-turn to another level of racism. This time the racism is internalized. Internalized racism is likely to consist of self-hatred, self alienation, selfconcealment, fear of violence and feelings of inferiority, resignation, powerlessness, and accepting limitations to one‘s own full humanity, including one‘s right to selfdetermination, and one‘s range of allowable self-expression. (Watts-Jones, 2002).
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Internalized racism is one form of racial discrimination, wherein the perpetrator and the object of the discrimination are of the same racial group. Because the "discriminator" and "discriminatee" are in the same racial minority. This type of racism is more complex than traditional racism for obvious reasons. It stems from the idea that your own race is inferior, and usually involves adopting the values of the group that you see as the superior race – usually white values. Internalized racism is loosely defined as the internalization by people of racist attitudes towards members of their own ethnic group, including themselves. Dee Watts- Jones (2002) argues that, for people of African descent, internalized racism involves at least two levels of shame, first, the shame associated with our ―African-ness‖, as a result of slavery and racism and secondly the shame of being shamed. Watts-Jones (2002) states, At the core of racism is the shaming of the African identity and culture.
Internalized racism (or internalized oppression) occurs when socially stigmatized groups (e.g., Black males) accept and recycle negative messages regarding their aptitude, abilities, and societal place, which results in self-devaluation and the invalidation of others within the group (Essed, 1991; Jones, 2000; Lipsky,
1987; Pheterson, 1990; Pyke & Dang, 2003). That is, the opressed begin to believe in their own inferiority, both individually and collectively (Baker, 1983).
Internalized racism results in the system of structural disadvantage called internalized racism for peoples and communities of color on inter- and intra-group levels (Bivens, 2005).
Internalized racist attitudes in individuals present barriers towards achievement of racial equality, as somebody with internalized racism may believe that they are inferior to people of other ethnic groups and that equality is therefore not a logical goal; according to Lipsky, ‗It (internalized racism) has proved to be the
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fatal stumbling block of every promising and potentially powerful black liberation effort that has failed in the past‘.
In an article Colorism: A Darker Shade of Pale, Banks discussed colorism and how it has been internalized by the Black community, leading to a racist hierarchy that privilages lighter skinned black people over darker skinned black people within their own communities.
The Bluest Eye explores the tragedy of the oppression and internalized racism. It examines the tragic effects of imposing white, middle-class American ideals of beauty on the developing female identity of a young African American girl during the early 1940s. Collins in her book Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge,
Consciousness and the Politics of Empowerment (1990) notes that: Portraying the range of ways that African-American women experience internalized oppression has been a prominent theme in Black Women‘s writing.
Inspired by a conversation Morrison once had with an elementary school classmate who wished for blue eyes, the novel poignantly shows the psychological devastation of a young black girl, Pecola Breedlove, who searches for love and acceptance in a world that denies and devalues people of her own race.
Morrison says that, ―The origin of the novel lay in conversation I had with a childhood friend. We had just started elementary school. She said she wanted blue eyes. I looked around to picture her with them and was violently repelled by what I imagined she would look like if she had her wish. The sorrow in her voice seemed to call for sympathy, and I faked it for her, but, astonished by the desecration she proposed, I ―got mad‖ at her instead.‖ (Morrison: 1970)
As her mental state slowly unravels, Pecola hopelessly longs to possess the conventional American standards of feminine beauty—namely, white skin, blonde
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hair, and blue eyes—as presented to her by the popular icons and traditions of white culture.
2.3.1 Prejudice
Goode in his book Principles of Sociology stated: Prejudices are attitudes and are likely to lead to the action we call discrimination, that is, barring people from opportunities and rewards they deserve or punishing them, simply because they are members of a racial or ethnic group (even when we cannot really differentiate a
Polish-American from a Scotch-American, or an American Indian from a Chicano).
(1977:313)
Prejudice is stereotype of superior group at understand inferior group.
Prejudice is opinion or feeling formed without knowledge, thought, or reason.
Prejudice is often caused by the misconception between some ethnic groups.
According to Giddens (2006): Prejudice is often based on hearsay rather than on direct evidence, and are resistant to change even in the face of new information.
Prejudice also deals with the Internalized racism. For example, when an
African-Americans parents that have a lighter skin forbids their children from hanging out with black people because in their opinion the black people or people whose skin darker than them are dirty, stupid, poor, criminal, and so on, it means they are racist to their own race or called as internalized racism. People who prejudice others usually has been influenced by the environtment or society. Black people who prejudice their own race usually feel ashamed of other people‘s views of their race. They are embarrased when their race is deemed poor, ugly, bad, or uneducated while it is actually not necessarily true.
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2.3.2 Stereotype
One of the forms of ethnic or racial prejudice is stereotype. Stereotyping is sometimes a very natural outcome in the process of racial or ethnic relation/communication. Racial/ethnic stereotypes are a negative conception of a partcular ethnic group. Stereotype is the image that a group of people have about another group of people. Stereotypes are usually negative and expressed as certain personality traits. (Mulyana & Rakhmat, 2003:184). The dumb Swede; the thick- headed German (before they came to be cruel Nazis); the drunken, singing Irishman; the stingy Scot; the avaricious and sly Jew; and the irresponsible, lazy Mexican.
These stereotypes found their way into all popular art forms, because in fact they were widespread in American culture for many generations. (Goode in Principles Of
Sociology, 1977:308)
The example of stereotyping in internalized racism is when black people admits that the stereotype about their race is true and they starts to think that their race is as bad as other people thinks.
2.3.3 Rejection
The rejection usually is a result of the consideration of majority group that they are better than other group. They want to be respected as the best group. In this case, minority group often think that they must accept this rejection, because they do not have any power to against it. Rejection can also found in internalized racism. It can be seen in The Bluest Eye that Pecola is rejected by her society and even her own parents. Pecola endures physical and verbal abuse at home and also at school.
Pecola‘s mother cherishes the white daughter of the family she works for and abandoned her own daughter.
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According to Fausiah and Widury (2005: 167) in their book entitled Psikologi
Abnormal Klinis Dewasa: there are so many impacts from social rejection, for example: the sufferer will be loner, feels inferior, obsessive, and having avoidant disorder.
2.3.4 Scapegoat
A person or group made to bear the blame for others or to suffer in their place. Normally a weak person, a minority, or a misunderstood person or faction of society is made a scape goat. For example, If a white person steal something and there is a black innocent kid around him, he could use the black kid as a scapegoat and say that the black kid did it. Most likely people will believe because the black people stereotypes are bad, cruel, criminal, poor, etc.
In The Bluest Eye, it can be found another level of scapegoat because this study is talking about internalized racism. Pecola is a symbol of the black community‘s self hatred and belief in its own ugliness. Others in community, including her mother and her father, act out their own self hatred by expressing hatred toward her. At the end of the novel, the readers are told that Pecola has been a scapegoat for the entire community. Her ugliness has made them feel beautiful, her suffering has made them feel comparatively lucky, and her silence has given them the opportunity for speaking.
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2.3.5 Social Gap
Allison Davis and Robert J. Havighurst (1946:698) in the book Social Class and Color Differences in Child-Rearing state that, Race also has an isolating effect upon social groups.
The black people is visibly separated from the white people by the indelible mark of race. They are assigned to a separate category, where they are unable to participate in social relationship to the same extent as the white people. Years ago, black people must go to inferior schools, sit in restricted part of public transportations and other public facility, and even not allowed to vote.
The writer can also found the social gap in internalized racism. In The Bluest
Eye there is one character named Maureen Peal, she is a light-skinned black girl with green eyes. Maureen came from a wealthy family. Maureen comes to symbolize a different kind of black family – the upwardly mobile, light-skinned African
American family that distain darker-skinned black people.
Maureen and Pecola are from the same race but Maureen thinks that she is superior because Pecola has a darker skin than her and also poorer than her. Lighter- skinned black people such as Maureen grew up to acts as if they were not black so that they would not have to frequently experiences the harsh consequences that other black people faced. Pecola‘s hate for herself increased when Maureen was pretending to be her friend but then called Pecola black and ugly, it shows the privilage that Maureen felt she had over Pecola, and Maureen inability to show respect to others who have a darker complexion than her. Society‘s beauty standard caused black people as a whole to treat other black people differently based of the shade of their skin to fit into society, that's why black people compete between themselves, they compete with each other to prove who is better. Darker black
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people try to compete with the lighter one because they also want to get recognition in the society.
2.3.6 Violence
Violence is the use of physical force to injure people or property. Violence may cause physical pain to those who experience it directly, as well as emotional distress to those who either experience or witness it. Violence is an extreme form of aggression, such as assault, rape or murder.
Violence has many causes, including frustration, exposure to violent media, violence in the home or neighborhood and a tendency to see other people's actions as hostile even when they're not. Certain situations also increase the risk of aggression, such as drinking, insults and other provocations and environmental factors like heat and overcrowding. Individuals, families, schools, workplaces, communities, society, and the environment all are harmed by violence. Violence takes many forms, including:
Family violence, often referred to as domestic abuse, child abuse, child
maltreatment, and spouse abuse
Peer group violence, which includes workplace violence, school violence,
gang violence, and bullying
Sexual violence, which includes rape , date rape, marital rape, intimate
partner abuse, and child sexual abuse
Abuse of power, which includes mistreatment of children, students, elders,
people with disabilities, and others who are smaller or less powerful than the
abuser
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Community violence, which includes assaults, fights, shootings, homicides,
and most forms of peer violence
Hate crimes and hate speech, which target victims based on gender, age, race,
ethnicity, religious belief, or sexual orientation
Media violence, shown on television, in film, and in video games.
2.4 Thematic & Historical Approach
2.4.1 Thematic approach
In a thematic literature review, the writer organizes and discusses existing literature based on themes or theoretical concepts that the writer feels are important to understanding the topic. For instance, the writer writing a literature review on internalized racism using this approach would possibly include separate sections on studies about the factors that influences internalized racism such as prejudice, stereotype, rejection, scapegoat, and social gap, and violence; and also its impacts such as inferiority, obsession, isolation, and insanity/madness.
