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Passing In The Bluest Eye

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Racial Passing is the act in which an individual of one race chooses to actively participate in another race, as a result of the political, economic and social benefits. However the act of “passing” is often a result of self- loathing, the dissatisfaction with self, in relation to societal ideals. In the novel The Bluest Eye written by Toni Morrison, the topic of racial passing is widely explored through the theme of self- loathing. In the text Morrison portrays the human condition through the contrasting views of protagonist Pecola Breedlove and her foil Claudia Mac Teer. Morrison uses various literary elements within the text to convey her take on the ideals of racial passing, such as symbolism, imagery, and point of view.
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Throughout the text Pecola’s admiration for the “desirable” white character traits are evident through dialogue within the story. For instance in the scene where Frieda Mac Teer and Pecola Breedlove discuss the topic of Shirley Temple, Pecola declares her undying love and adoration for the child star. Claudia details her fondly gaze “ at the silhouette of Shirley Temple’s dimpled face” (Morrison 12). Pecola sees the adoration and attention not only Shirley Temple recieves but white girls in general, and desires the same. Upon observing this, Pecola deduces that white girls are “loved” because they possess beauty, and forms from this, reasoning as to why she is not loved. Claudia on the other hand during her narration expresses her disinterest in the white star “ I couldn’t join them in their adoration because I hated Shirley Temple” (Morrison 13). She goes on to detail her hatred for all the “ Shirley Temples of the world”. Unlike most black American girls that possessed the construed concept of beauty as Pecola did, Claudia had opposed the societal “norms”, she did not care for the big, blue-eyed Baby Doll, nor it desirable traits. Like Pecola she wanted to know what made white girls so lovable, what made teachers, and parents, and other children handle them with such

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