Final Essay - Steven Lara

Steven Lara

Dr. Drissi

Eng. 105

11 December 2015

The Consequences of Neglect on the Development of Children

            In the novels, ”The Bluest Eye” and “Of Love & Other Demons”, child neglect is a common theme. Both texts display the negative impact that neglect has on the development of children. The characters Pecola and Sierva are the victims of neglect, consequently hindering their social relationships and self-esteem. The results of neglect consist of short-term and long-term effects, which can be both psychological and physical, on the character and mentality of the child that can be difficult to remove. This is a serious form of abuse that needs to be taken seriously and given more attentive care by those within the “home” of the children. In the novels, “The Bluest Eye” and “Of Love & Other Demons”, child neglect from Pecola’s and Sierva’s parents alters the way they perceive themselves and the world around them leading to their individual downfalls, which also sets an counter-example of what the concept of “home” should be for all families.

The character Pecola Breedlove, from Toni Morrison’s novel “The Bluest Eye”, is a black eleven-year-old girl that comes from an unloving, abusive and neglectful family.  In the beginning of the story Pecola was placed to live with the Macteer family because her father had burned down her house and she had nowhere else to go. Claudia Macteer explains, “The county had placed her in our house for a few days, … until the family was reunited”(Morrison 16). Experiencing separation from her family by the force of an external power because of an act caused by her father reveals to the reader the unhealthy condition in which the family exists. Her idea of “home” is now broken and there is now established boundaries for what a family is to her.

Traditionally, a mother is the parent who provides unconditional tender, love and care for her children through sensitivity, understanding and compassion. Although, this nurturer archetype is absent in this sociological context of the “home” for Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye”.

Pecola’s mother Pauline is unaffectionate and abusive towards her and creates distance for their mother-daughter relationship. In a scene in the spring, Pecola spills berry cobbler in the kitchen of the house belonging to the white family that Pauline works for by accident, while also burning herself in the process. According to Claudia Macteer, “Mrs. Breedlove yanked her up by the arm, slapped her again, and in a voice thin with anger, abused Pecola directly”(109). An example of Pauline’s aggression and animosity for her daughter is shown by her abusive nature and lack of consideration for her daughter’s well being, even after have cried out and hopped in pain from the burns. Conversely, Pauline comforts the little white girl who lives there after she begins to cry. Pauline says to her, “Hush, baby, hush. Come here… don’t cry no more”(109). Pecola witnesses first hand her mother attending to another girl’s needs of comfort and security more than her own by her tone, words and demeanor when speaking to her.

Ideally, the father of the family is supposed to be the protector and guardian of their kin. Unfortunately, this role is unfulfilled in the Breedlove home and instead replaced with the infliction of damage.

Cholly Breedlove does not love Pecola the way a father should. One of the reasons he could not be the father he needed to be was due to his alcoholism. It is described that, “Cholly, by his habitual drunkenness” caused him to be violent. (42). Being an alcoholic drove Pecola away from him and limited the bonding time necessary for the two to build a strong relationship. It was during one of his drinking binges that Cholly, “wanted to fuck her-tenderly”(162). The action of a father raping his daughter is so unnatural and immoral that it inevitably creates a psychological wound that a child would never be able to heal from.

The concept of family and “home” for Pecola Breedlove is distorted, fragmented and undesirable. At a young age she experienced living in another family’s household and witnessed their love for each other that she did not have for her own. Even though the Macteer’s treated Pecola with hospitality they would not be able to fill the void of her family loving her the way a child deserves. Her unstable relationships with her family would prohibit her from creating healthy relationships with peers and other people. Her only friends Claudia and Frieda ended up saying they, “avoided Pecola Breedlove”(205). Pecola desired to be white with blue-eyes more than anything else. The Macteers, “knew she was fond of the Shirley Temple cup…to see Shirley’s face” (23). Since her self-esteem was low due to her ugliness and mother loving a white girl more than her. Pecola thought that if she had blue-eyes like Shirley Temple, because she was so popular and praised, she would be loved and wanted. “A little black girl yearns for the blue eyes of a little white girl”(204). Pecola wanted to be someone other than herself because she was not happy and had a low self-esteem. She wanted to be blue-eyed because that was her misconception of beauty. If she was beautiful then her parents could love her. Her parents’ neglect attributed towards her feelings of self-inadequacy because they did not acknowledge or accept her for who she was. Therefore, her continuous pain and suffering, ultimately lead to her insanity.

Child neglect is common and can be seen across different nations and cultures. Families with children of all social classes can be subjected to neglect. Hence, Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s “Of Love and Other Demons” takes on another perspective.

