The Bluest EyeCharacters

Ifthefollowingcharacters walkedintoourclassroom, howwouldyourankthem frombesttoworstinterms ofstorytellers?Whatfactors didyoutakeinto considerationwhen deciding A)Janie B)Offred C)Siddhartha D)Marlow E)Pecola

ProtagonistNarrative
HeartofDarkness

Other
TheirEyesWereWatchingGod

TheHandmaidsTale

Siddhartha

TheBluestEye

ProtagonistNarrative
HeartofDarkness

Other
TheirEyesWereWatchingGod

MarlowthroughUnknownSailor Allowsmultipleperspectives AllowstheParallelsettingoftheCongaandthe Correspondswithcharacterizationandtheme. Thames Janiewouldprobablynottellusherstory,orat CharacterizesMarlowasastorytelleranda leastchoosewhototell.Thisisbecausesheis journeyman...Allowshisdigressions,observations, empoweredbyvoiceandsilence. andvoicetobeauthentic TheHandmaidsTale Siddhartha Offred Empowershertothereader Allowsthereadertoseejuxtaposetheher thoughtsandactions Athirdpersonnarratorwouldsoundtoo judgmentalduetheharshnessofherconditions. Hismotivationistoosimplisticforafirstperson narrative,Iamnothappy,Iamgoingtogofind myself. Firstpersonwouldnotmatchtheywayheis characterized TheBluestEye PecolaandtheotherBreedlovesaretoodamages tobeaauthenticnarrator. Claudiaprovidesstabilityandisthereformore reliable.

Claudia Macteer
Claudiaistheperfectnarrator becausesheisstableenoughto provideuswithaclearviewof theeventsinthenovel Sheisalsosensitiveenoughfor MorrisontogivePecoladignity anddepthasacharacter Thefactthatshegivesusboth achildsandadults perspectiveallowsuspersonal andreflectiveviewofthe events

Herstabilityremindsthereaderthat Pecolaisnotthenorm,andsuggests thatmanypeoplecanpulltogether whenfacedwithadversaryratherthan fallapart. LikePecola,Claudiastillsuffersfrom racialbeautystandardsandpoverty. Despitethisshecanbeseenasafighter. Shedestroysawhitedoll,defends Pecolafromagroupofboys,andtriesto savePecolawhensheispregnant. Claudiaisnothoweverbeyond reproach.Sheadmitsthatafterthe pregnancyshedoesnotinteractwith Pecola,andadmitsshe,likeher community,isimplicitinusingPecola asascapegoatfortheirownfrailtiesand faults.Thisishighlightedbytheuseof firstpersonpluralinthelastchapter.

The MacTeer Family

Severalexamplesexisttoshowthe stabilityandloveoftheMacTeer family,albeitnotalwaysinexplicit ways. Claudiarecognizeshermotherslove whenshegetssick.Throughher anger,(adult)Claudiacanrecognizes hermothersconcern. WhenFreidagetsmolestedbyHenry, herfathertriestoshoothim.Thisis importantasitpositionsFreidafirmly asthevictimandnotasresponsible. Helooksafterhisfamily. Friedaisolderandmoreawarethan Claudiaasinwhensherecognises Pecolaismenstruating.Sheisalsoa protectivefigure.

Pecola Breedlove
Pecolaisatragicfigure. Sheispassivetotheextent thatisunabletotellher story(unlikeOffred). Pecolahastwounderlying emotionaldesires.The firstisforsomeonetolove herandthesecondisto disappear. Neitherdesireisfulfilled andsheispushedfurther andfurtherintoherself.

Symbolically,Pecolarepresents theblackcommunitiesselfhated andbeliefinitsownugliness. Ironicallysheisalsosymbolicof someonewhofullyacceptsthe societaldefinitionofbeauty. Asacharacter,sheisthe scapegoatforhercommunity.Her fateistoowandertheperipheryof hertown.Notonlyisshehaunted butshehauntsthemservingasa constantreminderoftheirissues withboththemselvesandher. Herfateisintenselytragic.

Cholly Breedlove
ToniMorrisonexplainsthat shewantedtomakeChollya sympatheticfigure. Whileweshouldhatehim,asa readerourhateisnotcomplete. Hehasgenuinelybeena victim.Hisabandonmentona trashheapasababy foreshadowshislife. Hisisalsocapableofgenuine joy,suchaseatingthe watermelon,andgenuine vulnerability.

Manyofourprotagonistssuchas Offred,Sidddhartha,andJanieare insomewaysearchingfor freedom. TheironyofChollyisthathe achievesit.Afterhedefecates himself,heistrulyafree character.Morrisonsuggeststhat freedomcanonlybeachievedif younolongercareaboutlife! Through Cholly we see the negative side of freedom and can challenge the laudability of freedom as often expresses in literature

Pauline Breedlove
Therearemanyparallelsbetween Mrs.Breedloveandherdaughter. Likeherdaughter,PaulineBreedlove istrappedbyadestructivedesirefor unachievablebeauty. Herdeformedfootandthenherlost toothscarherbothphysicallyand emotionally. Alsolikeherdaughter,Pollycanbe seeninmanywaysasdelusional.This ismanifestedinherotherlifetaking careofthewhitefamilyand neglectingherown. Sheisamartyr,abusiveandfullof hate....yetonceagainissympathetic

Sammie Breedlove
SammieBreedlove Pecolas14yearold brotherrepresents theothersideof Pecola.Whilesheis ispassiveheis active.Thisisseenas hefightsbackand eventuallyruns away.

Geraldine and Junior

Geraldineismiddle class,andwhile physicallywell maintainedand dutiful,represents anothersideofblack selfhate. Junioriscrueland sadisticasaresultof Geraldine'sneglect.

 SoapheadChurch Religioushypocrite, educated, misanthrope MaureenPeal Lightskinmakes hersuperiorto others.