The Theme of Parental Love and Self Esteem In Morrison’s The Bluest Eye

Abstract

Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, the first of her novels, is a tale of a fragmented black family. The novel presents a distorted and shattered picture of parenthood. There is a mother and a father who fails to love their daughter because of their self- created false and misleading measures of beauty which culminate in the tragedy of their daughter, Pecola. The mother, Pauline and the father, Cholly Breedlove are born and raised in a racist society. Their black colour distorts and spoils their self- identity, turning them into a disgruntled self, finally leading to estranged family relationships. Their failure to love and respect their own self makes them incapable of lavishing the same feelings to their family and loved ones. Through the tragic story of Pecola Breedlove, Morrison tries to explore the theme of importance of familial love in children’s life and how the absence of this factor can cause horrible damage in their lives.