2.4.2 Historical Approach
The historical approach to literature uses the social implications, cultural events and intellectual levels that produced a work in an attempt to understand it. Often, this requires the critic to know the biography and education level of the author. The main goal of this approach is to comprehend how the original readers of the work understood and intended it. The writer will explain about the historical approach as a supporting theory of racism so the reader understand how racism first occur in the United States Of America.
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History of African-American
African-American history starts in the 16th century, with peoples from West
Africa forcibly taken as slaves to Spanish America, and in the 17th century with
West African slaves taken to English colonies in North America. After the founding of the United States, black people continued to be enslaved, and the last four million black slaves were only liberated after the Civil War in 1865. Due to notions of white supremacy, they were treated as second-class citizens. The Naturalization Act of
1790 limited U.S. citizenship to whites only, and only white men of property could vote. These circumstances were changed by Reconstruction, development of the black community, participation in the great military conflicts of the United States, the elimination of racial segregation, and the civil rights movement which sought political and social freedom. In 2008, Barack Obama became the first African
American to be elected President of the United States.
History of Slavery
Before being an industrial country, America is agricultural country which has enormous farming land that should be farmed. Because of that, America takes many immigrants from Africa and India to be worked at their enormous farming land.
Slavery in America started in 1619, when a Dutch ship brought 20 African slaves ashore in the British colony of Jamestown, Virginia. They worked as a farmer in
America farming land. They planted cotton and tobacco. The success of cotton and tobacco plantation improved the great number of immigrants. Throughout the 17th century, European settlers in North America turned to African slaves as a cheaper, more plentiful labor source than indentured servants, who were mostly poorer
Europeans. Racism is one of dominant discrimination in the United States. It is
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happened because the black people position as minority and the history of their race.
They get discrimination because they came from slavery. Then occurs some prejudice based on the physical appearance and characteristics toward their behaviour. This condition make them hard to live normally and get some opportunities.
2.5 Racism and Human Rights
Human rights are the basic rights and freedoms that every person is entitled to regardless of their age, ethnicity, culture, religion or sex from birth until death. These basic rights are based on values like dignity, fairness, equality, respect and independence. But human rights are not just abstract concepts, they are defined and protected by law.
The international community should in general treat the human rights of the world equitably, using the same basis and emphasis. While national and regional specificity also various historical, cultural and religious backgrounds are important to be considered, it is the duty of all countries, whatever their political, economic and cultural systems, to promote and protect all human rights and fundamental freedoms.
All races of white and black are entitled to get the rights to be free without giving differences due to their skin color.
Human Rights Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 states that every individual has the following rights:
a) Right to life, independence and security
b) The right to recognition of his personality by law
c) The right to obtain equal treatment with others under the law
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d) The right to have legal guarantees in a criminal case such as a public trial
shall be deemed innocent unless there is valid evidence
e) The right to enter and exit a state
f) The right to be free to embrace religion and to have and express opinions
g) Right to education and right to trade
h) Right to get a job
One of the champions of Human Rights is Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-
1968). Martin Luther King, Jr., was one of the twentieth century‘s best-known advocates for nonviolent social change. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, King‘s exceptional oratorical skills and personal courage first attracted national attention in 1955 when he and other civil rights activists were arrested after leading a boycott of a
Montgomery, Alabama, transportation company for requiring nonwhites surrender their seats to whites and stand or sit at the back of the bus.
Over the following decade, King wrote, spoke and organized nonviolent protests and mass demonstrations to draw attention to racial discrimination and to demand civil rights legislation to protect the rights of African-Americans. In 1963 in
Birmingham, Alabama, King guided peaceful mass demonstrations that the white police force countered with police dogs and fire hoses, creating a controversy that generated newspaper headlines around the world. Subsequent mass demonstrations in many communities culminated in a march that attracted more than 250,000 protestors to Washington, DC, where King delivered his famous ―I have a dream‖ speech in which he envisioned a world where people were no longer divided by race.
So powerful was the movement King inspired, Congress enacted the Civil Rights Act in 1964, the same year he was honored with the Nobel Peace Prize. Posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, King is an icon of the civil rights
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movement. His life and work symbolize the quest for equality and nondiscrimination that lies at the heart of the American—and human—dream.
I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal." I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, that one day right down in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.I have a dream today.(Martin
Luther King, Jr.: 1963)
2.6 Previous Studies
This research studies about internalized racism found in Toni Morrison‘s novel
The Bluest Eye. It will talk about the factors that influence internalized racism and the impacts of it on the main character Pecola Breedlove. Based on the writer‘s exploration, there are found other research related to this research and the writer wants to give a brief description of these previous study. Here are some previous
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study which have done by some researcher that related to the novel The Bluest Eye and related to the term ―racism‖.
The first is Dr. Neelam Bhardwaj‘s journal on 2016 entitled ―The Bluest Eye: A
Tragedy of Oppression and Internalized Racism‖. The journal is talking about The life of African-American women that had been affected by racism, sexism and classicism. Black women were also victimised not only on the basis of races and sex but they were also badly treated by class exploitations which was the greatest oppression of blacks in America. In this way, black women suffered from the double disadvantage of racial discrimination and gender bias. The journal also explores the tragedy of the oppression or violation of children, especially poor children and she explores a problem specific to groups targeted by racism, that of internalized racism.
This is a kind of thinking produced when members of the targeted group, in this case
African-Americans, begin to believe the stereotypes about themselves and imagine that European-Americans are superior in beauty, morality and intelligence. It is focuses on the problem of internalized racism as if affects children. The psychological mechanism of internalized racism hinges on the cycle of oppressions.
The second is Brandon Johnson‘s essay entitled ―Racism In The Bluest Eye‖.
This essay is talking about the characters who are members of the black community are forced to accept their status as the ―others‖, or ―outsiders‖, which has been imposed on them by the white community. The characters begin to internalized the racism presented by these people and feel inferior. The stereotype tourments them mentally, and in some cases, to the point of insanity.
The third is a thesis by Elgreen entitled ―Child Abuse And Adults‘ Failures
Found In Toni Morrison‘s The Bluest Eye”. The purpose of this thesis is to analyze
Child Abuse in terms of isolation, torture, rape, and introvert, which is part of child
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neglect, physical abuse, child sexual abuse, and psychological abuse, as well as
Adult‘s Failure that includes moral values denial, parents‘ centrism, and life desperation, which can be seen through the characters.
And another study is an essay by Xu Shasha entitled ―The Hurt Of
Internalized Racism‖ this paper shows how racial oppression works in the form of white-defined beauty internalization and explains its damaging effect on African-
Americans. The focal character, Pecola, in The Bluest Eye is victimized by a society that conditions her to believe that she is ugly and therefore worthless, because she doesn‘t epitomize white Western culture‘s ideas of beauty. This paper directs a critical gaze at the symbols of the dominant white culture that provides the prevailing images of self-identity.
What makes this research different from previous research is, this research not only explains about internalized racism, it is also explain about the history about
African-American and slavery that lead to racial discrimination and finally lead to internalized racism which is the racism between the same race. This research also explain the factors that influence the internalized racism such as prejudice, stereotype, rejection, scapegoat, and social gap, and violence.
Moreover, this research explain about the impacts of internalized racism towards the main character Pecola Breedlove such as inferiority, obsession, isolation, and insanity/madness.
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CHAPTER III
METHOD OF RESEARCH
3.1 Research Design
Method of the study is very important in presenting the analysis of data as well as drawing conclusion. Method used in this thesis research is descriptive qualitative method. The purpose of this study is to reveal the events or facts, circumstances, phenomena, variables and circumstances that occur in literary work and presenting what really happened. This method is being used in order to understand how and why something is happened, not only what, when, or where something is occurred.This study interprets and describes the data concerned with the current situation, attitudes and views that occur in a society, also the contradiction between two or more circumstances, the relationship towards a condition.
The method that used in this writing was applied in determining data source, data collection, and data analysis. How to analyze this research is by analyzing the object which is Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye that contains elements of internalized racism. Besides, there is also a library study that can facilitate the research especially in the discussion chapter. Internet research are also being applied to support and to widen the ideas of the researcher as well as to get materials and insights that are needed. Those ideas and concepts, which are then going to be selected and interpreted before being analyzed so as to get the conclusion of the study.
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The Analysis of Internalized Racism In Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye
Factors Impact Of of Internalized Racism Internalized Racism
Theory: Theory: As a by-product of oppression, Internalized racism has been internalized oppression/racism argued to be harmful to a occurs as a result of living in person of color‘s mental an oppressive context (Lipsky, health, given the injury 1987; personal communication, resulting from it includes B. Love, July 12, 2002; reinforcing the superiority of Moanne, 1999). According to Whites and maintaining a Pharr (1996), systems of ―self-perpetuating cycle of oppression often employ oppression,‖ while leading to specific tools to achieve the feelings of self-doubt, subjugation of targeted groups. eroding self-esteem and - These tools include, but are not worth, and generating limited to, stereotyping, helplessness and scapegoating, and blaming the hopelessness (C. P. Jones, victim. 2000; Speight, 2007).
Examples of manifestations of internalized oppression that havebeen cited in the literature on intergenerational transmission include anger, depression, rage, substance abuse, learned helplessness, damaged self-esteem, sexual and domestic abuse, suicide, fear, guilt, anxiety, dependency, violence, child abuse, and dependency. (Bombay et al., 2009; E. Duran, 2006; B. Duran & E. Duran, 1995).
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Method: Descriptive Qualitative
Factors: Prejudice; stereotype; rejection; scapegoat; social gap; violence.
Impacts: Inferiority; obsession; isolation; insanity/madness.
3.2 Data and Source of Data
A. Data
Data can be interpreted as the fact which are functioning as a material to construct an opinion, statement and information or material that is used for research.
Data is an important element for research study. It can be the evidences and clues for the writer to solve the research problem.
Type of data required are divided into two, which are the primary data and the secondary data. The primary data for the analysis was taken from the novel The
Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, while the secondary data was derived from other sources, such as books, thesis, internet, and other which could be fully supported the study, and were related to the problem and topic.
Data obtained from every supporting words, phrases, sentences, or paragraphs that related to this research. All of the data (texts) will then be saved, copied, read, or noted and will be used when it‘s needed.
