Beauty. A simple word with many complicated definitions. Beauty is more so in the eyes of society than it is, in the eyes of the beholder. Since social norms define beauty, one must abide by that standard otherwise face disrespect, sorrow, and loss of individuality.
Most characters in Morrison’s novel, all endeavor to adjust to a standard of beauty in one way or another. This standard of beauty is established by the society in which they live, and then bolstered by the very same individuals of its society. Beauty is likewise linked with respect. The ones who achieve the standard of beauty, and the ones who try, are never really satisfied with who they are. The fact that a rigid standard of beauty is established, and all of the members of the community are pressured to conform to it, causes overwhelming effects on those who do fit it, and those who merely try.
The society within The Bluest Eye, just as our society, establishes a standard of beauty that its members must conform to. Since the whites are still the dominant force in the community, beauty is considered being as close to white as possible. Black people and black culture are looked down upon as being dirty and inappropriate. Beauty, in essence, is having blond hair, blue eyes, and a clean, plastic family. The roles of each member of the family are fixed, and each person fulfills them with good cheer.
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This standard of beauty is then applied to everyone as a kind of scale of quality. A person who matches this standard is ‘good’ and is respected for being so. A person who does not match the standard, or does not choose to conform to it, is not looked down upon. Not only are all people measured by this standard, but people are also aware of it at an early age. The ‘Dick and Jane’ books read by children in school, clearly define beauty.
This never-ending race to become beautiful has devastating effects on their relationships and their own self-esteem. The eleven-year-old black protagonist, Pecola Breedlove, also feels that she must level up to the social standard of beauty in order for both her and her family to be happy. When Pecola finally thinks that she has this beauty, she becomes temporarily happy but is not really satisfied with what she has. Eventually, Pecola becomes obsessed with being more and more beautiful, a state that she can never truly reach because she is black.
Geraldine, a respected woman living in the community, does conform to the standard of beauty, and she feels that anyone else is greatly inferior. So as to retain the beauty, Geraldine loses her culture and her individuality. More importantly, these books show that happiness can only be attained through beauty and that an ugly person can never really be happy or good.
Geraldine is an example of the devastating effects of conforming standard of beauty, even if it is reached. Geraldine, and the other women like her work their entire life to reach and maintain a standard of beauty. The women are constantly concerned with their appearance or the cleanliness of their house and belongings. The house, the clothes, the linens, everything is kept spotless. In fact, this obsession with appearance is so complete, that the women are only concerned with their hairpins while having intercourse. This obsession with retaining the standard of beauty also separates the women from their family. In Geraldine’s case, the husband married her because of her pervasive cleanliness and does not expect anything more.
The relationship between the couple is very machinelike and without feeling. The effects on the child are even more profound. From an early age, Junior is taught that he is better than the other children, that playing with them is beneath him. Not only does this create extreme feelings of superiority within Junior, but it also isolates him from the other children. Although he wants to have fun, he is not allowed because he would no longer be clean. Without a relationship between his pears, Junior can only have one with his mother, but he has failed in this sense also. Geraldine feels that it is her duty to bring up a clean and moral child, but she does not feel that she must have any bond with him. In truth, any emotions between Geraldine and Junior are almost nonexistent.
The relationship deteriorates to such a degree, that Geraldine feels more love towards her cat, a clean and proud creature than she does towards her son. In reaching the standard of beauty, Geraldine is actually abandoning that which makes her unique. She is, in essence, washing herself of her culture and her identity, and becoming a faceless member of society. By becoming ‘beautiful’, Geraldine is actually becoming like everyone else. In the process, she destroys the relationship between her and her family and isolates her child.
Pecola Breedlove is another example of the damage brought on by submitting completely to a standard of beauty. Pecola gradually becomes more and more fixated on reaching the standard of beauty, and she is never satisfied. Pecola feels that beauty is the only way to solve all of her problems. She feels that if she becomes beautiful, her parents will no longer fight, her family will not be poor, and her father will no longer be a rapist. Pecola reached this mindset through minor and extreme events in her life. Most importantly, is the fact that Pecola is not content even when she thinks that she has become beautiful. She becomes obsessed with being the most beautiful person possible. Pecola does not realize that beauty is not the answer to her problems, even when she achieves it. When, after thinking that she has blue eyes, no real changes occur in her life, Pecola starts wishing for even bluer eyes; even more beauty. Through the treatment that she has experienced, Pecola is now trapped in a race to become more and more beautiful, even though this does not really make her happier in the long run.
References
- The Bluest Eye
- Society’s Standard of Beauty: Psychological Consequences and Alternative Model for Women
- The Definition of Beauty in Western Society
- Effects of Societal Standards on Body Image Satisfaction among Singaporean Chinese, Malay, and Indian Females
- Impact of Societal Norms on African American Women’s Attitudes toward Physical Attractiveness and Exercise: An Exploratory Study
- Beauty Norms and Fat Discrimination in Health Care Settings: The “Invisible” Stigmatization Higher Weight People Face from Doctors, Nurses, and Other Medical Professionals
- Physique and Ethnicity are Key Beauty Factors in Latin America, Says NPD
- Beauty in a Box: Detangling the Roots of Canada’s Black Beauty Culture