            Sierva Maria is a twelve-year-old girl from the South American seaport in “Of Love and Other Demons” that comes from a noble family that does not possess the proper standards of love and affection that a “home” requires for a child. Her father the Marquis and her mother Bernarda do not focus on their daughter as a priority but as an obligation they are forced to deal with. Sierva gets bitten by a rabid dog in the beginning of the novel, which leads to the unveiling of the empty relationships of the family. Her father, the Marquis, “thought of Sierva Maria not as his daughter but as hers alone”(Marquez 23). Her mother, Bernarda, “knew very well she did not love the girl and the girl did not love her”(16). Both parents did not want to affiliate themselves with their daughter even at her tender age of twelve.

            Sierva Maria had a stronger connection with the black slaves that lived in the shack of her household than her own biological parents. When it was her birthday she was with the slaves and believed that is when she is, “in her true home and with her true family”(12). The Marquis had one of the slaves trained to watch over and take care of Sierva on a daily basis. He delegated upon a slave the task to, “not to let the girl out of her sight, … treat her with affection and understanding (27).  When the Marquis tried to take Sierva out of the shack, “the girl resisted when he tried to carry her in his arms (25).  Sierva adapted to the black culture since she was around them the majority of the time and became able to, “sing in voices … in the various languages in Africa (12).

            The idea of the “home” is one that consists of love, companionship and belonging within the family. In “Of Love and Other Demons’ these elements of the “home” are not found within Sierva’s biological family but with the slaves, abandoning the typical concept itself.

            Sierva is part of a family that is considered royalty, which in term has reached the highest status within social class. Being of upper class coincides with financial stability and certain privileges normal people do not have for themselves. Ironically, the family lacks stability for the marriage of the Marquis and Bernarda as well as their relationship with their daughter Sierva. It would be understandable if Sierva’s parents were busy with other obligations but the neglect actually starts from her them not liking her. Marquis does not consider Sierva his daughter and Bernarda claims to not love her. Parents cannot provide the proper “home” for a child if they do not provide love for them. Hence, the Marquis assigns the most trustworthy slave to take their place as caregiver for Sierva and tend to her everyday needs. A child is being neglected by their parents, if their responsibility is being passed on to someone else. This grants the opportunity for Sierva to form a connection with people that are not her real family.

            Sierva assimilates the culture of the black slaves over the time being neglected by her own parents. Subsequently, developing resentment for her personal culture and family. Resisting to her father if logical since he had not fulfilled the role required to have obtained Sierva’s desire to be with him.

            Due to the rabid dog bite, Sierva is finally given attention and receives care from the doctor. It was believed that she had obtained rabies herself, which in reality was not the case. In the Marquis, Sierva sold the part to the doctor after barking in retaliation of her refusal to travel with her him in order to make her happy. She reacted this way because she did not want to leave her family amongst the black slaves where she felt belonging instead of her father whom she despised.  The neglect she received from her parents created the uncooperativeness that eventually lead to the doctor created problems that were never even there. If she never acted out by barking, the doctor would have reopened the wound and caused the infection that ended up killing her.

            In conclusion, support of the thesis through empirical evidence, insight and awareness has been provided through the characters Pecola Breedlove and Sierva Maria on the consequences of development in response to child neglect. In the case of Pecola Breedlove, physical abuse, segregation and lack of acceptance eliminated her sense of self and distorted her reality. Pecola suffered from neglect, therefore her needs were not being met in her “home” causing her to become self-loathing and mentally insane. For Sierva Maria, she was unloved by her parents and nurtured by outsiders of her family creating a barrier between them. When it came to communicating with her parents it was almost always unsuccessful and dissimulating. There was not any chemistry between Sierva and her parents thus she could not explain the situation of her bite properly without the Marquis taking extreme measures. As a result of child neglect, Pecola ended up mentally insane and Sierva ended up dead. Although these are both extreme cases of result in regards to neglect they are causes. For both characters the concept and ideology of the “home” was broken and unattained. A resolution for child neglect in general is to give children more than just the necessities for survival. Their development depends on the intangibles of providing a loving and accepting environment for the child to be raised in. If Pecola were shown acceptance from her parents perhaps she would not have desired to have blue eyes so passionately. If Sierva felt as close to her biological parents as she did her slave family maybe she would not have resisted her father by barking and have lived a long fulfilling life. These are the possible outcomes if neglect was never to occur for them. Ultimately, child neglect during the developmental stages can lead to serious psychological and sociological impairments that can affect that person’s future in a negative way.

