Final essay

Taking Goodness and Knowledge From this Generation

"It never occurred to either of us that the earth itself might have been unyielding. We had dropped our seeds in our own little plot of black dirt just as Pecola's father had dropped his seeds in his own plot of black dirt. Our innocence and faith were no more productive than his lust or despair" (Morrison 14). This quote at the beginning of Toni Morrison's novel The Bluest Eye sets up the sadness and dark topics to come all throughout the book. This book like many other have sparked controversy over whether this novel should be banned because the content is offense. Although the content in the novel is graphic,  the book still sparks ideas about the real world in the minds of the high school level readers. However, the book is starting to be banned all over the country because of the content as a whole. The Bluest Eye shouldn't be banned from schools because it takes away the truth, masks realism and shows life incorrectly.

Truth, one of the many virtues members of society use in everyday life. Truth is something that people seek out and it is seen as more appropriate then lying. Banning The Bluest Eye would take away lots of the truth the novel holds within it's pages. One of the topics that would lose it's truth would be sexual abuse. The topic of sexual abuse is seen a lot throughout the novel and plays a big role throughout. In the novel, one of the first major scenes involving sexual abuse is where Claudia finds Frieda crying. Frieda is touched by Mr. Henry and is completely beside herself at what events took place. Frieda doesn't go into great detail but many readers could see this as painful to read. Sexual abuse is the most unreported crime in the U.S alone. Statistics say that only 46 percent of sexual assaults have been reported over the past five years. Taking away this part of book would take away from the readers knowledge of sexual assault. Thought it may be a tough subject to read, eliminating it from The Bluest Eye would take away from the so called truth of the novel. One of the other major events talked about in the novel is the rape and or sexual assault of Pecola Breedlove. This scene in the novel may be the most graphic and most pivotal scene in the entire novel. It is the hardest part to read because do it's very graphic detail of how Cholly is feeling toward his own daughter. This scene is one of many in the long line of books that Morrison has written to express the truth about violence and abuse in her novels. Morrison's novels, including The Bluest Eye, have be hated and challenged including  "When the mother of a high school student criticized Toni Morrison's Beloved for being graphic and disturbing. To be fair, the book is graphic and disturbing, but it's also a great work of literature that's profound, moving and important" (Winfrey 1). Having an opinion in the world is a good thing, however, many people do not understand how Morrison's novels convey accurate representations of truth, most heavily in sexual abuse. The scenes with the rape of Pecola and the sexual assault of Frieda may be the most graphic but they both represent the signals of truth woven through the events. It is statistically proven that 1 out of every 6 women in America have been the victim of an attempted or rape in their lifetime. Just with this statistic alone, readers of Morrison's The Bluest Eye would be able to identify the truth of this and search and be aware of signs of rape before they could happen. As seen at the end of the novel, Pecola is lost and slowing losing her mind and becoming more distant from the world after what her father did to her. These after effects of rape and or sexual assault aren't false, but however, fact. Rape and sexual abuse can have many lasting effects on an individual such as poor concentration, a Depression, Anxiety, Irritability and substance abuse. The effect of poor concentration is seen with Pecola because she ends up talking to her imaginary friend and loses sight of the real world because of the traumatic event. It is evident that truth holds the key to unlocking the vault to the real world. Banning The Bluest Eye would not only destroy the truth within the novel that leads of the real world, but it would also take away from the realism.

