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.