Melissa P. Brown The Bluest Eye Analysis 3/29/15 Chapters 4/5

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison tells the tragic story of Pecola Breedlove. Pecola is a black woman who, all her life, had longed to be accepted by her community and family. Over the course of Pecola’s life she develops this idea that having blonde hair and blue eyes is the key to accomplishing this goal. The winter section (chapters 4/5) deals with one of the major themes, the divide between the rich and the poor (particularly in the black community). Chapter 4 describes the point of view of a middle class life at a close distance. It also becomes the first sign in the book the points out the flaws of the middle class. For example, the girls new friend Maureen Peal seems like a kind hearted and thought full person living the perfect life. However, Maureen is very casual about wanting to discuss “naked men.” This kind of casual attitude about something she has no knowledge of  (proven because she ask “did you ever see a naked man”) shows how ignorant middle class life is. It is also a sign of insensitivity, because Maureen only paid particular attention to Pecola, after Frieda saved her, because she secretly wanted all the juicy details about her Pecola’s father “sleeping naked ”and goes about it in an indirect manor.

Question 1 - Do you agree with this observation about and if so why?

Question 2 - Was there anything in chapter five simaler to chapter four's disterbing nature? If so what and how

Question 3 - Is there anything else you found about Maureen disterbing or off? If so explain?