PERSPECTIVE OF STUDENTS
WRITING A COLLEGE LEVEL ESSAY
by Kristin Hunt and Andrea Woodford

When our instructor first presented us with a twenty-four-point outline of requirements for the essay, it seemed an insurmountable task. However, we received assistance, which made the task seem more within reach.

In addition to the standards with which we were familiar (i.e. introduction, body, and conclusion structure), the essay was to be on themes in The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison and written on the college level in the MLA style.  Some of the main requirements included having a strong thesis statement, a line of reasoning and relevant quotes which support the thesis, a thorough analysis of thematic ideas and the intent of the author, and an original conclusion.

After we finished reading the book, we began to form ideas for the thesis statement and gather appropriate quotes. Even though this was just the rough draft, it counted for 10 percent of the grade for the semester quarter, which challenged us to do our best.

For those who have not read the book, it may be helpful to know that Toni Morrison uses blue eyes to symbolize perfection and, in the larger sense, the prejudice that people without blue eyes experience in her novel. Furthermore, she uses the dandelion to symbolize that which people dislike of others who do not fit the standard of beauty set forth in her novel.  After identifying this and other themes such as the internalization of oppression and the blaming of the victim, we developed similar but not identical theses statements, which illustrated how society plays a strong role in creating a standard of beauty.

Then, we developed numerous examples of societal injustices that resulted from these stereotypes about appearance. Finally, we drew the conclusion that if people do not feel they equal the image of beauty given, they believe they are not beautiful, illustrating that society plays a strong part in shaping the image that people have of themselves.

Next, our instructor required we find someone else to critique the rough draft in great detail, with the choice of at least six corrections. These included a review of the thesis statement, the line of reasoning, the lead-in to a particular piece of evidence, analysis after a quote, the need for greater clarity in any given part, creative use of new and different wording, and other similar points. 

Our instructor then required us to change every sentence and to write an explanation comparing the old sentence to the new.  Finally, we were able to turn in our completed essay.  Fortunately, he accepted our papers as satisfactory. 

Click here to see Analysis of Symbolism in The Bluest Eye by Kristin Hunt
Click here to see Implied Themes in Novels: The Bluest Eyeby Andrea Woodford

In general, people want to live better lives, even if they can do very little to change their situation. The standard of beauty i.e., what society considers beautiful, influences the desire people have to live a better life.  The things they watch, see, hear and even do reinforce the ideas, thoughts, and judgments that people develop. In The Bluest Eye, the novelist, Toni Morrison, uses the blue eyes, white and green house, cat and the head of a dandelion as symbols to illustrate such concepts as the superiority of one group over another.  She writes that the ideas people receive and their surroundings influence people greatly. Morrison uses contrasting symbols, for instance, she uses the blue eyes to symbolize perfection and dandelion heads to symbolize uselessness.

Morrison uses repetition in various ways. She repeats the phrase from a children primer in the beginning and throughout the novel. Here is the house. It is green and white. It has a red door (3). She uses the phrase in the beginning of each chapter to symbolize the perfect life, which can never be achieved by one of her characters. From a thematic standpoint, Morrison seems to imply that life has objects that are the standard for beauty or perfection. In this case, it is the green and white house, which is the standard to which all others compare. They either match the standards exactly or they are not considered pretty. The dandelions are another symbol Morrison uses in her novel. Nobody loves the head of a dandelion. Maybe because they are so many, so strong and soon (47). The dandelion analogy is a good symbol. She uses it effectively to describe some of the features that Pecola, one of her characters, has that make her seem ugly. After multiple examples of people not meeting the standard, the idea that the teenagers develop is that they are or are not beautiful depending on the color of their eyes, blue representing beauty, and brown representing unattractiveness. There is very little to demonstrate that Morrison sees this otherwise. The dandelions are only useful for their leaves and nothing more. Their heads are useless.

The contrasting symbols used in The Bluest Eye are few but repeated often, the most notable being a cat. He was black all over his eyes were a bluish green. The light made them shine like blue ice (90). The cat is a black creature with blue eyes, and blue eyes represent perfection. Morrison gives the cat these features to illustrate that perfection and the good life are not always what they appear to be. In a brief moment, the cat, who lived in elegant surroundings, dies after the boy swings him by his tail and knocks the cat into the wall. The marigolds are another symbol. "Our flowers never grew; I had planted them too deeply" (205). The marigolds are a symbol of hope and dreams that died before they could ever be realized. The flowers did not bloom, Pecolas child died and Pecola lost her sanity. Toni Morrison's main theme is that perfection is not always what it appears to be.

In conclusion, Morrison uses the blue eyes, the cat, and the green and white house to symbolize the fact that such symbols used effectively influence people. Morrison wants the reader to know that the people may develop corrupt concepts so that the idea of beauty in any form is lost. In the end of the novel, Pecola loses her sanity. She is talking to others and she keeps asking questions such as, "Are my eyes blue enough?" indicating that she still does not believe that her eyes are blue enough. In the end, society and its accepted views are the controlling factor in what people perceive as beautiful. In The Bluest Eye, Morrison uses the blue eyes to symbolize perfection; anyone without them is unworthy to be thought of as beautiful. Morrison implies that people have more value than their appearance and should not be misled into thinking otherwise by society.

Throughout history, society has standardized the image of beauty. People who believe that they do not fit this image given to them by society feel that they are not beautiful. In the novel The Bluest Eye, the author, Toni Morrison, through her usage of symbolism, shows that society controls the image of beauty. Morrison demonstrates her thematic idea, the symbol of beauty and the perfect life, by her use of blue eyes. She uses them to convey that image of beauty and the perfect life. Another idea she uses is that dandelions, considered an unattractive weed, symbolize the internal observations of the character Pecola, who believes that she is not attractive.

In The Bluest Eye, the character Pecola wishes for blue eyes, believing that if she receives them, her life will be better and she will be attractive to others. Morrison uses Shirley Temple to demonstrate Pecola's fondness for beauty. 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 (23). With the image that Pecola sees of Shirley Temple, Pecola believes that having blue eyes will make her life like Shirley's, and that Pecola will be attractive to others. From a thematic view, Morrison implies that society creates the accepted image of that which is beautiful. Pecola has brown eyes and being in a society which values blue eyes more intensifies her desire for blue eyes. Each night, without fail, she prayed for blue eyes. Fervently for a year she had prayed (46). With those ideas of beauty planted into her mind, her image of what represents beauty does not change.

Believing that having blue eyes is the key to attractiveness and having a better life, Pecola sees herself as unattractive. Morrison uses the dandelions as symbols as to how Pecola views herself or subconsciously as a dandelion with people thinking she is as ugly and worthless as a weed. With these ideas, Morrison implies that the concept of not equaling the image of beauty society provides causes one to feel that he/she is not attractive.

In conclusion, people recognize that Toni Morrison uses symbols such as dandelions and blue eyes to denote the absence of beauty and the picture of beauty respectively that society imposes on us. This causes those who feel that if they do not equal the image of beauty given, they are not beautiful. Toni Morrison has used symbolism effectively to demonstrate her theme that society plays a powerful role in shaping the image that people have of themselves.