Realism, the attitude or practice of accepting a situation as it is and being prepared to deal with it accordingly. This is a powerful realization that the members of society need to start excepting. When events occur, we can't see them as fantasy, but we must see them as events that need to be dealt with like an adult and with the knowledge we have stored up over the years. The realism of physical abuse is a harsh realism that is brought to light in The Bluest Eye. The characters "Cholly and Mrs. Breedlove fought each other with a darkly brutal formalism that was paralleled only by their lovemaking. Tacitly they had agreed not to kill each other" (Morrison 55). The author describes the relationship between these two and many readers find it hard to witness such a relationship between to spouses in one novel. What Society thinks is that this is to dark and should never be read by teenagers who are just beginning to get involved in serious relationships. However, society doesn't realize that physical abuse, as all abuse, is harmfully terrible, yet very alive like the imagination of a young child. Physical abuse, especially in a relationship isn't healthy, yet sometimes it is hard for the spouses to rid each other of the pain of the other. "In our society where there are so many rewards for being a victim, It's common for both spouses to claim that it's the other who is being abusive, and in most causes, they're right" (Marriage Builders 1). This quote is very powerful and insightful because it is seen between both Cholly and his wife. One of them abuses the other more but they, in the end, would blame each other for what happened. Banning the book would detract from this accurate representation of  physical abuse in a relationship. Although most adult readers might see this as a negative thing for their teens to read, it is insightful and they can reflect off of it. They can build up knowledge of what to look out for and to make better, more stable relationships because they see what not to do, from Cholly and Mrs. Breedlove. To some readers, this book may even be helpful to their health and shouldn't be banned because it would take away from knowledge that the readers may need. Some teenagers may already be witnessing what is happening with Cholly and his wife, or they could even be like Pecola and be painfully witnessing their parents tear each other apart. Cholly and Mrs. Breedlove didn't recover in the sense of recovery most think of. However, Mrs. Breedlove got out of the hard situation and moved to the edge of town with Pecola to heal and grow. Most teens in an abusive relationship will read this book and see that their situation doesn't have to last forever. " On the road to reconciliation you will deal with pain and conflict, you will make mistakes, and you will shed tears. There will be a time of stripping away wrong attitudes, wrong ways of thinking that have prevented you from truly being with [the one you love]" (Rainey1). The Bluest Eye brings forth the realism in physical abuse to it's readers and is helpful to those in need and resourceful to those seeking knowledge to avoid it. Banning the book would hurt both of these factors as well as ruin the next generation of adults and how they take on the real world.

Taking away on of Morrison's most impactful novels may be suitable for some, but you have to look under the surface to see the ever lasting damage this will cause. Ignorance is something members of society keep their kids away from by feeding them knowledge of the real world. Parents want to keep their children educated and give them information to make it through life, however, they are fearful of what might happen if they are exposed to so many topics. "Assuming that kids can't handle books about intense, upsetting, controversial topics is worse than just silly, it's insulting" (Winfrey 1). This article brings up one of the biggest parts of ignorance in society. Adults want to ban this novel because they believe it is to controversial and to adult for their teenage children to read. It all ties into one big ribbon on a Christmas present of the minds of society. Ignorance is a stem of not witnessing realism and truth in all things and with too much ignorance comes a weak minded society. The Bluest Eye dissolves any worry of ignorance of the next generation and it is the spark in the minds of the future. Ignorance toward harsh topics makes society fail and when society fails, everything is lost.

The Bluest Eye is seen by many people as one of the most controversial book teens read in school. However, the book weaves together a masterpiece of realism, truth and the resolve of ignorance in our younger group in this society. The character of Pecola shows the readers of the novel the hate and pain a child or anyone could go through by witnessing this topics. The realism in physical abuse is powerful and hurtful and the truth of sexual abuse is harming. However, The Bluest Eye shouldn't be banned because these two factors morph together to nullify ignorance and make our society a more knowledgable place. 

Sources

1.) Hankerson, Mechelle. "East Wake High." NewsObserver.com. 31 Aug. 2014. Web. 1 Dec. 2014.

2.)  Morrison, Toni. The Bluest Eye. New York: Vintage International, 2007. 249. Overdrive. 

3.) Rainey, Dennis. "Responding to Physical Abuse." Family and Marriage, Help and Hope for Marriages and Families. Web. 1 Dec. 2014.

4.) "Can YA Books Ever Be "inappropriate"?" HelloGiggles. Web. 1 Dec. 2014.

5.) "11 Facts about Sexual Assault." DoSomething.org. Web. 1 Dec. 2014.

