Prompt : Why focus on eyes, and not for example, hair (see the trailer for Chris Rock's "Good Hair") or skin?
In the Bluest Eye, there is an implicit emphasis on beauty; what beauty is, what kind of beauty is accepted, and most importantly what beauty looks like. Throughout the novel, Pecola and Claudia constantly make reference to their desire or rather hatred of blue eyes, because blue eyes are seen as being very beautiful, something that neither of them have. There is a greater focus on the eyes, rather than the desire to be perhaps of a lighter skin complexion or have different hair. Although, lighter skin, and long/straight hair also plays into the standards of beauty which are essentially constructed by the ideas of whiteness; Morrison suggest that there is greater significance of visibility, and since eyes lend the ability of visualizing or seeing beauty, eyes in this case seem to be the most important in understanding the standard of beauty which has been constructed for and around Pecola and Claudia.
The focus on eyes in this novel brings up the motif of looking; that is ones ability to look and the idea of being looked upon(perceived by others around you).Pecola, and even Claudia often say that if Pecola had blue eyes maybe she would be seen as beautiful and everything which has happened to her could have been avoided. This idea represses the possibility of blackness being considered as beautiful, because these girls believe that beauty (having blue eyes) could prevent the violence that has taken place upon Pecola's body. The fact that beauty can possibly control the treatment of ones body seems really extreme but it is completely understandable.
Eyes do not lend the same abilities which long/straight hair or skin complexion may lend. With eyes you can see, you can not perceive, you can judge and you can look. With eyes (or even blue eyes) not only will you look beautiful, but others can see that beauty.
The way beauty in this novel is proposed is somewhat different but also similar in the way Chris Rocks speaks about the aesthetic of hair. Hair culture seems to emphasis conformity more than anything else. Hair has become a way to express yourself, a way in which people can almost instantly judge your character. Hair in this case is very different from the implication of eyes, and the desire to have blue eyes, because hair is something that is changeable, hair is something that can be covered, cut off, colored in any way, hair can change length, hair can be fake or real. But eyes, and the color of eyes are completely unchangeable. Its that, which makes eyes so special. Your hair can be controlled by product, by you choose what to look at, how to see things, and how to look at others. There's a significant difference here and Morrison seems to push this idea, and this motif of looking and how it constructs the standard of beauty and what beauty LOOKS like.
I agree with you in that Morrison chose the eyes because they're what people perceive others with. Through eyes you can tell a lot about a person, whether they're happy or sad, etc. I can imagine that by looking into Pecola's eyes, you can see her hardships and the horrors that she's experienced.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting the length you went into with the ways in which hair can be changed. I really only thought about either cutting or coloring it, but when you said covered it reminded me of veiling. Therefore making a connection between our class in the art gallery and the book.