            

Veiling

After reading this article, I obtained a better understanding of why women veil their hair. The cloth women wear on their head is called a hijab or a scarf. They wear it to show that they dress and behave humbly. The majority of Muslim women wear the hijab, to obey God, and to be known as respectable women. The Hijab liberates women from being thought of as sexual objects of desire or being valued for their looks, or body shape rather then their intelligence. In Islamic culture women are almost forced to wear the hijab and if they do not wear it the women are not thought of as modest women. 

Veiling

This article about the freedom of veiling in eastern and western areas was a little difficult to understand at first, but after having finished reading the article, it made the reading more explainable. I do believe that women should have the freedom to veil their hair and if these women choose not to want to veil their hair, it should not affect what others think. Everyone has the freedom to make their own choices. Therefore, the public should not be threatened by the choices women make.

The Veiling

This article gives us insight on how people view veiling. Some believe it restricts the freedom of women. However in certain places, women do have the choice. It is interesting to compare other practices with ours. In our society, women are allowed to wear almost any type of clothing and expose their body as they please. In theirs, everything needs to be covered. This can be a reason why sometimes it is viewed as limiting freedom of women. It is just a practice that is different but doesn't always restrict freedom.

Eastern Veiling

Its interesting reading this article because I've actually discussed this topic before in my ethnic studies class last quarter.  We discussed exactly what the article is talking about, how western society views veiling as a means of segregating and separating women.  But women who wear these veils do not view it as this.  This veiling technique is used as an expression of religion and this article made me realize just how fast we judge others at first glance.

Veiling

I find this article very interesting and very empathizing, for I have lived in Shanghai, where since 1970s have been the first city to open up to the Western world, and one of the most modernized and westernized big city in China. This article discussed the topic of Westerners imposing their point of view and opinion onto other cultures, and in this case, the Middle Eastern countries. The action of veiling, to the Middle Eastern people, is seen as a sense of culture, and a method of increasing morality, compared to the “westerners” who are more revealing. What interested me the most is the idea that feminism, a movement started in 19^th century, is viewed as the main cause of the “backwardness” of the Middle Eastern Islamic countries. The argument presented is that the continuous notion of the westerners, believing that veiling is a form of oppression of religion on women in Middle East, is an impediment on Islamic countries’ advancement. This belief is argued as a notion created by the west to dominate over east. 

Veiling

I found the article very insightful because it opens up a whole new understanding of veiling. While we are used to viewing veiling as a barrier between men and women caused by religion, this article talks about how women use veiling voluntarily as an expression of freedom. This completely changed my perspective of the Islamic religion and has made me become more open minded about other stereotypes of religion I see on a daily basis.

Different Perspectives and Meaning of Veiling

After reading this article, it made me realize that I was overall very limited to the amount of information I knew about veiling in Islamic cultures. Before reading this article my perspective of the veiling was due to religion and culture purposes. I knew before that women tend to cover up outside of the household because their body could not be revealed to others-especially if they are married. After reading this article the author went in dept about the fact that the veiling had more of a symbolic overall meaning for a women. It makes them feel that they belong to a certain group. However she also embraces the term-freedom. She embraces on the term freedom and the overall meaning. After reading the whole article it made me realize and connect to the reality show on Bravo- Shahs of Sunset. The overall show is about a group of friends who are Persian that juggle their social life with new and old traditions. In the clip below Asa talks about how women should have the choice to either veil or unveil, which connects to freedom that women. The author also elaborates on the freedom that these women have. Here is the small clip of the show....Asa's Veiled Performance Art

The veil

After reading this passage, it gives me a lot of information about the standard beauty that people make up with. There are one inportant fact that who makes up the standard of beauty, i think is the film of Hollywood. Their point of view change a lot through out the time. First, they think blonde with blue eyes is a standard of beauty. For now, they can make anyone to be pretty. They photoshop every secen which can make most ugliest person to become the most beautiful person.

eastern veiling western freedom

After reading this article, I really thought about how people in our country thinks about the veiling and women that practice this. I remember the first time seeing a friend of mine, having her hair, her entire body covered with a black cloth, at that time i still did not know why she did this. But later on i learned that it is part of a culture. This article helps explain a lot. A lot of people in our country see it as a 'threat' and look at them like muslims are all bad people and only cover their face because if they do something wrong people can't see their faces. But maybe we should try to accept this culture. We have our own, a lot of young teens wear fewer and fewer clothes than the generation before us did, and they don't comment on any of this, then why should we not accept it and see it as a beauty, too.