6.)  "How to Overcome an Abusive Marriage." Marriage Builders ®. Web. 1 Dec. 2014.

Reaction to spring

Okay so this chapter was very in depth and opened my eyes to a whole new prospective in this book. We start off the chapter with the event with Frieda and Mr. Henry. This is very provoking and hard to comprehend but if you look back in the text and read between the lines, it was almost like you could see this event coming. It was interesting to see how the girls reacted to the situation by going to see Pecola about getting whiskey for Frieda so she doesn't get ruined. Which brings me to the hard parts of the chapter. We get an insight into Cholly's childhood and also how he meets Polly and how they fall in love. In ways it is easy to feel bad for Cholly and all of the things he has had to go through in his life. Between the death of his great aunt and trying to find happiness in the world. He goes looking for his dad and gets rejected like a piece of trash which upsets Cholly and he begins to drink away his problems. I think this is the wrong way to go about it, Polly made him happy but he doesn't want to be with one woman forever and he would rather have sex with different women then being with only one. He is afraid of having children and thinks they shouldn't love him because he has been rejected by so many people and lost so much, he begins to think that absolutely no one should show that they care for him. This leads to one of the hardest parts in the book which is when Cholly is drunk and comes in to find Pecola doing dishes. He sees her doing the same thing that Polly did the first time he meet her and he is tempted to have sex with her. This is hard to read but shows more back story into why Pecola and her family is the way they are. We also figure out why the title of the book is what it is. Beauty is a big part of this novel and is seen when Pecola goes and visits the minister and asks for blue eyes. She wants them because she feels like then her life would be different and none of these things would have ever happened to her. She sees that white little girls have it better then girls like her which is why she wishes for blue eyes to make her pretty. This is sort of a touching moment because you feel for Pecola and you wish she had never gone through what she is going through. It makes you think and this has probably been one of the most in depth and hardest chapter to read.

Culture Blog

The Chinese beauty Stanard is different from the American beauty standard. In Chinese culture, it is pretty for women to have pointed eyebrows and have their hair in a tight bun on top of their head (Cultural China). American beauty stems from have a symmetrical face that is also average but also attractive. This could be with any kind of hair or eyes just as long as the face is symmetrical. Even though Western cultures are different from non-western cultures, some of the beauty standards are still seen as the same. Even Chinese and Japanese men and women see beauty as a symmetrical face with averageness yet still attractive to look at (Rhodes). Both cultures are still different in their beauty standards, enough so that each can be called a separate beauty standard. Chinese culture is elegant and sharp where as American could be viewed as average yet beautiful. Chinese beauty standards have also stuck around for hundreds of years where as, American standards of beauty seem to change depending on the latest fashion or decade. 

Citations: 

Rhodes G, Yoshikawa S, Clark A, Lee K, McKay R, Akamatsu S, 2001, "Attractiveness of facial     

      averageness and symmetry in non-Western cultures: In search of biologically based standards          

      Beauty"                                                 

"Chinese Philosophy of Beauty." Cultural China. Cultural China. Web. 30 Oct. 2014.

Theme Song Blog

The song I chose was Young and Beautiful by Lana Del Ray. This song seemed to speak to me when I was thinking of the tone and subject matter of the book so far. The tone of the book has been pretty dark so far and this song has an almost eerie and sad vibe to it. Some of the lyrics also spoke to me when I began to think of some of the characters. A lyric that is constantly repeated is "will you still love me when I'm no longer young and beautiful" this just spoke to me because it seems that beauty and popularity in a sort pop up as themes of this book a lot. How Pecola feels ugly and how Clauida and Frieda feel ugly and angry that some people like Maureen look better then they do. The song is sort of talking about their lives in the since of beauty. As well as sort of the idea of love through out the novel. How it is hard to tell that some parents in the novel love their kids. It is hard to tell if Pecola's mom loves her after she loved on the little white girl like she was suppose to love on Pecola for accidently dropping the pie. However, she beat her. Almost as if Pecola was just an ignorant burden to her. The song is dark like this novel and it just speaks and has those qualities that what Lana Del Ray is conveying in her song is similar to what is happening in the novel, even if the lyrics don't directly apply to it. 

