Appearance in Society Since the beginning of time people all over the world have been judged based on their appearance. Based solely on the color of their skin, quality of clothing, body weight, or even hair texture, people experienced different treatment by the same people experiencing different results. Society has created a standard for an individual’s appearance. This standard allows society to believe that the looks of a person should influence their treatment by others. This standard expectation ultimately corrupts individuals mentally, emotionally and physically. In today’s society it is not okay to look different. No two people look exactly alike, not even twins. Everyone has differences separating them from the next person. Worldwide issues such as discrimination and racism only rely on the color of a person’s skin. Racists and those who discriminate against people due …show more content…
The treatment of white people had caused girls of other ethnicities to desire the same look and admire the blue eyed children. Self-esteem is destroyed when one first handily experiences the dramatic difference in how people interact with them in comparison to someone who looks different than them. The definition of beauty has been compromised leading those who do not fit the criteria to death of the mind.
The writer Toni Morrison wrote the novel The Bluest Eye based on a young girl who desired blue eyes. The blue eyes that earned such positive results from other people. Morrison said it best when she wrote the shocking truth that “-all the world had agreed that a blue-eyed, yellow-haired, pink-skinned doll was what every girl treasured” (Morrison, 20). This young girl’s desire for blue pushed her to a point of mental disruption. Having the need for that specific characteristic in order to be accepted by society and feel beautiful lead her in to a place where the state of her mind was unhealthy, sad and
Back in the early 1800’s, the color of one’s skin mattered amongst African Americans and Caucasian people. There was infidelity between the Caucasian slave owners and the African American slaves. Of course, the outcome of that produced a fairer toned child. In most cases the child could pass as white. The mixed toned kids got to be inside doing housework, while the dark Negroes worked in the fields, under extraneous work conditions,”their dark-toned peers toiled in the fields”(Maxwell). From the early 1800’s to modern day, there is controversy that light or bi-racial African Americans are better than dark colored African Americans. African Americans had to go through tests to see if they were able to receive priviledges that white people received,”light-skinned African Amerians receive special priviledges based off of their skin shade”(Maxwell). If an African American did not receive the priviledges similar to white people then they would try to change themselves to fit in,”African Americans are using bleaching creams so that they can make their skin lighter , just to achieve the standard beauty”(Brooke). As much as one will not one to discuss this topic, statistics shows how people are more lenient towards light and fair skin tones.Light oor fair coloredAmericans that poseess Caucasian features are prefiebly preffered.
Tal explained in the article how her family suffered in their early ages and escaped some of their problems, but when they entered a new country they were introduced to new conflicts that they eventually resolved by giving up some of their valuable time and also by teaching themselves to run a business that they have passed onto their granddaughter as a privilege. The argument of this article states that society will judge you in anyway possible because of the privileges you have, but remembering what Tal included in her article saying “My appearance certainly doesn’t tell the whole story, and to assume that it does and that I should apologize for it is insulting.”(Fortgang 2014:16). As stated in this quote, a person 's appearance will never tell you their story, you will judge them for how they look, but that way is not the correct way to judge anyone, the only way to judge a person is to not judge them at all, because every person had challenges they had to face to become who they are
The black way has never been an easy way. By the constructions of society, by its demand that there be an innate, horribly valid separation between the black man and the white man– the black way has never been right, nor fluid, nor gorgeous, nor terribly affectionate. Not by any literary standard. Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye has been no exception. This has been her message; and again, as if to suggest a chant, the black way has never been a good way.
As Harper Lee phrased the famous quote, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view—until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” Lee’s quote appears in her novel To Kill a Mockingbird, which explores racial and cultural stereotypes, exemplifies the differences between good and evil, and challenges the reader to find empathy for societal outcasts. Growing up in Lorain, Ohio during the Great Depression era, Morrison, raised by parents who moved to the North to escape southern racism, learned to value African American heritage and recognize situations, regarding alienated people, as unfair. Morrison’s unique upbringing has developed a conscientious perspective within her that gives her the advantage to speak not only with truth, but experience as well. While possessing a thoroughly defined perspective herself, Morrison is capable of weaving topics and messages meaningful to her into the divergent viewpoints of her many characters. Toni Morrison uses different points of view throughout the novel, The Bluest Eye, to give the reader a more detailed and realistic understanding of the characters’ situations and backgrounds and the novel as a whole. Morrison
Morrison’s The Bluest Eye appears to be a commentary that discusses how past history is living present in a political, social, racial and personal sense. The novel was published in 1970, with a setting of Midwest America post The Great Depression, inferring that although many years had passed Morrison still feels that the same issues of society live on. The past oppression of racial discrimination and domestic issues appear to be present in the novel, affecting characters fates and initial choices. These issues surround the novel, taking part in the plot and ultimate downfall of the main characters.