Eastern Veiling Western Freedom

One part of the passage that sparked my interest was the part that said the western feminists make the standard of beauty and westerners say that wearing a veil is not considered pretty, and since the eastern women wear the veils they are not considered beautiful. I think this subject has a lot to do with today's society in the United States, I feel like Hollywood makes up the rules on what is pretty and and what is accepted and everyone is supposed to follow that standard or they are not pretty. I see this daily people trying to copy movie stars all of the time and I think it is sad because we all need to be individuals because we are all special in our own ways and we need to embrace who we are. We also need to need to be more confident in ourselves and be able to stray away from the norm and really not worry what others think. Although the article is called Eastern Veiling Western Freedom I think that it should be Eastern Veiling Western Creating because the western civilization is making the standard that is to be followed.

How "The Veil" is Viewed

     After reading this article, I was able to enhance my limited perspective on veiling. I always saw it as a part of religion  and culture, but never thought much about the concept. Veiling by many has been seen as a form of oppression and domestic violence. Eastern veiling, Western freedom? talked about Westerners focusing on veiling as a form of assault from men to women when one of the first people to use veiling as a symbol were Egyptian university women. The meaning of veiling seems to have shifted over the years. I found interesting that the article states that European women are "more" virtuous because of their freedom, but they're also indecent because of it. It gives the example that men don't want to feel threaten by women and so deny them freedom to anything including education. I don't particularly agree with either of these statements because European women can have freedom and not be virtuous at all by not acting upon that freedom they hold. The fairness with the second statement is self explanatory. Women shouldn't be denied freedom simply because men feel threatened by it. A statement that was new to me was that which was on page 476. I've never heard of using the seclusion from the veil as a way to "avoid" men's attention as well as avoid unwanted attention of other women seen by them. It's an interesting perspective from women using this to their convenience. Overall, I enjoyed reading this article. It gave great insight on opposite views on veiling from a Western and Eastern view in topics relating to freedom, feminism, politics, power, religion, culture, oppression, and convenience.

'Eastern Veling, Western Freedom"

After reading the article "Eastern Veling, Western Freedom" I gained a unique perspective on understanding Middle Eastern Religions. Before reading this article I never really understood why women wore veils in  Middle East cultures. I always thought it was part of Religion but never understood why. I was always quick to judge woman who wore them because of the many stereotypes that are associated with them and how its not common in American culture. However now after reading this article I can now have a basic understanding to why they wear the vails and tis significance make an impact a girl life.

Another day

Not many Americans, like myself, are not educated or aware when it comes to other religions, especially Middle Eastern religions. After reading the article it has came to my attention that us Westerns do see veiling as a symbol to the Eastern women and are not aware that it could be voluntarily due to religion practice or the true meaning. My good friend I had met here in college is Syrian and actually came to the United States about 8 years ago. Out of the 4 years I have known her I have never seen her with a veil and I never had thought about it till now, why doesn't she wear one. Funny thing is when I asked her what she thought about veils, she said they were pretty and suddenly changed the subject. Maybe I'll ask her another day about this article and get her feedback.

Of Love and Other Demons Ending

After reading the conclusion of the novel, Of Love and Other Demons, it ended with Sierva the little girl with the copper hair dying to a broken heart. Sierva's death although saddening was not surprising since at the start of the book there was a reference to a little girl's remains inside the catacombs. Her untimely demise was to be blamed because of the church. The church finding that Sierva was different from the rest would use her as a target in the name of the church. Because they targeted her they would torture her through inhumane housing, "exorcisms", and reopening of her wounds. The way the church was able to escape from any logic used to counter what they were doing was by saying that Sierva was possessed or that Sierva needed to be treated due to her contraction from a bite of a dog that was said to have rabies. I believe that the only reason why the church targeted Sierva was because she would have been able to make a difference and alter the influence of the church. And so with the church being "all-mighty" as it is, would impose it's self-righteousness upon a girl who was just social and associated herself with the slaves because she was placed there.

of love and other demons

of the over all of the novel Of Love and Other Demons, Sierva was dead by the end of the novel. It did not surprise me with this ending because in the beginning of the book, it does talk about the rabies that people get and she might get. also there is one thing that i found interesting of the book, which is the the death body they found from the beginning of the book. which the girl got rabies and die. however the hair will still be growing after people died. From the beginning i do not know about people's hair will still growing after live.

