and clean, her daughter is just as ugly as and as black as the other Breedloves. So, when Pecola spills the pie juice accidentally in the whites’ house, Pauline is
extremely angry because Pecola has dirtied the cleanness and the beauty that she praises. Pecola is then abused physically in front of her friends. Instead of soothing
Pecola, her mother knocked her down, yanked her up again to slap her in rage without considering her wound of the burn. It is also a retaliatory attack by her
mother because of Pecola’s blunder. Most of the juice splashed on Pecola’s legs, and the burn must
have been painful, for she cried out and began hopping about just as Mrs. Breedlove entered with a tightly packed laundry bag. In
one gallop she was on Pecola, and with the back on her hand knocked her to the floor. Pecola slid in the pie juice, one leg
folding under her. Mrs Pecola yanked her up by the arm, slapped her again, and in a voice thin with anger, abused Pecola directly
and Frieda and me by implication.
Morrison, 1970:86 As a proof that Pecola is often subjected to torture in the family can be seen
from the statement which is made by the neighbours who know how Pecola’s mother treats her daughter. The treatment which is befallen by Pecola is definitely different
from discipline and can lead the victim to death. “Well, it probably won’t live. They say the way her mama beat
her she lucky to be alive herself.” Morrison, 1970:148
4.1.3 Rape in The Bluest Eye
Rape is a type of sexual coercion which is done by one human being to another human being. Rape which happens on a child is the peak of child sexual abuse. A
child who is being raped especially by an adult whom she knows and believes may lose the trusts to all adults. Besides, rape can also cause a child losing self-
confidence and having no idea of what life is actually about. In addition, viciously the child might suffer self depression which may lead to insanity.
In The Bluest Eye, the rape which is done by Cholly to Pecola for twice is believed to be one of the reasons of why Pecola gets pregnant but ends up with
losing her baby and her sanity at the end. Unlike the second rape which isn’t being told precisely how it happens, it can be seen that the first rape happens when Cholly
is under the biochemical influences. Biochemical influences such as alcohol and drugs leads the blood on body from the neural sensitivity to aggressive stimulation. It
makes the consumer become more aggressive than usual when intoxicated. Aggressiveness of a person is boosted after the person consumes alcohol. The
alcohol will reduce people self-awareness and their ability to consider consequences. This means under alcohol influences, the percentage of a person to commit assaults
is higher. It is because they lose their self-awareness and their ability to picture the consequences. For that reason, when Cholly comes home drunkenly and sees her
daughter who is still washing, he can’t overcome the pleasure and the excitement in him. The pleasure and excitement of the forbidden thing and the memories of her
wife, Pauline pops up. He loses his rational ego and moralism of super-ego. His forbidden desire of the unconscious id is waken up and is raised because of the
biochemical influences. He rapes his daughter. Here is the quote when Cholly comes home drunkenly and losing his self-awareness:
So it was on a Saturday afternoon, in the thin light of spring, he staggered home reeling drunk and saw his daughter in the kitchen.
She was washing dishes. Her small back hunched over the sink. Cholly saw her dimly and could not tell what he saw or he felt.
Then he became aware that he was uncomfortable; next he felt the discomfort dissolve into pleasure.
Morrison, 1970:127
4.1.4 Introvert in The Bluest Eye
Introvert is a character that people want to be alone all the time. It is not always because they like it but it is also because they are afraid to communicate with others.
Introvert might be the cause of the isolation which is made by people around the victims. The character of introvert can be found on everyone, even on a child. An
introvert child enjoys exploring their own thoughts and feelings, avoiding the social conversations. It is more to the inner world of a person himself.
To all children, home is the first place of socialization and parents are the most powerful influences on children’s development. To what a child is developed is
totally depended on both things. It is very important and crucial for parents to build a good relationship with their children. Knowing that he is loved for a child is also
extremely essential. Those are things that will then develop children’s character. In The Bluest Eye, it can be seen how permissive Pecola’s parents are. Neither
they are able to fulfill her physical needs nor they are able to fulfill her emotional needs. Feeling of unloved and isolated created Pecola becoming an introvert girl. As
an introvert girl, Pecola is seen as a powerless girl who is easily bullied. However, this is not apart from the lesson which is taught by her mother. Learning from her
mother about the ugliness of her blackness, she starts to dislike herself. Her parents especially her mom also embeds her with fear of life, which gradually leads her to
become an introvert girl. The fear that she possess is indeed coming from her mother: . . . and into her daughter she beat a fear of growing up, fear of
other people, fear of life. Morrison, 1970:102
This belief and the fear on her which is later on also affect the view of people to her. As she can’t see any good things about herself, she can’t bring out any good