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Through this study, the writer tries to see the literary work as a product which influenced by the social condition and the problem that happened when it is produced.
B. Souce of Data
The source of data is the source where the data was obtained. The source of data can be divided into two kinds, primary and secondary data. The primary data for the analysis was taken from the novel The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, while the secondary data was derived from other sources, such as books, thesis, articles, internet, and other which could be fully supported the study, and were related to the problem and topic.
The main source of this analysis especially the data, is taken from the novel
The Bluest Eye written by Toni Morrison. The data are in quotations form which are selected from the novel. This novel were chosen because it is fit to become the writer‘s data source in analyzing the internalized racism issue.
3.3 Technique of Data Collection
The data collecting of this research was done by using library research. In this study, descriptive method is used to analyze the qualitative data. The writer used the library research in gathering the data of the research which aims to collect data from written source books that would be useful for the analysis. The writer also read the novel and then the data were collected by marking the important quotations in this novel which are related to the writer‘s topic. Ary et al (2002:430) in Introduction to research in Education states, The most common data collection methods used in
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qualitative research are: (1) observation (participant and non participant) (2) interviewing, and (3) document analysis.
In collecting data, the following steps are done:
1) Reading the novel over and over again to gain deeper understanding
about the story and problems of the novel.
2) Making notes to gain a clear description about the main character
Pecola Breedlove, as the object of the analysis.
3) Identifying the analysis by using some references .
4) Selecting and picking the data which related to the problems.
5) Finally conducting and analyzing the collected data.
3.4 Technique of Data Analysis
In this study, descriptive method is used to analyze the qualitative data through the following procedures below:
1. Identifying the character of Pecola Breedlove and her problems related to
Internalized racism which is conducted by her family and society who has a
same race as her.
2. Mark and note the data which having the relation to the problem of this study.
3. Make a data display to make the writer more easier in analyzing process.
4. Analyze the data about internalized racism with descriptive qualitative method.
5. The last procedures is making conclusion based on the data that have been
analyzed.
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CHAPTER IV
ANALYSIS AND FINDING
4.1 Factors That Influnced Internalized Racism In The Bluest Eye
There are some factors that influenced the internalized racism in the novel The
Bluest Eye. These factors are the starting point of racial treatment among same races.
Pecola Breedlove viewed as the victim of internalized racism. The situations in The
Bluest Eye are based upon the internalized racism faced by the black people in
America. Some factors that influenced internalized racism are Prejudice, Stereotype,
Rejection, Scapegoat, Social Gap, and Violence. The internalized racism they experienced makes many African-Americans insecure about their racial identity. The writer will give explanation about these factors and analyze them using quotations from the novel and some references.
4.1.1 Prejudice
Prejudice usually associated with racism, it can be promoting a certain group, or it can be negative behavior directed against a certain group. Race becomes a justification for prejudiced beliefs and discrimination attitude to others that have different physical characteristic. According to Feldman in Simanjuntak (2011:5), prejudice is the negative (or positive) evaluations or judgments of members of a group that are based primarily on membership in the group and not necessarily on the particular characteristics of individual members. Usually prejudice in racism towards minority groups, their right have been destroyed by the majority groups.
Prejudice also deals with internalized racism. Black people who prejudice other black people usually has been influenced by society or groups, they prejudice their
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own race because they feel ashame of what people said about their race such as poor, ugly, uneducated, dirty, and many else which are actually always true.
In The Bluest Eye, there are many part that shows the prejudice. Here is the statement.
“White kids; his mother did not like him to play with niggers. She had explained to him the difference between colored people and niggers. They were easily identifiable. Colored people were neat and quiet; niggers were dirty and loud.” (Morrison, 1970:87)
This quotation is about how one character named Geraldine, who forbid her son Junior to make friends with black people because she already has prejudice toward them which are dirty and loud. This is an internalized racism because
Geraldine and her son are African-American. This lead the son to show the internalized racism act, bully, and also violence toward the main character, Pecola
Breedlove. Supposedly, as a mother, Geraldine had to teach Junior how to respect people no matter whatever their race is, instead of giving improper prejudice to others. Geraldine and her son are an African-American, but they feel superior because they have lighter skin. Geraldine even mentions black people as "niggers" and says black people were dirty and loud, but not all of them are like that, it depends on the character of each person. Because her mother told bad thing about black people to him, Junior becomes a racist person, he even calls black people ―nigger‖ which is a very sensitive and racist word.
“More and more Junior enjoyed bullying girls...The nigger girls he did not pick on very much. They usually traveled in packs, and once when he threw a stone at some of them, they chased, caught, and beat him witless.” (Morrison, 1970:87-88)
The word "nigger" or "nigga" is a very humiliate term for black people. The word "nigger" is a forbidden word, if there is someone who calls black people
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"nigger", the person must be a very racist person and can not respect other races.
Junior learned the word "nigger" from Geraldine, his own mother. Ironically, the fact is they are also an African-American, and if they call black people "niggers", it's just as if they insults themselves.
There is a scene when Junior bullied Pecola and said that Pecola killed
Geraldine‘s cat while it‘s not true at all because actually it is Junior who killed his mother‘s cat. Geraldine was so angry at Pecola. It can be seen in the quotation below.
“ “Get out,” she said, her voice quiet. “You nasty little black bitch. Get out of my house.” The cat shuddered and flicked his tail. Pecola backed out of the room, staring at the pretty milkbrown lady in the pretty gold-and-green house who was talking to her through the cat’s fur.”(Morrison, 1970:92-93)
Geraldine said that Pecola is nasty little black bitch, that shows prejudice and internalized racism because she said that Pecola is nasty while she doesn‘t even know Pecola. Geraldine also said that Pecola is a black bitch while actually
Geraldine is also an African-American or as Pecola referred her ― The pretty milkbrown lady‖. It can be seen how the prejudice that Pecola got from Geraldine.
Geraldine says that Pecola is disgusting and calls Pecola a "bitch" which is a very rude word to be heard by an innocent child like Pecola. The word "bitch" has the same meaning as "whore" or "prostitute". Calling a little girl "black bitch" is a very unacceptable thing, especially the little girl and Geraldine has a same racial background. However, Geraldine is still an African-American even though she has a lighter skin, and when she says Pecola is a "black bitch" it means she's done internalized racism and insults herself. Ironically, when Geraldine insulted Pecola cruelly, Pecola called Geraldine "The pretty milkbrown lady" because Geraldine's skin was brighter than her and Pecola considered it pretty.
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4.1.2 Stereotype
Stereotyping is an assessment of something that can not be proven factually.
Franzoi (2008: 199) in Social Psychology‘s book stated that: Stereotypes are beliefs about people who put them into one category and do not allow for individual variations. The most common stereotype in society is based on gender and membership in ethnic groups.
In reality, stereotypes are ―quick-thinking‖ which gives us information about individuals we do not know personally and the information is not always true.
When black people admit that the negative stereotype about their race is true and start to think that their race is just as bad as other people said, that is called internalized racism.
In The Bluest Eye, stereotyping is showed in some part of the novel. The breedlove family believe the stereotype that black is ugly. They believe they are an ugly family and this is happened because of the influence of racist act they get from the society.
“The Breedloves did not live in a storefront because they were having temporary difficulty adjusting to the cutbacks at the plant. They lived there because they were poor and black, and they stayed there because they believed they were ugly. Although their poverty was traditional and stultifying, it was not unique. But their ugliness was unique.(Morrison, 1970:38)
The Breedloves admits that they are ugly, this is because the white beauty standar and stereotype created by the society. Even Pecola‘s family themselves also admitted that they were ugly and poor, which meant they accepted the stereotype that black people are ugly and poor. Actually, one‘s beauty can not be determined based on their skin color and their race. Whatever the skin color and the race, everyone is beautiful in their own way. The stereotype stating that white is pretty and black is
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ugly is a big mistake. It is the beauty standard that causes such problems to occur. On television and magazines we see a lot of white models and whitening product ads that make black people feel inferior so they also think that the negative black race‘s stereotypes are true and in the end it makes them obsessed with having lighter skin.
“The master had said,”You are ugly people.” They had looked about themselves and saw nothing to contradict the statement;saw, in fact, support for it leaning at them from every billboard, every movie, every glance. “Yes,” they had said. “You are right.” And they took the ugliness in their hands, threw it as a mantle over them, and went about the world with it.”(Morrison, 1970:39) The society makes stereotype that white skinned people with blue eyes is the most ideal image. Blue eyes associated with everything nice and beautiful, people with light skin and blue eyes will be respected and loved. In The Bluest Eye, this ideal image showed in many ways such as candy packaging with a picture of a beautiful, clean, and happy white skinned girl, and the most important thing is, the girl has blue eyes. Here is the quotation to prove it.
“Each pale yellow wrapper has a picture on it. A picture of little Mary Jane, for whom the candy is named. Smiling white face. Blond hair in gentle disarray, blue eyes looking at her out of a world of clean comfort. The eyes are petulant, mischievous. To Pecola they are simply pretty. She eats the candy, and its sweetness is good. To eat the candy is somehow to eat the eyes, eat Mary Jane. Love Mary Jane. Be Mary Jane.” (Morrison, 1970:50)
In this part, Pecola chooses and internalizes within herself the values of white superiority, thus consequently lives a life of self-hatred, and inevitable destruction.
Pecola believes that eating the eyes of a white girl could lead to becoming the white girl. In Pecola's mind, loving Mary Jane seems to be associated with becoming her.
This moment reminds the writer about Pecola's obsession with Shirley Temple.
Pecola seems to love people that represent what she wants to be. Pecola is too obsessed with the beauty standards created by society and she also believes in the
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negative stereotypes attached to the black people. It is because of this negative stereotype that makes Pecola hates her own skin color and race, so in the end she wants to have blue eyes and white skin as she sees on Mary Jane's candy and Shirley
Temple‘s cup.
