when Pecola was knocked down by her mother in front of her friends, it is also shown that her mother doesn’t love her. She is mentally abused in front of her friends.
In addition, when her mother prefers to calm the whites’ daughter down to her, Pecola’s mother sees her as an ugly girl indirectly, who isn’t worthy to be loved.
“Crazy fool . . . my floor, mess . . . look what you . . . work . . . get on out . . . now that . . . crazy . . . my floor, my floor . . . my floor.”
Her words were hotter and darker than the smoking berries, and we backed away in dread.”
Morrison, 1970:87
We remembered Mrs. Breedlove knocking Pecola down and soothing the pink tears of the frozen doll baby that sounded like the
door of our ice box. Morrison, 1970:148
Commonly, scars which are afflicted by a child will not be as painful as the wounds which are left on the child’s heart and mind. A child, like Pecola, who is not
only suffer various physical and sexual abuses, but also psychological abuses either from insiders or from outsiders will somehow become more afraid to get along with
others. She will eventually lose her faith on everyone and will turn into an introvert girl for no one is able to be trusted and to be depended on.
4.2 Adults’ Failures
Adults’ Failures mean any failures which are made by adults. Adults are normally seen as mature human beings who are able to protect children and are able
to be a good role model with the privilege that they have. However, this privilege is often misused. For instance is the privilege which is possessed by the Soaphead
Church in The Bluest Eye. As an adult who is labeled as the Soaphead Church, he is recognized as God’s messenger and God’s mediator. Thus, he is supposed to help
people and encourage people who need him. Yet, he does lots of immoral things which are mostly diverse from the norms that have been set or customs that have
been agreed. He uses his name and his power to molest children especially the girls. He fails them by deceiving them for his own sake.
The reason why adults’ failures can happen in the society is also because of the low self-esteem of the adults which can be seen in Cholly Breedlove and Pauline
Breedlove. Self-esteem is usually gained from well-merited achievement. Generally, people who have higher self-esteem are happier, less troubled, and less prone to
drugs. On the contrary, adults that are found in The Bluest Eye like the Soaphead Church, Cholly Breedlove, and Pauline Breedlove are all failed and troubled adults.
1941 in Lorain, Ohio is the time when most African American people are struggling for a better life. As an Afro-American as well, Cholly and Pauline are
forced to move to North due to the lack of the opportunities in South. They think that the North will provide more job vacancies which will bring the family to a better
state. In fact, Cholly is unable to get a better job because of his low education and status. He drags his family in poverty and himself in alcohol due to the frustration.
Due to the poverty and the belief of their ugliness, the Breedloves are placed on the lowest place in the society. Their self-esteem keeps going down for being
frustrated of the inability to fulfill the very basic physiological needs. The low self- esteem is the result of the incapability in solving problems and failures. When
someone feels his self-esteem is threatened, he can put other people down by violate them. This is what is mostly happened between Cholly and Pauline. They like to
have a fight between each other when they feel they are being looked down. Fights and arguments due to the poverty cause Cholly and Pauline fail to build
a happy family. Instead of having a harmonious and well life, arguing and domestic
violence in the Breedloves emerges continuously. At the end, they are only concerned on individual needs not family needs anymore. Cholly for example is
neglecting his family with keeping up his drinking habit as Pauline is neglecting her family especially her daughter by focusing herself more on her works. Money turns
to the priority. “Me and Cholly was getting along good then. We come up north;
supposed to be more jobs and all. We moved into two rooms up over a furniture store, and I set about house keeping. Cholly was
working at the steel plant, and everything was looking good. I don’t know what all happened. Everything changed.
Morrison, 1970:93
Their marriage was shredded with quarrels. …………………………………………….
Money became the focus of all their discussions, hers for clothes, his for drinks.
Morrison, 1970:94
The failures which are attached on Cholly and Pauline Breedlove, as well as the Soaphead Church as an adult in bringing the negative impacts to a child, especially to
Pecola, will be described in more details at the next point.
4.2.1 Moral Values Denial in The Bluest Eye
Moral is normal behaviour which is accepted by people. Whether a person is fine or not is judged by his moral behaviour. Though it isn’t only limited to children
or adults but the adults is mostly the one that are being hoped to have a good moral. It is not aside from the roles of adults itself who are supposed to be good role models.
Yet, the moral values denial means the outrageous behaviour which is usually not accepted. In The Bluest Eye, it is shown by the Soaphead Church.
The Soaphead Church aka Elihue Micah Whitcomb is a light-skinned black man who is raised in a family that always tries to marry other light-skinned people.