Of Love and Other Demons

With the conclusion of the novel Of Love and Other Demons, we see the death of the little girl Sierva. This did not come as a very big surprise as it was foreshadowed at the beginning of the book. It was strange throughout the book as just because Sierva seemed a little bit different, the people around her used a simple thing such as the rabid dog bite as an excuse to shun her and call her diseased even though she never showed the signs of rabies. It is surprising that DeLaura turned onto Sierva and ended up calling her a demon even though it was just their lust for each other. It is important here to see how far the church was willing to go just for the girl, which represents the importance that it had in that time period.

Of Love and Other Demons

With the conclusion of the book, I conceived of one main thing that carries through out the whole entire story. This reoccurring thing was that the feeling of love was often repressed and not acted upon. For instance, the marquis did not begin to love Sierva Maria until she believed to be at risk of dying. The marquis grew to love her but at the end, gave into solidarity and left her alone at the convent. After that, he did not do much to show that he loved her in ways where he could have visited her or wrote her letters. He felt guilty as a sign of the guilt he felt but he did nothing for her after he left her at the convent. Another time in the story where love was repressed was when Delaura began to see Sierva in the cell at the convent. When he began to realize that he was in love with her, he repressed his feelings and blamed her for it in the way that he told the bishop that she is truly possessed. The reason why he told the bishop that is because he thought that lust to be a demon although it was actually his own inner demon. Once he began to see her every night and they both became lovers, there were times where Sierva wanted Delaura to act upon his love. One time was when he was leaving for the night but Sierva told him to stay with her or take her with him. He evaded the whole situation and blatantly left her in the cell. Delaura did not think of a plan to get her out other than of dissuading the bishop that she was not possessed. He could have planned an escape to run away through the tunnels he took late at night. Love through the characters eyes was something that they did not know how to deal with. I believe that it was ultimately what led to Sierva's death of a broken heart from Delaura not coming back to visit in addition to the pain and torment from exorcisms.

Of Love and Other Demons

Throughout the book I knew that Sierva was not possessed by demons; that is just the nature of magic realism.  Events might appear supernatural but have a worldly explanation.  Obviously she was just a scared maturing girl who did not have caring parents or much company the moment she entered the convent. However, I thought it was pretty freaky that she had the same dream as Father Cayento for which there seems to be no real explanation. And like Samson, or any character whose 'power' is tied to their hair, I knew even before reading the ending that the it would involve cutting her hair.  It was very sad that Sierva Maria was tortured and died at the hands of superstitious people who masquerade as religious.

Of Love and Other Demons

This book was a little difficult to read because of how much Sierva was suffering. She is just a young girl who grew up with the slaves her parents owned. Sierva's mother admitted to being frightened by the child, leading to hatred, while her father was indifferent towards her until she got bit by the rabid dog. He immediately gets his act together and becomes more of a father to Sierva, but her mom still doesn't care about her. This was saddening because of the childhood Sierva had, ultimately leading to her death alone.

Seeking for Happiness

Both books, Of Love and Other Demons and the Bluest Eye, are based on young girls and their personal issues in life. They were both depressing from an African American girl, Pecola, living through segregation, praying to one day have blue eyes and to feel loved. As for Sierva who had her own parents but was raised by the slaves. After finishing Of Love and Other Demons, I caught a tear come down my cheek. Although there was a huge age difference between Delaura and Sierva there relationship was so interesting to me. Sierva was just a young innocent girl, possibly going through puberty, and barely learning life as for Pecola, had no choice but be independent and mature after being raped by her own father. Both came from an unloving family yet still seek for happiness in some way.

Of Love and Other Demons

To me i was not surprised how this book ended. Many times throughout this book the little girl named Sierva told us that she did want to die. Although she never really had any demons the people who were treating her would not consider any other possibility because to them these acts of resistance from the little girl could only be acts of the devil, at this time logical thinking was just starting to gain momentum and was only the beginning of the Enlightenment period. Really, it was the way she was being treated as well as tortured that made her seem almost demonic, it is undeniable that anybody who went through what she did would undoubtedly act similarly. And at this time religion was of high importance and being unable to treat her would mean the church was defeated. It was also mentioned earlier in the book that she was having dreams of eating magical grapes that held the secret to her death so it's of no surprise to me that it was foreshadowing her death.

Of Love and Other Demons

As we progress throughout the book, Of Love and Other Demons, I start to feel more and more sympathy for this little girl.  Sierva Maria is only twelve years old, and still, she has gone through more pain and suffering then anyone should have to.  They believe they are curing her of her sickness when in reality there is nothing wrong with her and they are only making things worse.  As the reader you wish there was something you could do or that there was someone to come to her rescue and help Sierva Maria.  But so far there is not, and sh doesn't have a voice of her own to stand up for herself.  