4.1.3 Rejection
Nowadays it can be found that many people are not accepted by the society because of some reasons such as physical, religion, race, personality, social status, and many else. This phenomenon is called rejection. According to Rina Ulwiya
(2014:20) in her journal entitled Sukses Menghadapi Penolakan Sosial, she states that: Sosial rejection is when somebody‘s identity cannot be accepted by the society for example; the difference of religion, point of view, way of thinking, aim, sexual orientation, ethnicity,etc.
The rejection is a result of the consideration of majority that they are better from other groups, they want to be respected as the best group. Because of this,
,many minority group think they must accept the rejection act toward them, because they do not have any power to against it.
Mostly, rejection makes the people who suffered it become depressed. The reason is, rejection makes the people suffered it think that they are bad and they should change to be accepted by the society. Change into someone different from our real is very difficult to do. According to Rina Ulwiya (2014:20) in her journal entitled Sukses Menghadapi Penolakan Sosial, she said that social rejection includes the fear of stigma, excommunication, and bullying that are done by the environment to them if the society knows the true of them. And because of this fear, they choose to be disappeared from the society, suffer the pressure, depression, or inferior.
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In The Bluest Eye the writer found so many rejection toward the main character
Pecola Breedlvove, not only toward her, the rejection also experienced by other character such as Cholly Breedlove, Pecola‘s father.
Pecola not only rejected by the society, but also by her own family, here is the statement to prove it.
“Most of the juice splashed on Pecola’s legs, and the burn must have been painful, for she cried out and began hopping about just as Mrs. Breedlove entered with a tightly packed laundry bag. In one gallop she was on Pecola, and with the back of her hand knocked her to the floor. Pecola slid in the pie juice, one leg folding under her. Mrs. Breedlove yanked her up by the arm, slapped her again, and in a voice thin with anger, abused Pecola directly and Frieda and me by implication.” (Morrison, 1970:108-109)
From the quotation above, it can be seen the rejection of Pecola‘s mother toward her own daughter, Mrs. Breedlove seems to only care and love the daughter of white people she worked for. Pauline is extremely angry because Pecola has dirtied the cleanness and the beauty that she praises. Pecola is then abused physically in front of Frieda and Claudia. Instead of soothing Pecola, her mother knocked her down, yanked her up again to slap her in rage without considering her wound of the burn.
Because she was rejected even by her own mother, Pecola grow up into a quiet and inferior girl, she had trouble getting along with people because she was afraid she would be rejected again. Pauline is Pecola‘s closest person, she is her own mother, and she also had the same race as Pecola, but when Pauline's rejecting
Pecola and love her white employer's daughter more, it is named internalized racism.
“we could hear Mrs. Breedlove hushing and soothing the tears of the little pink-and-yellow girl. ...“Who were they, Polly?” “Hush. Don’t worry none,” she whispered,” (Morrison, 1970:109)
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Mrs. Breedlove does not even want to admit that Pecola is her daughter. She love her employer's daughter more than her own child. Pauline prefers the child because she is white and beautiful, while Pecola is considered black and ugly from birth. A mother should support and accept her child as she is, not rejecting her or insulting her. Pauline is a racist person fo sure, she performs a racist act toward her own daughter who is also a black person, just like her.
Rejection also received by Pecola from her community. Her friends at school always ignores her, even her own teachers who are actually supposed to look after her and love her. Here is the quotation.
“Long hours she sat looking in the mirror, trying to discover the secret of the ugliness, the ugliness that made her ignored or despised at school, by teachers and classmates alike. She was the only member of her class who sat alone at a double desk. ... Her teachers had always treated her this way. They tried never to glance at her, and called on her only when everyone was required to respond.”(Morrison, 1970:45-46)
Here it can be seen the rejection experienced by Pecola at school. She is the only student sitting alone and her teacher also never even saw her and only called her if all student required to respond. Pecola's rejection is very bad, not only from her family, even she is also rejected by her friends and her teachers. Pecola is considered very ugly so she becomes a mockery and no one wants to be friends with her, her only friends are Frieda and Claudia who are very kind to her and protect her if she gets bullied. It is said that people does not want to play with Pecola and reject her because of her ugliness as shown in the quotation below:
“Nobody ever played with her. Probably, he thought, because she was ugly.‖ (Morrison, 1970:88)
Rejection is one the factors that influenced internalized racism. Pecola is rejected by her family and her society which has same race as her. From what the
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writer has read, Pecola‘s parents rejected her because they also experience the rejection before. That's what makes Pecola's parents get used to rejection and in the end they are also rejecting Pecola. Rejection among same races is usually done by racist people who accepts negative things attached to their race or by mixed race people who sometimes feel superior. If people are rejected because of their race by people who has the same race as them, then it is called internalized racism. Because of this rejection Pecola feels alienated and she finally wants to gain recognition,
Pecola thinks the only way to get recognition is to be beautiful and have the blue eyes, so people are no longer reject her and start to love her.
4.1.4 Scapegoat
A scapegoat is an event person or object that is used to lay the blame on when something goes wrong, regardless of the contributions of others. This will usually carry on until the scapegoat has gone, or has managed to successfully defend itself against the arguements presented to it.
The word comes from Judaism. During mass reconciliation the rabbi would bring a goat to the alter. The sins of the people would be absorbed into the goat, and it would then be killed, its' blood staining the alter until cleansed. This is what Jesus
Christ reflected in his crucifixion, being a scapegoat. In the Bible, a scapegoat is an animal which is ritually burdened with the sins of others then driven away. The concept first appears in Leviticus, in which a goat is designated to be cast into the desert to carry away the sins of the community.
In The Bluest Eye we can found cases of scapegoating that related to internalized racism. Pecola is a symbol of the black community‘s self-hatred. They
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hate their own race, they hate themselves, and they spill that hatred on the weak and helpless Pecola.
“They had extemporized a verse made up of two insults about matters over which the victim had no control: the color of her skin and speculations on the sleeping habits of an adult, wildly fitting in its incoherence. That they themselves were black,...It was their contempt for their own blackness that gave the first insult its teeth. They seemed to have taken all of their smoothly cultivated ignorance, their exquisitely learned self- hatred”(Morrison, 1970:65)
Based on the writer‘s analysis, it appears that Pecola is a scapegoat of her community's self-hatred, they blame Pecola for something that she can not control, which is, the color of the skin. Actually it is a form of hatred and despair of themselves against their skin color, and they blame and spill their annoyance at
Pecola. This case relates to internalized racism because the community also has black skin. Pecola became the victim of the community's lack of confidence. The society makes Pecola scapegoats to make them look better than Pecola.
“All of our waste which we dumped on her and which she absorbed...We were so beautiful when we stood astride her ugliness. Her simplicity decorated us, her guilt sanctified us, her pain made us glow with health, her awkwardness made us think we had a sense of humor. Her inarticulateness made us believe we were eloquent. Her poverty kept us generous. Even her waking dreams we used—to silence our own nightmares. And she let us, and thereby deserved our contempt.” (Morrison, 1970:205)
In this part, Pecola likened to "all the waste and beauty of the world", and her community dumped their waste on Pecola and she absorbed that. They make Pecola a victim and scapegoating Pecola for their own weakness. They feel beautiful because they say that Pecola is ugly, Pecola's pain makes them feel good, Pecola's awkwardness made they think they have a sense of humor, Pecola poverty makes
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them feel rich, they spill their ego on Pecola and it makes them feel strong which is because Pecola's weakness.
Pecola is also a scapegoat victim of Junior who has a race similar to her, Junior accused Pecola of killing her mother's cat. He told her mother Geraldine that Pecola kills the cat but actually Junior who did it.
Pecola is treated as a scapegoat. Pecola who just wants to see a kitten is thrown by Junior with a big black cat owned by his mother Geraldine that ends up with scratching her face. The fact is, it is actually Junior who hates the cat and instead of torturing the cat by himself, he uses Pecola, he bullies and scapegoats her.
It can be seen when Pecola is hurt, instead of helping her, Junior is laughing happily.
This torture can be afflicted by Pecola since she is seen as an ugly black skinny girl who is powerless.
“And he threw a big black cat right in her face. She sucked in her breath in fear and surprise and felt fur in her mouth..Junior was laughing and running around the room clutching his stomach delightedly. (Morrison, 1970:89-90)
Internalized racism is clearly visible here, the black community's should love
Pecola because they are still from the same race. But they make Pecola as a scapegoat just because they want to look better than Pecola. They make Pecola a scapegoat for their weaknesses and lacks. It all happens because Pecola is powerless and is considered poor and ugly by her community, when in fact both they and
Pecola are from the same race and should not have dropped each other.
4.1.5 Social Gap
The social gap is a state of social imbalance that exists in society that makes a very striking difference. Social gap is a form of imbalance that exists in the life of
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society which occurs due to various factors that lie behind it. This factor can be based on economic, cultural, racial, social, and other factors.
The most striking impacts of social gap in this society are, for example, differences in facilities, facilities obtained between the poor and the rich. Or vice versa different in various side of life, for example, the poor get the usual facilities while rich people will get a luxurious facility. This excessive social gap will surely be an influence on social injustice. Some impacts of social gap are poverty, crime, social conflict, social deviation, unemployment, competition.
Social gap is also one of the factors that influence internalized racism, because in The Bluest Eye it can be found some part that show social gap between the same race and in the same community, especially the social gap between the lighter skinned African-American and the darker skinned African-American. African-
American who has mixed race called a ―Mulatto‖, a mulatto has one white parent and one black parent, sometimes a mulatto feels superior to black people with darker skin tone.
“This disrupter of seasons was a new girl in school named Maureen Peal. A high-yellow dream child with long brown hair braided into two lynch ropes that hung down her back.She was rich, at least by our standards, as rich as the richest of the white girl,” (Morrison, 1970:62)
Maureen Peal is a new student in Pecola‘s school. She is a light-skinned black girl with green eyes and comes from a whealthy family. She is mulatto and very well-off. She accepts everyone else‘s assumption that she is superior and is capable of both generosity and cruelty.
