Open Access
American Research Journal of English and Literature
ISSN (Online): 2378-9026
DOI: 10.46568/arjel
Qualitative Analysis of Female Oppression and Internalized Obsession through the Lens of Tony Morrison’s The Bluest Eye
Abstract
Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye is an in-depth analysis of racism, sexism, and classism which depicts how African American
women and girls are oppressed in the middle of the 20th century. Tragic obsession with blue eyes of Pecola Breedlove, the
protagonist of the novel, represents how society rejects blackness and internalized white beauty standards. This paper
presents a qualitative analysis of female oppression and internalized obsession in The Bluest Eye, highlighting the ways in
which sexism and racism, as other societal influences, affect identity and self-worth. The study shows how social rejection
and beauty standards create generations- long cycles of psychological pain and self-hatred through Pecola’s story and
the experiences of other women. It highlights Morrison’s criticism of these damaging ideas and also how families and
communities support or reject these oppressive forces. It also explores how to escape oppressive structures by rejecting
unrealistic beauty standards, self-love, and finding support from the community.