My mother and mercy

The narrator finds herself in a bit of a pickle. She is the undisirable one in her family as she didn't turn out like her brother or grandmother, mercy. She had what was an Afro which made her look like a guy, as opposed to her brother who had blue-green eyes and golden hair. As a result of her curly Afro type hair she was constantly belittled at school as she was referred to a boy as well as, presumably, sarcastic questions of why she looked like a boy. She hated the girls with long silky hair that they could let down because she couldn't do it herself. However the worst treatment didn't come from school or other girls, it was at home, from her one grandmother who would purposely cut her hair short to give her the appearance of a boy. As a result as other family members were grieving to the death of Mercy she remained emotionless as she did not whether to cry out in joy, remain neutral or go into a sobbing rage. She was so detached that she felt sorry for Casey Anthony's mother, a person she had never met, instead of her own grandmother. 

Of Love and Other Demons

The title of the novel stands out a little more than before.. Sierva Maria was thought of as a body possessed by demons, which is in the title. This twelve year old girl has been through too much. She has been burned, forced to take enemas and other things that can possibly cure her sickness. Although they believe she is being helped it really has the opposite effect. It is sad because the Marquis desperately wants to save her but does not know where to turn. Her mother on the other hand does not have any interest in saving the girl.

From "My Mother and Mercy"

When I come across pieces of writing in which the author expresses how someone or something has made them despise their appearance, it truly depresses me. Our hair is a representation of who we are. There is no one in this world who can decide whether our hair is ugly or bad. The narrator felt ugly because her grandmother made her feel inferior for the type of hair she was born with, because her hair was not blonde. Our hair is a representation of our culture, we must embrace it.

My Mother and Mercy

The death of a family member is never easy. Even if you are not close to that family member, there can be a powerful emotional release to their death. Sometimes, it fills you with regret. Jaquira Diaz has an estranged relationship with her mother and even more so with her grandmother, Mercy. Mercy is a prejudiced white woman, both racist and homophobic. She disapproves of her daughter marrying a negro, and places her hatred of the marriage on her grandchild. Mercy has always taunted Jaquira because she has "bad hair" and dark skin because of her father, while Levy "turned out just like [Mercy]". Jaquira is bullied at school because her grandmother ruins her hair by straightening and cutting it, resulting in a boyish appearance. The hair is used to show the development of their disconnect as family members. The neglect from her grandmother causes Jaquira shock when she receives a call from Mercy.  Knowing her temperamental spirit, Jaquira also is surprised when Mercy doesn't react negatively to the comment about a previous murder. Jaquira is left confused when she thinks about both the call and the suicide and wonders why her grandmother has changed so much. In the end, I think she is filled with regret for not realizing the sudden change in her grandmother's heart when she called. 

My Mother and Mercy Response

I really enjoyed reading the little excerpt. I connected the short story to the other books that we have read. She lives a life just like Pecola and Sierva Maria. They both don't have the love and encouragement of their mother. She is also describing a period of time where racism was active. Mercy described the black men as people who are not worthy nor a good situation that is bound to happen. I also connected the way her hair is described in the excerpt to Pecola's hair in The Bluest Eye. I pictured Pecola with also black curly hair. However, I do question the type of relationship she had with Mercy.

Of Love and Other Demons.

I personally really liked this book. I enjoy these types of  books that have intense imagery. The book was a very good read in terms of context. The story is captivating and the way the story line was created was pieced together very well. From start to beginning, I can handle what is happening to who and understand the back stories of each character. I like books such as this one where it is very condense in terms of the information that the author gives to show character development.

The story itself is very moving. I am a Catholic and the religious perceptions given in the book is very interesting to me. The religious beliefs and the way they treat Sierva Maria shows the negatives of religious people. My aunt is a nun so its interesting to read about fictional situations when in real life, nuns like my aunt are super modernized and "hip" per say. The clash between religious views is a huge impact on the story it gives it not only a deeper interpretation of Sierva Maria's character, but also the sisters in the convent at Santa Clara.

I enjoy books that make you feel emotions as a reader. For instance, when Marquis' first wife got hit by lighting. It came as a random surprise and had me feel a pang of sympathy for Marquis because her death was right after they began to understand each other through music. Another instance was when Sierva Maria began to be mistreated at the convent because the sisters thought she was possessed. As a reader, I do not believe that she is possessed but misunderstood. The treatment she was getting had me feel like justice needed to be made onto the convent since their ways of handling her were not just and not how religious sisters should treat a young girl.