Here the social gap can be found in the same race and in the same community. Maureen and Pecola are both an African-American, but they have a very different life. Maureen adored by people around her because of her lighter skin,
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green eyes, and wealthiness, while Pecola rejected and ignored because of her ugliness, dark skin, and the fact that she comes from a poor family. The treatment
Maureen received from her community was very different from the treatment Pecola received. The students and teachers at their school love Maureen. This shows in the statement below:
“She enchanted the entire school. When teachers called on her, they smiled encouragingly. Black boys didn’t trip her in the halls; white boys didn’t stone her, white girls didn’t suck their teeth when she was assigned to be their work partners; black girls stepped aside when she wanted to use the sink in the girls’ toilet,”(Morrison, 1970:62)
Moreover, the social gap is also can be seen from the public facilities in the novel The Bluest Eye, In a scene when Frieda and Claudia looking for Pecola, they pass a beautiful garden but the black people were not allowed there, we can see it in the quotation below:
“We reached Lake Shore Park, a city park laid out with rosebuds, fountains, bowling greens, picnic tables...Black people were not allowed in the park, and so it filled our dreams.”(Morrison, 1970:105)
Public facilities such as parks should be used by all people regardless of their skin colour, but here, clearly seen that racism in a society that strongly discriminates the black people. The scene in this novel can be based on what happens in real life.
In the past, many facilities that cannot be used by black people such as not having a seat in a bus, cannot learn in public school, and many else.
Social gap is the factor that influences internalized racism because in the novel we can see how black community treats the black peole who has lighter skin better than the black people who has darker skin. The black community considers mulattoes to have higher social strata because of the mixed blood they have and their
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brighter-colored skin. This is not supposed to happen because they both is from the same racial background so they should receive equal and fair treatment.
4.1.6 Violence
Racism is a form of both visible and invisible violence. The hatred of the physicality, cultures and identities of other groups is a global phenomenon.
America‘s ―Black lives matter‖ movement arose out of the deaths of black people because blackness has effectively been criminalized. The ―animalization‖ of blackness has its roots in slavery.
Sociologically, violence is a social conflict that is not controlled by the society because they ignore the social norms and values so finally cause destructive actions.
There are two types of violence which are:
1. Direct violence, which is a deliberate form of violence
2. Indirect violence, which is a form of violence that reduces human rights. For
example like letting people be judged by the masses for stealing.
Among the factors that affect the occurrence of internalized racism, violence is one of them. Violence due to racial differences is categorized as racism, if this happens between people with the same race then it's called internalized racism. In
The Bluest Eye, Pecola's family is full of violence, that's why early Pecola grows into a weak and inferior child so she is vulnerable to become a victim in her community.
Pecola suffered domestic violence, her parents fighted a lot, which made Pecola stay at Frieda and Claudia's home. It can be seen in the statement below:
“Mama had told us two days earlier that a “case” was coming—a girl who had no place to go...We were to be nice to her and not fight. Mama didn’t know “what got into people,” but that old Dog Breedlove had burned up his house,”(Morrison, 1970:16-17)
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The messy family situation makes Pecola neglected, Pecola seems to lose her family, but fortunately there is a Macteer family (Frieda and Claudia's family) who are willing to accept Pecola. It is told in the novel that Pecola‘s family is separating because of the violence. Pecola‘s father, Cholly Breedlove has put his family outdoors, because of that, Pauline was staying with the white family she worked for,
Sammy with some other family, Pecola was stay with the Macteer family, and Cholly was in jail. This part tells us how Cholly made her family shattered and apart.
Violence in Pecola's family makes Pecola in pain and all she can do is endurance.
Pecola even wanted one of his parents to be killed when they argued so they could not fight any more, or better she herself died, this is a form of frustration experienced by Pecola because she can not stand the violence that occurred in her family, even a child as small as Pecola could think to die because she could not bear to see her parents who always fights each other, as we can see in the quotation below:
“She struggled between an overwhelming desire that one would kill the other, and a profound wish that she herself could die.” (Morrison, 1970:43)
An adolescents like Pecola is still very innocence. Not like an adult, a child see life in a simple way. Pecola sees people worshiping white skin and blue eyes, she also sees violent in front of her eyes, Pecola even experienced directly how the violence and rejection towards her just because of her dark skin, therefore, Pecola thinks simply, if she has blue eyes then people will accept her and will love her.
Because of the violence she experienced, Pecola feels no one loves her, it also makes her want to have blue eyes more because she feels if she has blue eyes then the people around her will love her and her family will not do bad things in front of her, as shown in this part :
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“If she looked different, beautiful, maybe Cholly would be different, and Mrs. Breedlove too. Maybe they’d say, “Why, look at pretty-eyed Pecola. We mustn’t do bad things in front of those pretty eyes.”(Morrison, 1970:46)
Besides domestic violence, Pecola also suffered violence at school, Pecola was bullied by her schoolmates because they considered Pecola ugly. Pecola's schoolmate put her as an object to insult boys. It makes Pecola even more depressed and inferior. When one of the girls at her school wanted to be particularly insulting to a boy, or wanted to get an immediate response from the boy, she could say. ―Bobby loves Pecola Breedlove! Bobby loves Pecola Breedlove!‖ and never fail to get peals of laughter from those in earshot, and mock anger from the accused.
Here it is seen that Pecola became a bully target by her schoolmates just becauses she was considered black and ugly, even worse, she was made an object by her friends to insult another friend. Not only at home and school, Pecola also experienced violence from her environment, when she came home from school, she was bullied by a group of boys. In this part is told that Pecola mocked because of her skin color by a group of boys and they themselves were black too.
“A group of boys was circling and holding at bay a victim, Pecola Breedlove.... they gaily harassed her. “Black e mo. Black e mo. Yadaddsleepsnekked.” (Morrison, 1970:65)
Internalized racism can also be seen in the treatment of Maureen Peal toward
Pecola, Maureen Peal is a mulatto, a person with a white and one black parent.
Usually mulattoes feel superior because their mixed blood and they look down on people who have darker skin color though they have same.
“What do I care about her old black daddy?” asked Maureen. “Black? Who you calling black?” “You!” “You think you so cute!” ... she screamed at us, “I am cute!
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And you ugly! Black and ugly black e mos.” (Morrison, 1970:73)
Maureen Peal's verbal violence against Pecola is painful. Maureen, who initially looked friendly and kind to Pecola, eventually insulted Pecola. What
Maureen did was an example of internalized racism because Maureen and Pecola both came from the black race. Maureen should not have said that Pecola Black and
Ugly. And the most terrible violence of all that is the fact that Pecola raped by his own father, Cholly Breedlove. Pecola was raped until pregnant but in the end miscarriage the baby, even it mentioned at the very beginning of the novel. Here is statements to prove it:
“Quiet as it’s kept, there were no marigolds in the fall of 1941. We thought, at the time, that it was because Pecola was having her father’s baby that the marigolds did not grow.” (Morrison, 1970:5)
The scene when Cholly raped Pecola told a very clear and details in the novel. Pecola had experienced a very bad experience at a very young age, when
Pecola was still eleven years old. Here is the part that shows how Cholly raped her own daughter.
“He wanted to fuck her—tenderly. But the tenderness would not hold. The tightness of her vagina was more than he could bear.” (Morrison, 1970:162-163)
Because of so many violence from her family, society, and even her closest people from the same race as her, makes Pecola lost her confident and believes that she is ugly. It affects Pecola for wanting to have blue eyes because she just wants people to love her and not torture her. Violence is one of the factors that causes internalized racism. Due to the violence caused by people from her own community,
Pecola became unconfident. Pecola became a victim of domestic violence, she was also the victim of bully because of her skin color, it all made Pecola conclude that the
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only way she would not experience the violence is to have blue eyes. Internalized racism which is experienced by Pecola Breedlove has an impact on her character and her mental health.
4.2 Impacts of Internalized Racism in The Bluest Eye
4.2.1 Inferiority
Inferiority is a feeling that you are not as good, as intelligent, as attractive, etc. as other people. It is a psychological state when a person feels inferior / weaker / lesser than another person, or when it feels inadequate to a standard in a system. This psychological condition usually leads to excessive compensation / worship on an achievement or tendency to seek recognition / appreciation from people.
The origin of Pecola's inferiority is due to the frequent discrimination by the family and her society that has the same race as her, Pecola has become an inferior person. Internalized racism experienced by Pecola makes her feels that she is ugly and poor. She feels that it is the factor which makes her unloved by people around her. Pecola thinks that nobody loves her so she curious about how to get somebody to love her. From what the writer has read, Pecola feels very inferior and she thinks how someone can love her, Pecola asked Frieda and Claudia about how to get somebody to love her, but Frieda was asleep, and Claudia didn‘t know the answer.
The environment is also a contributing factor in inferiority experienced by
Pecola. The people around Pecola has white beauty standard which is lead to internalized racism because the black community believes that they are ugly, not as beautiful as white people. For them, the brighter the color of one's skin, the more beautiful the person is, that is making them racist against their own race, they look
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down to people whose skin darker than them for example like Pecola. The white beauty standard can be seen in this statement:
“It had begun with Christmas and the gift of dolls. The big, the special, the loving gift was always a big, blue eyed Baby Doll. ... Adults, older girls, shops, magazines, newspapers, window signs—all the world had agreed that a blue-eyed, yellow- haired, pink-skinned doll was what every girl child treasured.” (Morrison, 1970:19-20)
It can be seen that "all the world" agrees that blue-eyed dolls are what every child wants, this indirectly leads to a standard white beauty, because the blue eyes are considered beautiful. In magazine, newspaper, ads, and others indicated that light skin and blue eyes are considered beautiful. It all makes black people like Pecola feels inferior and lost confidence. The presence of a new student named Maureen
Peal who is a mulatto also makes Pecola feels more inferior, because the mixed race is considered more beautiful because they have lighter skin, and again this happens because of the white beauty standard which created by the society.
“And all the time we knew that Maureen Peal was not the Enemy and not worthy of such intense hatred. The Thing to fear was the Thing that made her beautiful, and not us.” (Morrison, 1970:74)
In addition to Maureen Peal, there are several other characters that are also has mixed blood namely Geraldine and her son, Junior, and also Soaphead Church.
