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Gothic Elements In Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye

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Toni Morrison’s gothic writing surrounds the cold-blooded essence of the south post civil- war. She uses striking vocabulary to reveal the hardships of African Americans in the deep south. Her writing unapologetically real. Morrison has and is continuing to set the path for all southern gothic writers. Toni Morrison is a southern gothic, literary icon who has won countless awards for her work such as Beloved and The Bluest Eye; not only is she revolutionary for women but she is also for all African Americans. Morrison was one of four children, who grew up in rural Ohio. She was born with the name of Chloe Ardelia Wofford; but after many mispronunciations in college and after she tied the knot she changed it to Toni Morrison. As a child and throughout her adult years she was known to be outspoken; her mother seemed to be of a similar nature. While the family was on food stamps, Mrs. Wofford was displeased to find bugs in her cornmeal; she later wrote to Franklin D Roosevelt. Surprisingly she received a remorseful letter back. Not only did she take inspiration from her childhood but also her …show more content…

Morrison, being a women of color tells the story of Pecola Breedlove; a black eleven year old girl who prays for deep blue eyes and flowy blonde locks. All throughout her life she has felt pressures similar to this little girl and it is reflected in several of her novels. In a radio interview with Terry Gross Toni talks about the effects of being a women of color in America . While attending Howard College she observed that “lighter[skin] the better and the darker the worse… [this] had an impact on sororities, on friendships, on all sorts of things, and it was stunning to me.”(Morrison). Just as Pecola was suppressed by her eyes color, Toni was also suppressed and doubted because of her dark

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