My Mother and Mercy

I find it interesting how Jaquira had felt no grieve towards her grandmothers death. Probably because she is like Pecola, from the book the Bluest Eyes. They both did not like their hair and other people called them ugly. Though, this excerpt does make me think about many things, why do people call each other ugly just because of hair? Is there a misconception? Why do people think only straight blonde hair or black hair is pretty instead of curly hair? Maybe there are too many stereotypes in this world and it is hurting many groups of people.

Of Love and Other Demons

The story is very interesting specially in the beginning. The story that Garcia Marquez tells in the beginning about finding the skeleton of Maria after about 120 years after her death with red hair still growing out of her is terrifying. Overall, the book is good, even though, sometimes is does become difficult to follow because tons of information is being said after every paragraph. After rereading the paragraphs I misunderstood after reading it the first time I began to understand what the story was trying to tell me. Cannot wait to see how this story unfolds, even though, everyone already knows that Maria dies because of the high fevers caused by the rabies from the dog that bit her in the beginning of the novel as she was going to the store. 

My Mother and Mercy

In the passage, the author was treated differently because she took her father's side characteristic. She had dark skin, curly hair, and black eyes. Her grandmother always complain about why her white daughter will married a black man when the author is young. Her grandmother will treat the author differently because she is a black and dark skin girl, however through the passage, we can see that her grandmother still loved her as a grand-daughter. Because she would cut her hair for her and comb her hair and make her look more beautiful.

Of love and other demons

In my opinion, Of Love and Other Demons is a very interesting, yet hard to follow read.  The fact that I have to go back and reread certain passages in order to fully comprehend what I just read makes the book that much better. I don't know why but that just draws me to read more.  I admit that at times it can be a bit dull, but then it seems that every event ties into one another and that just blows my mind, kind of.   Anyways, the book is good but it is not something that I would pick up and read on my own time.

Analysis on My Mother and Mercy

The article "My Mother and Mercy was definitely something that was very sad and hard to read. Her struggles in life was clearly shown and you could almost sense it in the context of her writing. One of the main points I got out of this was how the author used hair and race as symbolic figures to describe what this girl is going through in this article. The post powerful moment in the article was when the author described how the girls mother who had blonde hair with blue eyes was seen as a disappointment for "hooking up" with an African American and giving birth to a girl with "ugly hair" as its described by the author. With the girls mom committing suicide and struggling with drug addiction. I feel the world should focus on that aspect instead of worrying about the color of people skin or type because we are all unique in our own way and which is what I feel the author wants us to understand.

My Mother And Mercy: Analysis

This excerpt was very sad and it made me reflect on a lot of things. One thing that it made me look at is that we really need to value our Grandparents because they are getting older and they will not be around forever. It also shocked me how the writer was talking about her hair and how she still remembers how much it bothered her how her grandma cut her hair and made her feel bad about the color of her skin and hair type. The excerpt goes to show how relevant the issue that Toni Morrison wrote about in The Bluest Eye on how people are trying to be something they are not like how Pecola wants blue eyes. I liked this article it was very interesting and it made me put some things into perspective and appreciate things that I never thought of like how good my grandparents are to me and how lucky I am to still have both pairs of them in my life.

Of Love and Other Demons

The book, Of Love and Other Demons, written by Gabriel Garcia Marquez is one helluva interesting book. Even though I personally would not have read it if I had a choice, I find it to be a captivating story. The one thing I dislike about the book however is that it's a complete bummer. By that I mean the story does not really have anything happy to go along with it. Sure you get those happy moments but then, BOOM, a whole lot of negative comes in. For example when Sierva is bonding with her father they are having a happy moment and then her father, the marquis, drops the statement that they are going to Spain later. With this Sierva completely loses her happy bonding moment and it just goes back to the negative. Overall Of Love and Other Demons is an interesting book and I have yet been wanting to read more.

Of Love and Other Demons

At first I did not understand Of Love and Other Demons. The book was really confusing at first from jumping back and forth from the past and present. Also how so many characters were mentioned randomly and quickly descried or not described. The only thing I got out at first was a 12 year old girl named Sierva who gets bit by a rabid dog on her birthday. I thought she was the slaves daughter but then learned she was Bernada and Marquis daughter. I understood the large and basic information but when Dr. Rodriguez Drissi went over the book and pointed out small details the book made a lot more sense. Although it is not a book I would have chose to read if I had a choice, I am still enjoying it.