These characters feels superior just because their mixed blood. Because of this, a person who is not a mixed race like Pecola feels inferior because she thinks that she is uglier than them. People who have a mixed race feel to have a higher position than non-mixed races. They feel that they are in different levels because they are already mixed with white people through the bloodline, they feel more beautiful because they have brighter skin tones and they also feel that they are smarter in the academic field.
Therefore they often look down on people who do not have a mixed race, they feel
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superior. In the statement below, we can see the pride of Soaphead Church because of its mixed blood.
“A cinnamon-eyed West Indian with lightly browned skin....He had been reared in a family proud of its academic accomplishments and its mixed blood” (Morrison, 1970:167)
Mulatto chooses to marry fellow mulattoes or white people to mantain their
―whiteness‖, moreover, they also want to reduce as much as possible the black race‘s unique features on their body for example like thick lips, curly hair, and dark skin.
They think it will make them become superior to those who are not mixed races. This is why African-American who is not mixed race like Pecola feels inferior.
“they married “up,” lightening the family complexion and thinning out the family features. With the confidence born of a conviction of superiority, they performed well at schools.” (Morrison, 1970:168)
Inferiority is one of the impacts dari internalized racism. Pecola feels inferior because even her own community tell her that she is black and ugly, also the fact that she comes from a very poor family makes her become a victim of the community‘s discrimination. The standard of beauty that develops in her society also affects the inferiority experienced by Pecola. The black community in this novel accepts that the beauty is white and the ugly is black like Pecola. White people are more superior than the blacks, and the blacks accept that they are inferior which is actually not true.
This black person's attitude is the result of the standards that exist in the middle of society, and in the end the black people strive to meet existing standards so they can be accepted in society. Pecola wants to have blue eyes because she feels inferior, and she tries to meet the standards created by society to get her accepted and loved.
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4.2.2 Obsession
An almost insane desire, longing, or burning lust for someone or something.
You feel like without that thing or person, you are not complete and can't cope, or- in extreme circumstances- live, unless you have the object you desire. Obsession also can be defined as an extreme focus on one thing with little interest in anything else.
An example of an obsession is a child wanting to talk only of trains.
Pecola‘s obsession with the blue eyes already seen since the very beginning of the novel, there is a part when Mrs. Macteer, mother of Frieda and Claudia, get upset because Pecola drink three quarts of milk. Mrs. Macteer thinks Pecola is greedy but actually Pecola drink it just because she want to use the Shirley Temple cup and see
Shirley‘s sweet face. Shirley Temple is a white skinned girl.
“I don’t mind folks coming in and getting what they want, but three quarts of milk! What the devil does anybody need with three quarts of milk?” The “folks” my mother was referring to was Pecola...We knew she was fond of the Shirley Temple cup and took every opportunity to drink milk out of it just to handle and see sweet Shirley’s face. My mother knew that Frieda and I hated milk and assumed Pecola drank it out of greediness.” (Morrison, 1970:23)
Pecola's obsession is also an impact of the violence she receives. Her parents always fighted so she feels if have blue eyes then her parents will not do worse thing in front of her. Therefore, Pecola pray for the blue eyes. Each night she prayed for blue eyes, in Pecola‘s mind, to have something as wonderful as the blue eyes happen would take a very long time.
Pecola's obsession with blue eyes was getting worse, she came to Soaphead
Church to ask for blue eyes.Soaphead Church, or Elihue Micah Whitcomb, is a light- skinned West Indian misanthrope and self-declared ―Spiritualist, Physic Reader,
Adviser, and Interpreter of Dreams.‖. Soaphead's mixed blood keeps him free from
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the label of being black. He is a religious hypocrite. Pecola consults him in her quest for blue eyes.
“Help you how? Tell me. Don’t be frightened.” “My eyes.” “What about your eyes?” “I want them blue.” “... Here was an ugly little girl asking for beauty.” (Morrison, 1970:174)
In the next part after Pecola went back home, Soaphead Church writes a letter to God, as he referred to “HE WHO GREATLY ENNOBLED HUMAN NATURE BY
CREATING IT. ". In the letter he told God about the Obsession of Pecola who desperately wanted blue eyes.This is a response from him toward an obsession of a little innocent girl who wants something that impossible to happen. Internalized racism experienced by Pecola has made her become so obsessed that she often pray to God for the blue eyes that she really wants.
“...Do you know what she came for? Blue eyes. New, blue eyes, she said. Like she was buying shoes. “I’d like a pair of new blue eyes.” She must have asked you for them for a very long time, and you hadn’t replied.” (Morrison, 1970:180)
The scene shows the innocence and obsession of Pecola, this is due to the various Internalized racism that she experienced. Even Soaphead Church is disappointed with God because God can not give blue eyes to Pecola, Soaphead
Church's disappointment is poured in the letter he wrote for God. Soaphead Church feels that God has forgotten the children, God let the children cry, God forgets how and when He should become God.
“Did you forget? Did you forget about the children? Yes. You forgot. You let them go wanting, sit on road shoulders, crying next to their dead mothers. I’ve seen them charred, lame, halt. You forgot, Lord. You forgot how and when to be God.” (P. 181)
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Soaphead Church says that he has given Pecola a blue eye but only Pecola can see it. Here is the beginning of Pecola step into madness.
Soaphead Church gave Pecola hope, he lied to Pecola and said that he had given blue eyes to Pecola but only Pecola could see the blue eyes. It was done because he felt sorry for the tragic story of Pecola and wanted to give a little happiness to Pecola, he felt that he had done a miracle, but instead because of it,
Pecola became increasingly obsessed because of her happy joy with blue eyes given by Soaphead Church. Here can be seen how badly the result of internalized racism in innocent little children like Pecola.
“I did what You did not, could not, would not do: I looked at that ugly little black girl, and I loved her. I played You. And it was a very good show! I, I have caused a miracle. I gave her the eyes. I gave her the blue, blue, two blue eyes...No one else will see her blue eyes. But she will. And she will live happily ever after.” (Morrison, 1970:182)
Soaphead Church feels he has given Pecola the blue eyes, something that even God can not gives. And he believes it will make Pecola live happily, but what happens later is, Pecola becomes insane. All forms of internalized racism experienced by Pecola make her depressed, racism experienced by Pecola done by people who have the same race with her, therefore Pecola increasingly feel not confident and isolated. That is why she ends up becoming obsessed with the blue eyes, she thinks it can make her look beautiful and can also give her the happiness and love she has never felt. Pecola's obsession is the result of the words of the people around who always say that Pecola is black and ugly, people also reject her because of that, Pecola finally concludes that if she is beautiful and have the blue eyes, then people will accept her.
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4.2.3 Isolation
Isolation is a state of complete or near-complete lack of contact between an individual and other people or society. It differs from loneliness, which reflects a temporary lack of contact with other humans. Isolation can be an issue for individuals of any age. Isolation is both a potential cause and a symptom of emotional or psychological challenges.
Isolation can begin early in life. During this time of development, a person may become more preoccupied with feelings and thoughts of their individuality that are not easy to share with other individuals. This can result from feelings of shame, guilt, vioence, discrimination, or alienation during childhood experiences. Isolation can also coincide with developmental disabilities. Individuals with learning impairments may have trouble with social interaction. The difficulties experienced academically can greatly impact the individual's esteem and sense of self-worth.
In The Bluest Eye, we can see Isolation when Pecola neglected and abandoned by her family and her environment. Isolation might happen on a child when the child is discriminated or is treated as a scapegoat by people around her. It can be seen that Pecola is a scapegoat in her family. She is always told by Pauline, her mother, how ugly she is to cover her own ugliness. Even since the first time
Pecola was born, her mother said that she is ugly, Pecola is different from what her mother expected, it can be seen in the statement below:
“Anyways, the baby come. Big old healthy thing. She looked different from what I thought...Eyes all soft and wet. A cross between a puppy and a dying man. But I knowed she was ugly. Head full of pretty hair, but Lord she was ugly.” (Morrison, 1970:125-126)
Moreover, as a daughter, neither her father nor her mother cares about her.
Pecola‘s parents are more concerned on their own problems rather than Pecola‘s.
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Pecola parents‘s ignorance can be seen from the part when Cholly Breedlove has been out of jail but he does not go to the house of the Macteer family to see if his own daughter live or dead, not only Cholly, Pauline also does not visit Pecola and not care at all about her little daughter.
The ignorance toward their child which are done by Pecola‘s parents is part of neglect and isolation that are befallen by Pecola in the family. Most of parents will feel worry if their children are not around them. It is really different from Pecola‘s parents who don‘t even care of their daughter condition.
In most cases, when a child is being treated as a scapegoat, no one will dare enough to get closer. This is because people are also afraid that they will be also treated that way. Pecola has been neglected by her family and also isolated by her environment, her teachers and her classmates. The main reason why people are ignoring and are isolating her is because the unequal status between her and others which breeds the internalized racism. As her father is uneducated, jobless, always drunk, poor, ugly, and the fact that he rape his own daughter, the Breedloves are socially seen as very low and inferior. People tend to have negative prejudice on her since her father is like that. People are likely to see that nothing is good as well in her, even her community tells bad things behind Pecola‘s back, they are gossiping about Pecola‘s pregnancy, they say that Pecola is lucky because the baby is dead, they think the baby will be something very ugly, just like Pecola.
“She be lucky if it don’t live. Bound to be the ugliest thing walking.” (Morrison, 1970:189)
Pecola realizes the isolation which is made to her by people round her is because of her ugliness, because she does not have the blue eyes and the white skin.
In fact, people see themselves more superior than her and she sees herself as an ugly
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girl like what she is being told by other people. As the minority as well as the inferior, she has a lifeless feeling. Since she is ugly she belongs to the Breedloves and has to stay with them as well as with the people who judge her.
The isolation experienced by Pecola both in the family and the society makes her has no best friend that she can‘t talk to or share with. It leads her rapidly to the frustration. However, this is only a part of abuses that frustrates her and lead her into madness. In addition, it doesn‘t mean changing people‘s view at her either. People still judge her negatively in her madness and insanity. She is completely isolated.
People looked down at her because she has been raped by her father and has got pregnant.
She is isolated and is treated as the scapegoat where ugliness, failures, and inferiority are all pointed to her.