All human beings are conscious of their appearance. Society conditions the individual to meet distinct appearance criteria and sets forth an image that is deemed “attractive”. This struggle to fit norms, known as lookism, is discriminatory in its nature. Defined in 2000 by the oxford dictionary as “’prejudice or discrimination on the grounds of appearance’”, this new “ism” has risen to the surface in recent years (Ambrosetti 52), showing the prominence of its affects. Human beings construct circumstances that rule their realities. Gender, ethnicity and culture are all cultural constructions that have no true meaning once removed from society. That being said, lookism is biases of identification that influence one’s
Colorism is described as discrimination based upon the tone of ones skin. Colorism is a global issue that affects an array of people around the world. Although colorism is a worldwide issue, it is unique to African Americans due to the experience of slavery and its long-term psychological effects. African American men and women both experience colorism but the psychological effects are more prominent in women. Women in the black community are greatly affected by colorism starting at a young age. This is due to the history of the European standard of beauty in North America which plays a big role in how it affects their self-image, self-esteem, social status and relationships, and opportunities;
“The novel addresses the psychological and political implications of black people’s commitment to a standard of beauty (the blonde-haired, blue-eyed ideal)…” (Smith 364). Her desire to have blue eyes was so strong that once she was told her prayers had been granted, she never saw herself the same way again. From that moment on Pecola Breedlove believed that her eyes were blue. The last chapter of The Bluest Eye shows the dialogue between Pecola, and an imaginary figure whom Pecola had created, discussing the blueness of her
In the novel, the Black narrator Claudia talks about how the ideal beauty of their society is White women, stating, “Adults, older girls, shops, magazines, newspapers, window signs – all the world had agreed that a blue-eyed, yellow-haired, pink-skinned doll was what every girl child treasured. ‘Here,’ they said, ‘this is beautiful, and if you are on this day “worthy” you may have it’ (Morrison 20). This quote is significant because it proves that the culture promotes the appearance of White women over Black women. Due to the large amounts of racism, many African Americans believed they lived in poverty because they were black. The narrator explained, “The Breedloves did not live in a storefront because they were having temporary difficulty adjusting to the cutbacks at the plant. They lived there because they were poor and black, and they stayed there because they were ugly” (Morrison 38). The discrimination was so extreme in the novel that the African American characters started to idealize the white race. One example of this is when Pecola, a black girl, yearned for blue eyes because she believes all of the cruelty in her life will then go away. This strong desire ultimately leads to insanity (Morrison 174). The psychological suffering that many of the young female characters went through is result of discrimination towards a racial
Because young girls and women around the world are beginning to alter themselves to fit a certain mold, people are starting to realize that a pretty face and one’s youth is a factor that has been hurting the world for many years. So much so that a person is willing to kill to obtain beauty. This is truly and amazing yet sickening fact and the more we emphasize on one’s appearance the more catastrophes like this will happen.
A social issue Toni Morrison emphasizes in the bluest eye that majority of people believe whiteness as the symbol of beauty and disdain those who are different. Sometimes people do discrimination without realizing that and hurt others’ feelings. Morrison shows this by telling how light skin people feel that they are superior to those of darker skins even in the same race. First, Morrison uses the symbol of white doll, white God, and white movie actresses to reveal that whiteness is the symbol of beauty. Second, Morrison shows people’s crucial and unrespectable behavior towards those who have darker skin. Finally, Morrison shows that people feel proud if they have light skin as opposed to others in their race and how much important they feel
In the 1940's as well as present day, the media pushed on society an image of perfection and beauty. This image is many times fake, but the naive cannot deceive, and it can become an icon of beauty. If you do not fall within the image then you are ugly. In the book "The Bluest Eye," we witness the power that the media has on specific characters: Pecola Breedlove, Claudia and Frieda MacTeer. The icon of beauty at that point in time is Shirley Temple, a white girl with blond hair and blue eyes. She is also the first reference to beauty in the book. Claudia explains her feelings towards Shirley Temple by saying, "...I had felt a stranger, more frightening thing than hatred for all the Shirley Temples of the world" (19). Claudia is relating the hatred that she felt towards Shirley Temple to the envy she has towards girls who are beautiful like Shirley. Claudia herself knows that the media is trying to imply this image she says, "Adults, older girls, shops, magazines, newspapers, window signsall the world had agreed that a blue-eyed, yellow-haired, pink-skinned doll was what every girl child treasured" (20). This idea is repeated repetitively throughout the story, the idea that blue-eyed is beautiful. Frieda and Pecola love Shirley Temple while Claudia despises her with envy. Pecola once goes to purchase some candies called Mary Janes, she is very intrigued by the blue-eyed, blond girl in the wrapper. The narrator tells us that Pecola feels Mary Jane's eyes are pretty and that by eating the candy she feels the love that she has for the girl on the wrapper and she finds herself closer to her (50). The idea pushed by the media that blue eyes are beautiful builds up a strong destructive desire in Pecola.
With The Bluest Eye, Morrison has not only created a story, but also a series of painfully accurate impressions. As Dee puts it "to read the book...is to ache for remedy" (20). But Morrison raises painful issues while at the same time managing to reveal the hope and encouragement beneath the surface.
Throughout The Bluest Eye, Toni Morrison includes a number of background stories for minor characters along with the main plotline in order to add dimension to the novel and further convey the intense racial prejudice felt by almost all African Americans. Her main story tells of the outrageous landslide of wounding events that Pecola Breedlove experiences, a young black girl constantly patronized by her peers, and the things that eventually make her go crazy. The struggle for a deep black skinned person can be significantly different from what a lighter skinned black person feels, and Toni Morrison adds secondary story lines to stress that difference, and the extremes that racism can force people into. The back-story of Geraldine expresses the desire to be white supported by social circumstances, the comparison of how much easier whiter life could be on Pecola and her family, but also the poor results that can come from shying away from one’s own nature and history.
There are over seven billion people on earth and every single one looks different. No matter how much people say that being different is unique, they are wrong. Society has set a beauty standard, with the help of the media and celebrities, that makes people question their looks. This standard is just a definition of what society considers being “beautiful.” This idea is one that mostly everyone knows about and can relate to. No one on this planet is exactly the same, but people still feel the need to meet this standard. Everyone has two sides to them; there is the one that says “you are perfect just the way you are”, while the other side puts you down and you tell yourself “I have to change, I have to fit in.” There is always going to be that side that cares and the one that doesn’t.