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Analysis Of Tough Love In The Bluest Eye

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Tough Love In her book The Bluest Eye, Morrison presents the line between success and failure, drawn by parents to their African American children, as a tool used to prepare them for society. The line is depicted through the parents attitudes towards their children. Their mannerisms mimic how society has treated them in the past. It is a mechanism used to prepare their children for what is to come. If the child can’t physically or mentally take it, they fail. If the child learns to cope, to keep pushing forward, then something can be made out of them. Through Cholly’s and Pecola’s relationship, Morrison examines how Cholly’s past effects his choices. Cholly grew up with no parental figure in his life. He was rejected by his mother from birth and rejected by his father in a time of need. All he knows is rejection. Looking in Pecola’s eyes, Cholly would see haunted, loving eyes. “The hauntedness would irritate him—the love would move him to fury. How dare she love him? Hadn’t she any sense at all?” (161). Cholly’s reaction was “fury”, nothing comes from love but rejection “hadn’t she any sense at all?”. Cholly “wanted to break her neck—but tenderly” (161). The “tenderly” shows that Cholly feels something for Pecola, maybe even loves her. But he wants to “break her neck” because thats all that anyone has ever done for him. That is the only way he knows how to protect her. Morrison illustrates Ms. Breedlove’s attitude toward Pecola to reinforce Cholly’s thoughts; love will

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