“She was so sad to see. Grown people looked away; children, those who were not frightened by her, laughed outright.” (P. 205)
Feeling of unloved, rejected, and isolated makes Pecola becomes an introvert girl. As an introvert girl, Pecola is seen as a powerless girl who is easily get bullied.
However, this is not apart from the lesson which is taught by her mother. Learning from her mother about the ugliness of her skin color, she starts to dislike herself and become obsessive with blue eyes. Isolation which experienced by Pecola is the impact of internalized racism done by all people in her community including her own family and her closest people.
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4.2.4 Insanity/Madness
Madness may refer to:
Anger, an intense emotional response to a perceived provocation, hurt or
threat
Insanity, a spectrum of behaviors characterized by certain abnormal mental or
behavioral patterns
Mental disorder, a diagnosis of a behavioral or mental pattern that may cause
suffering or poor ability to function
The final chapter consists mostly of rapid dialogue between Pecola and what appears to be her imaginary friend. The final chapter highlights the fact that Pecola's obsession with beauty has evolved throughout the novel. By the end, "blue eyes" are no longer simply code for Shirley Temple or white beauty, they are also how Pecola makes sense of the rape she has endured. There are many consequences of
Internalized racism that Pecola has experienced, and the worst is insanity or madness. Pecola eventually becomes insane after experiencing various problems in her life. One of Pecola's problems is the rape committed by her own father, rape is a form of violence, which Pecola's violence is one of the factors affecting internalized racism. The rape was done by the father of Pecola who also had the same race, which could mean that Pecola rape was part of the internalized racism, and the effect of this was madness.
“Did you hear about that girl?” “What? Pregnant?” “Yas. But guess who?” “Who? I don’t know all these little old boys.” “That’s just it. Ain’t no little old boy. They say it’s Cholly.” “Cholly? Her daddy?” “Uh-huh.” (Morrison, 1970:188-189)
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Pecola told her imaginary friend that she was raped by her father twice. In the first rape Pecola had tried to tell her mother but her mother did not believe it. In the second rape she no longer tells her mother because Pecola thinks that her mother will not believe her. Pecola got rejected by her mother when she wanted to tell her about the violence she was experiencing. Rejection is one of the factors causing internalized racism. Because even his own mother rejected her and does not believe in her, Pecola becomes insane and end up speaking to her imaginary friend, Pecola has many problems but there is no place to share because she is rejected by the people around her, by her community, and also by her family, that causes Pecola to create imaginary friends so that she can have a friend to share her joy and sorrow, as seen in the conversation below:
Then why didn’t you tell Mrs. Breedlove? I did tell her! I don’t mean about the first time. I mean about the second time, when you were sleeping on the couch. I wasn’t sleeping! I was reading! You don’t have to shout. You don’t understand anything, do you? She didn’t even believe me when I told her. So that’s why you didn’t tell her about the second time? She wouldn’t have believed me then either. You’re right. No use telling her when she wouldn’t believe you. (Morrison, 1970:200)
Pecola convinces herself that the reason no one talks to her and the reason her own mother can't make eye contact with her is because everyone is jealous of her beautiful blue eyes, this is actually a realistic portrayal of the way children deal with cruelty and teasing. In this chapter, it's as if Pecola is shouting, "You're just jealous!".
Pecola's madness can be seen from the way she thinks that others are jealous of her blue eyes. Pecola said that since she got her blue eyes, her mother look away from her all of the time, everybody‘s jealous of her, everytime she looks at
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somebody, they look of, while actually she doesn‘t even have the blue eyes and nobody get jealous of it. Pecola in her delusional mind received the blue eyes, she now wonders obsessively, "what if there's someone with bluer eyes?" There will always be someone out there more beautiful than us, and Pecola seems to be an example of how crazy you can get if you don't understand this fact.
Just because I got blue eyes, bluer than theirs, they’re prejudiced. That’s right. They are bluer, aren’t they? Oh, yes. Much bluer. Bluer than Joanna’s? Much bluer than Joanna’s. And bluer than Michelena’s? Much bluer than Michelena’s. (Morrison, 1970:197)
Pecola began comparing her "blue eyes" with the blue eyes of others, Pecola did not want anyone else to have eyes that were blue or prettier than his eyes. In the end, Pecola does not just want blue eyes, now she wants to have the bluest eye because she does not want anyone to have eyes that are more blue than her eyes. He also regrets forgot to tell Soaphead Church what color blue she wanted. Pecola's madness because she wants to have the bluest eye in the world shown in this statement:
Please. If there is somebody with bluer eyes than mine, then maybe there is somebody with The Bluest eye. The Bluest eye in the whole world. That’s just too bad, isn’t it? Please help me look. (Morrison, 1970:203)
Pecola's madness is also due to violence, discrimination, and rejection. Pecola becomes curious about love because she feels no one has ever loved her. Due to the many problems facing by Pecola,s he becomes unhappy, she is not sociable and has no close friends. It was from this unhappiness that made Pecola eventually go crazy.
Pecola very rarely feel the happiness, smile is a rare thing to see on her.
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Pecola doesn't have any real friends, only this voice inside her head. Pecola's community forces her into such devastating loneliness that she has to imagine someone talking to her. In this part Pecola said that she‘s do not talk to anybody else and she also do not like anybody else besides her imaginary friend. In fact, her imaginary friend is never exist, Pecola just talking to herself in front of the mirror.
“How come you don’t talk to anybody? I talk to you. Besides me. I don’t like anybody besides you.” (Morrison, 1970:197)
At the end of the novel, Pecola becomes insane. This happens because of the various problems she faces. She faces internalized racism from her own community who has the same race as her. Pecola became the victim of prejudice, stereotype, rejection, scapegoat, social gap, and also violence from people around her and even her own family. It all affects the psychic Pecola who is still adolescent so she eventually becomes crazy and likes to talk to herself in front of the mirror because she has no friends to share.
“She, however, stepped over into madness, a madness which protected her from us simply because it bored us in the end.” (Morrison, 1970:206)
Pecola is just an unlucky adolescent girl who is always treated badly physically, verbally, sexually, and emotionally. First, she rejected and being told repeatedly that she is an ugly girl, discriminated, and becomes an object of internalized racism from her own community, which then makes her become obsessive with the bluest eye. Second, she becomes the object of her parents‘ – being unloved by her mother and raped by her father. Because of all these problem, at the end of the story Pecola becomes mad.
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All experiences which are befallen by Pecola make her depressed. In her depression, she loses her sanity. However, these are not separated from people who are living around her either. They are the one who should be responsible. People from her own community who are supposed to protect her even turn and hurt her.
4.3 Finding
Based on the analysis, the writer found that the main character Pecola
Breedlove experienced internalized racism from her community. There are many factors that caused internalized racism including prejudice, stereotype, rejection, scapegoat, social gap, and violence. These factors arise because of the self-hatred of
Pecola‘s community so they made Pecola as victim because she is weak and also because of her uglyness.
The writer also found impacts of internalized racism towards Pecola Breedlove which are inferiority, obsession, isolation, and insanity/madness. Pecola is so young to face all the problems in her life, she is still innocence, that is why the internalized racism have so many impacts on her. Pecola grow up becoming an inferior person, she became obsessed of things she cannot reach like blue eyes and white skin.
Moreover, she is being isolated by her community because of her uglyness. So, all the problems she experienced leads to insanity/madness. Pecola became crazy, she created an imaginary friend and it makes her often talk to herself. Pecola actually just an adolescent who wants somebody to accompany her, love her, and listen to her problems but nobody stand by her side, she become the victim of racism by her own community.
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CHAPTER V
CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION
5.1 Conclusion
Based on the result of analysis and finding of internalized racism which have been conducted on the novel of The Bluest Eye, it can be concluded that:
1. Internalized racism is one form of racial discrimination, wherein the
perpetrator and the object of the discrimination are of the same racial group
because the "discriminator" and "discriminatee" are in the same racial
minority. Issues in The Bluest Eye are sexism, racism, and alienation. The
factors that influences internalized racism are prejudice, stereotype, rejection,
scapegoat, social gap, and violence. When these factors arise, internalized
racism will occur. The society should be able to stop giving prejudice or
negative stereotypes to their own community or race, especially when it
comes to rejection, making others as scapegoats, creating social gaps, and
worst of all, is to do violence. Those things make people racist to their own
race, making people hate their own race and believe in negative things about
their race.
2. The impacts of internalized racism are inferiority, obsession, isolation, and
insanity/madness. Inferiority is a feeling that you are not good as other
people, obsession is an almost insane desire, longing, or burning lust for
someone or something, isolation is a state of complete or near complete lack
of contact between an individual and other people or society, and
insanity/madness is an emotional response to a perceived provocation, hurt,
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or threat. Internalized racism done by family and society caused low
confident and leads to obsession. People who experienced internalized racism
will feel more inferior and isolated in their own community. Therefore, the
people will be obsessed to achieve things that are impossible for them so that
the people will get the recognition and attention of their family or
community, when finally they cannot get that thing, the people can step into
madness just like Pecola. People with the same race as us actually just like
our own family, but the consequences are so fatal if ―our own family‖ isolates
and rejects us just because of things we cannot even control such as skin
color, eye color, etc.
5.2 Suggestion
The suggestion that the writer wants to give to the readers, do not discriminate a person only from what race or ethnicity they belongs to, especially when that person and ourself are from the same racial background, if we do that it means we do internalized racism toward them. All people have to see other people from their personality and attitude and cannot judge people by their skin colour or their ethnicity.
Based on the experience which is happened to Pecola, it can be seen that internalized racism is a very bad thing and gives many negative impact, in Pecola‘s case, it makes her becomes insane. The Bluest Eye gives the clear example about internalized racism and the factors and impacts of it so the readers and the learners can understand and get more knowledge about internalized racism in literary work through this thesis.
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For that reason, hopefully through this thesis, readers can grasp and can understand more about the internalized racism which are happened in this novel since it might also happen in the society. There is always a cause and an effect for things which are done. So, hopefully readers can be more sensible with those things which surround them after reading this thesis. On the other hand, this thesis might still have a lot of lacks. There‘s a welcome and encourage for all readers who are interested and curious of how social problem can be involved in literary works to continue this analysis in order to make it more remarkable.
