Feminism and conformity in Black Literature Revisiting Race, Gender, and Identity in Morrison’ The Bluest Eye
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Date
2021
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Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
UNIVERSITY OF ABBES LAGHROUR-KHENCHELA
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Published in 1970, Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye tells the story of a black little girl who is
destroyed by feelings of self-loathing and rejection from those around her. This work intends
to analyze how the concepts of identity, race and gender are portrayed in the novel, and how
they relate to issues of white beauty standards, self-loathing and racial pride. We propose that
The Bluest Eye is a protest against the adoption of beauty as a positive and universal value,
and that the novelist is suggesting the building of wholesome, healthy identities through the
connection to the culture and tradition of a community instead of mere copycat, assimilation,
and conformity to the dominant white community which leads to neglecting the sense of self
that destroys any sign of identity for the African American people. In order to do that, we
start by revisiting the concept of race, identity and gender. Then, we examine feminism and
how it relates to the author as well as the characters within the novel. Finally, we explore how
conformity wasn’t the solution to gain respect or acceptance of the white community. Our
thesis reflects that instead of supporting the assimilation to the standardized beauty of
whiteness, Toni Morrison suggests that the very concept of beauty is harmful and
exclusionary. Instead of promoting just the idea that blackness be considered beautiful, the
writer proposes that the valorization of African Americans should originate from placing
importance on their culture, traditions and connection to the community.