Here is a link to the song on YouTube, I hope it works and if it doesn't, then just look up- "Young and Beautiful" by Lana Del Ray

Link: www.vevo.com/.../Young-and-Beautiful/USUV713008

Characterization Blog

I am going to write about the scene where Maureen Peel is introduced into the story and I am going to write from Maureen's perspective.

It was my first day at the new school. My mom woke me up extra early and I yawned with joy. I was so excited to go to school that morning. I got up and brushed my teeth and ran downstairs while my mom packed my lunch. I peeked in my school lunch bag and saw what I loved most, my sandwich was cut into four squares and I had a nice big red, juicy apple. 

" Your eyes look beautiful with your outfit today sweetheart. Here is your lunch. Don't be late." Said my mom as I grabbed my lunch and rushed out the door. 

I walked in school and immediately I felt like I had been there my entire life. Kids stared at me and I heard some of them say I was beautiful or "look at her eyes." I didn't see the big deal in it. My mom had emerald green eyes like I did. Although, these children weren't like me. They wore clothes that were dirty and tattered and they had deep brown eyes, all of them. I loved them all already. 

They treated me nicely and when I got to my first class I thought I would be alone at my table but four other kids walked up to me with smiles and bright eyes that were inviting to me. As they all sat down around me and the teacher, Mrs. Lagrange, started class, I could feel someone's eyes glaring into the back of my head. I turned around and noticed this little girl sitting with one other little girl, both of them staring at me.

"Claudia it isn't nice to stare." Said the taller of the two girls.

The smaller one, Claudia, gave me one last ugly look, almost as if she was mentally killi me with her eyes and she turned away. I turned around, concerned that I had done something wrong. So I had to fix it somehow. I decided that after school I would go and talk to this Claudia and see if I had done something to upset her. That was the last thing I wanted to do. Time past quickly and it was time for lunch. I rose from my seat and began to walk toward the door. Out of nowhere, Clauida walked up and shoved me hard against the door frame and walked out the door with the tall girl behind her. 

What I had done? I thought. I dusted myself off and walked out the door and down the hall, four or five kids all talking beside me, asking where I had come from and if they could sit with me at lunch. I heard none of this because I was so deep in thought about why this little girl could be so mean to me. No one had ever been mean to me, everyone was always nice. It had been decided. As I walked into the lunch room I knew what I had to do. I had to talk to Clauida and the tall girl and see what the problem was before anything else bad happened to her. She sat down at lunch, kids sitting all around the table she had chosen, and she began eating.

Ad Analysis

I chose this ad because it is very easy to understand . It's intended audience is basically everyone in the world or who lives by an ocean. With all the pollution around the world and trash in the ocean, ads should be spread to everyone about this reoccurring problem. It uses the persuasive technique of showing a beautiful ocean with a nice sand beach. This shows the people that read the ad that all of the oceans in the world would look like this if we all fixed our pollution problems and just throw away trash. This ad relates to what we learned in class because this ad is easy to understand and is effective with its use of images and short and sweet sloggens like the one on this trash can. 

Response to first part of The bluest eye

Well initially my first response to this was kinda scary. It seems like Claudia our main character has a good life. Although, it seems that her mom blames everything on her and makes her feel bad and she thinks her life is hard until when she realizes her parents care. It is seen when she says she knows someone loves her because you see her say that her mother came and kissed her on the forehead after what happened with her and the puke. I was a little confused about the things with the out and outdoors because until it was explained I had no idea what it meant. The italic part at the beginning was what through me off because it was just in your face. I am curious to see what happens with Pecola, although the italic part was kinda like a foreshadow of events to come. I am just a little timid sob this book now. The writing is great but the plot seems so, different. And I am looking forward to seeing how the author connects everything and how it goes. I am very curious to see how the title comes into the story and wraps it all together.