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APPENDICES :
Appendix 1 : Biography of Toni Morrison
Appendix 2 : Summary of The Novel The Bluest Eye
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APPENDICES
Appendix 1: Biography of Toni Morrison
Toni Morrison (born Chloe Ardelia Wofford; February 18, 1931) is an
American novelist, editor, and professor. Her novels are known for their epic themes, vivid dialogue, and richly detailed characters. Among her best known novels are The
Bluest Eye, Sula, Song of Solomon and Beloved. She also was commissioned to write the libretto for a new opera, Margaret Garner, first performed in 2005. She won the
Nobel Prize in 1993 and in 1987 the Pulitzer Prize for Beloved.
Morrison began writing fiction as part of an informal group of poets and writers at Howard who met to discuss their work. She went to one meeting with a short story about a black girl who longed to have blue eyes. She later developed the story as her first novel, The Bluest Eye (1970). She wrote it while raising two children and teaching at Howard. In 2000 it was chosen as a selection for Oprah's
Book Club. In 1975 her novel Sula (1973) was nominated for the National Book
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Award. Her third novel, Song of Solomon (1977), brought her national attention. The book was a main selection of the Book-of-the-Month Club, the first novel by a black writer to be so chosen since Richard Wright's Native Sonin 1940. It won the National
Book Critics Circle Award. In 1987 Morrison's novel Beloved became a critical success. When the novel failed to win the National Book Award as well as the
National Book Critics Circle Award, a number of writers protested over the omission. Shortly afterward, it won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction and the American
Book Award. That same year, Morrison took a visiting professorship at Bard
College. Beloved was adapted into the 1998 film of the same name starring Oprah
Winfrey and Danny Glover. Morrison later used Margaret Garner's life story again in the libretto for a new opera, Margaret Garner, with music by Richard Danielpour. In
May 2006, The New York Times Book Review named Beloved the best American novel publishes in the previous twenty-five years.
In 1993 Morrison was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. Her citation reads: Toni Morrison, "who in novels characterized by visionary force and poetic import, gives life to an essential aspect of American reality." She is currently the last
American to have been awarded the honor. Shortly afterward, a fire destroyed her
Rockland County, New York home.
In 1996 the National Endowment for the Humanities selected Morrison for the Jefferson Lecture, the U.S. federal government's highest honor for achievement in the humanities. Morrison's lecture, entitled "The Future of Time: Literature and
Diminished Expectations," began with the aphorism, "Time, it seems, has no future."
She cautioned against the misuse of history to diminish expectations of the future.
Morrison was honored with the 1996 National Book Foundation's Medal of
Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, which is awarded to a writer "who
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has enriched our literary heritage over a life of service, or a corpus of work."
Although her novels typically concentrate on black women, Morrison does not identify her works as feminist. She has stated that she thinks "it's off-putting to some readers, who may feel that I'm involved in writing some kind of feminist tract. I don't subscribe to patriarchy, and I don't think it should be substituted with matriarchy. I think it's a question of equitable access, and opening doors to all sorts of things." In addition to her novels, Morrison has also co-written books for children with her younger son, Slade Morrison, who worked as a painter and musician. Slade died on
December 22, 2010, aged 45.
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Appendix 2: Summary of The Novel The Bluest Eye
The novel opens with the voice of Claudia MacTeer, though she isn‘t named until later. Claudia remembers an autumn of her childhood when she and her sister
Frieda planted marigolds, but they would not grow. Claudia remembers her deprived and oppressed childhood in a poor African-American community. Her mother was so embattled with poverty and work that she had no emotional energy left to provide tender care for her two daughters. She used shame on them regularly. Once, when
Claudia got sick, her mother complained unendingly about the trouble she was causing, but, nevertheless, her mother tended to her to help her get well.
One autumn, Pecola Breedlove came to live with the MacTeers as a special
"case" sent by the county because her father, Cholly Breedlove, had burned his family‘s house and was put outdoors. Mrs. Breedlove was living with her employers,
Charlie Breedlove, Pecola‘s brother, was living with relatives, and Pecola was left to the county to care for. While she was with them, Pecola got her first period. She was shocked at the blood and it took Frieda‘s help for her to understand it was a normal part of life.
The Breedlove apartment was a two-room affair that used to be a storefront.
Its furniture was dilapidated and no one cared for it. The degradation of the furniture and the living quarters both contributed to and resulted from the Breedlove family‘s general degradation. The Breedloves were all ugly. When people examined this fact, they realized the Breedloves believed in their own ugliness, took it up as a sort of obligatory cloak to wear all the time.
One Saturday morning in October the Breedloves woke up to a very cold apartment. Mrs. Breedlove threatened Cholly Breedlove if he did not start the fire.
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When he didn‘t, she threw cold water on him, initiating a vicious fight that left him unconscious. Pecola held still throughout the fight, wishing she could disappear.
Pecola often looked at herself in the mirror, wondering at her ugliness. She settled on her eyes as her ugliest feature and wished to have blue eyes. She prayed for a year to no avail, but decided to continue hoping.
Pecola was friends with three prostitutes who lived on the second floor of her family‘s building. They were kind to her, spoke to her respectfully, gave her clothes and candy, and told her amusing stories.
Mr. MacTeer worked hard to keep his family warm through the winter. His hard work made him emotionally distant all winter long. One winter, Claudia and
Frieda became preoccupied with a new girl at school, a mulatto universally admired for her beauty by black and white alike. One afternoon, Maureen Peel invited
Claudia and Frieda to walk home with her. On their way, they came across Pecola being bullied by a group of boys. Frieda rescued her and Maureen took her arm and chatted sociably with her, even buying Pecola an ice cream. However, Maureen began to taunt Pecola with the same jibes the boys had used--her black skin and her father‘s sexual visibility in the household. Pecola defended herself, but only halfheartedly. Claudia noticed her inability to stand up for herself.
There was a kind of woman who lived in Lorain, Ohio who lived a respectable life and did all they could to avoid funkiness. One such woman was named Geraldine. She was married and had a son, Junior. She was so repressed that she could not bring herself to nurture her son. She would only love her cat. Her son grew to hate the cat and would torture it. Geraldine taught her son that light skinned
African Americans were better than dark skinned African Americans and should remain separate from
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them. One day Junior lured Pecola into his house and threw the cat on her face. Then he began to torture the cat in front of her almost killing it. Geraldine happened to come home at that moment and blamed Pecola for it, calling her a nasty black bitch.
That winter Claudia and Frieda‘s parents took in a boarder, Mr. Henry. The girls found him one day with two prostitutes in their house. He bribed them not to tell and they didn‘t. Another day he found Frieda at home alone and tried to sexually molest her. When she told her parents, they beat Mr. Henry up and ran him off.
Frieda worried that she was ruined now, like the prostitutes she and Claudia had heard about. The prostitutes she knew were either obese or thin from alcoholism.
Wanting to be thin, the girls went in search of Pecola since they knew Pecola‘s father was an alcoholic and they wanted Pecola to procure liquor for them. They found
Pecola at her mother‘s place a work, the wealthy home of a white family. Pecola inadvertently dropped her mother‘s berry cobbler and Mrs. Breedlove beat her severely and banished all three girls. They saw her cuddling the white child of the household as they left.
Pauline Williams Breedlove began life in Alabama. She hurt her foot on a nail and became permanently crippled as a result. She stayed at home taking care of the house for her family until she met and married Cholly and they moved north to
Lorain, Ohio. In Lorain, Pauline felt out of place among the black community and resorted to going to the movies to escape her problems. There she learned a standard of beauty which placed her and her family on the bottom of a strict hierarchy. She came to identity with this standard and essentially abandoned her family in favor of the white family for whom she worked.
Cholly Breedlove was abandoned by his father before he was born and then abandoned by his mother, left to die, when he was only a few days old. His Aunt
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Jimmy raised him and he befriended a man, Blue Jack, who acted as a father to him.
His aunt died when he was only fourteen. After her funeral, he engaged in sexual play with a girl cousin. He was interrupted by white hunters who forced him to have sex with her against his will. He hated the girl rather than the men because they were too powerful a target. He left home the next day in search of his father. When he found his father, he was unable to talk to the man because he was so fully engaged in a crap game. Cholly cut all ties to people and lived an emotionally anarchic life.
He married Pauline and the marriage quickly disintegrated. He was unable to parent his children. One Saturday afternoon in the spring, befuddled with alcohol,
Cholly raped his eleven year old daughter and left her unconscious on the floor.
A man lived in the town named Soaphead Church. He posed as a spiritualist to the gullible people who needed all kinds of help. He came from a family descended from a British nobleman and a woman of African descent. The entire history of the family was marked by a strong desire to keep the light skin of their ancestor by marrying only light skinned partners. Soaphead Church was the culmination of this family. He lived as an eccentric, digging through the garbage, and he molested little girls. One day, Pecola Breedlove came to visit him to ask him for blue eyes. He told her if she made an offering of his landlady‘s dog, she might get her wish. He gave her a packet of poison. Unknowingly, she gave the dog poison and was horrified to see it die in front of her.
Claudia remembers the summer when her seeds would not grow. She and
Frieda had planned to sell seeds of marigolds in order to win a bicycle. As they were selling the seeds, they overheard adults‘ conversation about Pecola being raped by her father and being pregnant. The adults all agreed that it would be better for child
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to die. Claudia and Frieda had decided to sacrifice their summer project and plant the marigold seeds, praying over them that the child would live. The seeds never grew and Pecola‘s child died.
Pecola acquired an imaginary find with whom she engaged in delighted conversation about her beautiful blue eyes, the envy of everyone. Her imaginary friend asked questions about Cholly raping her, her mother beating her senseless and not believing her, and Cholly raping her a second time. Pecola pushed these questions aside and returned to the topic of her eyes. Claudia remembers seeing
Pecola wandering around flapping her arms, nodding her head to unheard music and talking to herself. She always felt as though she had failed Pecola. She realized the entire community had, even the country. They had used Pecola as a scapegoat.
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