Oppression and Symbiosis: An Ecofeminist Perspective of The Bluest Eye

Junru Wang

International Journal of Literature, Linguistics, and Cultural Studies, 2025, vol. 1, issue 1, 24-30

Abstract: In her seminal work The Bluest Eye, African American female writer Toni Morrison focuses on the tragic story of Pecola, a black girl who suffers from racial discrimination, domestic violence and sexual assault since her childhood, and is deeply inferior in the white culture-dominated society, and finally seeks for recognition and acceptance with the desire to have a pair of blue eyes. At the same time, this novel also depicts natural imagery such as withered marigolds, sandy land, and violent storms, which mirror each other with the fate of the characters, revealing the deep connection between race, gender, and ecological violence. Therefore, from an ecofeminist perspective, this paper analyzes the relations of oppression, resistance and connection embedded in the gender and ecological dimensions of the work. Black women and nature, represented by Pecola, are violated and oppressed by patriarchal men and human beings, and Claudia's sisters resist and rebel against them by tearing up the white dolls and the emergence of the phenomenon of land barrenness. Finally, Pecola's wish for marigolds is a deep connection and integration between women and nature on a spiritual level. This paper aims to provide inspiration and reference for solving the long-standing problems of race, gender and ecology under the patriarchal society, and to inject more humanistic care into the rapidly developing post-industrial society nowadays.

Keywords: The Bluest Eye; Toni Morrison; ecofeminism; patriarchy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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