The Bluest Eye

Lesson 24
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ELA

Unit 7

9th Grade

Lesson 24 of 30

Objective


Analyze Morrison’s purpose in including this scene at this point in the text.

Readings and Materials


  • Book: The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison  pp. 161 – 163

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Target Task


Writing Prompt

What emotions does Morrison intend to evoke in her reader in this scene? Explain.

In the introduction, Morrison tells the reader that this will happen and that the how is the important part. Why is the “how” important?

How does this scene develop the theme of power/powerlessness? Beauty/ugliness? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

Key Questions


  • In which of the lines does Morrison let the reader know that Pecola will be raped by her own father?
  • "Our innocence and faith were no more productive than his lust or despair". What does the word despair mean in this sentence?
  • Turn to page 131. Between pages 131 and 161, we, the readers, have learned much about Cholly Breedlove. Look back through your annotations and choose two quotations that best show that Cholly is an individual who has experienced despair in his lifetime.
  • In what ways has Cholly's character been shaped by despair?
  • In what ways has Pecola's life already been shaped by Cholly's own despair?
  • What has Cholly done?
  • How does Morrison show Cholly's mixed emotions about what he has done?
  • How does this one horrific act show Cholly's deep despair and confusion? (It is possible that Cholly confused Pecola with his wife when she was young-re-read p. 160. It is also a recreation of the horror of his own first sexual encounter.)
  • How are we, as readers, meant to feel toward Cholly here? (repulsed, horrified)
  • What might be Morrison's purpose for including the pages about Cholly's childhood immediately before this scene? (To show his humanity. NOT to excuse this act, but to remind us that he is not a monster; he is a human whose experiences have shaped and molded him into who he is-a drunken, self-absorbed, abusive, rapist. Is she blaming society?)
  • Why is it significant that it is Pecola who is raped? What do we know of Pecola? (She is considered ugly, is abused, has no self-esteem, desperately wants to be loved, is not shown love by her family or by society.)
  • How is Pecola's life altered even further by Cholly's despair?

Next

Analyze Morrison’s characterization of Soaphead Church and explain how it reveals the themes of beauty and racism.

Lesson 25
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