Of Love and Other Demons

In class on Friday I didnt understand why we were learning about surrealism and the magic surrealism. Although I wasn't sure why we were being taught this information I was interested in the topic. When I got home on Friday I decided to do my reading and I understood why we were being taught what we were being taught. It was quite interesting and it made me like the story more, the part with the exorcism and the girl who was locked up in the convent for killing two other people made the story very cool. It made me understand that the convent is not as happy a place in some cases like Sierva Maria and the girl who murdered two people, because it can be viewed as a prison and a very scary place. I was not to sure how this book was going to be or if I would like it in the first section of the reading but I figured out that I like the story after reading the last section, I look forward to finishing this book and discussing in class.

De Amor y otros Demonios (Of Love and Other Demons)

The story so far has been very confusing as it appears that the author loves to throw character after character after character towards its audience (us). It strikes me as odd that such a sad story would revolve around a child. It is very taboo to see that in today's culture. Tragedy is usually reserved for the adults and children usually depict the comedies. Sierva is an interesting name in itself. It's like Sierra except all fancy. I feel very bad for her since she was basically raised by everyone other than her own parents. I would like to continue to read on and find out what else is in store for our red headed protagonist.

Love & Other Demons is Depressing

The fact that the novel is created around a child is what immediately entices my interest as a reader. Most people do not want to see something inocent tampered with. Not only does the child Sierva get infected with rabies but she is taken care of more as an obligation to her parents instead of wanting to. She is neglected and hated by her parents for reasons that are not her fault. Her copper hair has yet to play any significance in the plot of the story. As a reader I am always in hope for the ideal. The ideal of a happy family in which the child is nurtured and loved. Instead at this given moment in the novel, Sierva receives more attention from black slaves over her own blood parents. They are supposed to be a family of royalty yet they are not a family at all. Merely people living together in the same household.

Of Love and Other Demons

In the novel, Sierva is a twelve year old girl that dies of rabies because a dog bites her while she is on her way the store. The author also introduces a lot more characters as we continue reading. A character that stands out to me is Abrenuncio. He was found, at the side of the road with his dead horse, by the Marquis. He shows his sensitivity by wishing he could bury it in holy grounds. It is a little sad to me because Sierva isn't treated as well as this horse. Her mother does not think too much of the dog bite but believes she will be fine.  

Of Love and Other Demons

Of Love and Other Demons is a book about a twelve year old girl who on a day like any other was bitten by a dog. The bite was able to penetrate the skin but was no cause for concern originally. The bite was not worsening but it was discovered that dog had been rabid and that rabies may have been transferred through the bite. The father of this young girl brought the attention of a very questionable doctor who throughout his career had done some questionable test on numerous patients. 

Of Love and other Demons

I find the author's touch on subjects of sin very interesting. The adultery of Bernada and the discrimination of the Jewish people saying that Jewish doctors practice necromancy. These concepts make the story more flavorful and interesting. I also like the way the hysteria about the rabies spread.

Of Love and Other Demons

So far, Of Love and Other Demons is pretty interesting. I like how the author explains where the legend came from before he starts telling the story. He's very descriptive, making it easy for the reader to picture exactly what's happening. I think it's extraordinary that the tomb they found had so much hair, even for 200 years.

From the book "Of Love and Other Demons" the beginning of the book intrigued me.  So far we have had in class discussion of how we perceive people through their hair.  Coming across the part where they are taking the remains from the tomb it gives the reader an idea on the importance on hair.  The girls hair was the only thing still intact and attached to her skull.  It felt like there was still life in this girl's remains and her hair is what made it seem that way.

Of Love and Other Demons

I am not sure what I am supposed to be writing about, but I am going to be talking about the book, Of Love and Other Demons, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Having read the first chapter, I feel that this book is really sad and mysterious. I mean what author starts with an excerpt on corpse and growing of hair and how a girl gets bitten by a dog with rabies. Although the beginning of the book was a little creepy, it is sad because of the time era and having to do with the plague. Even though it was a little hard for me to understand some parts, I look forward to reading and finding out what happens throughout the book.

Dfferent View

I would have never thought English 105 would make me realize how important hair is portrayed in society. Yes hair is important to us females and some males we get to style it however we want but when it comes to movies and novels, I never noticed that hair can symbolize the character's personality. For example in the Disney movie Tangled, the villain has dark curly hair as for the princess has long blonde hair. Then in the novel Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Lorelei has blonde hair and attracts the "educated" men yet Dorothy the brunette attracts the "irrelevant" men. Reading these novels never made me realize how detailed or what the author is really trying to get the reader to understand. If it wasn't for this class I honestly would have never came across these amazing books!

Experiencing Class Outside of Class

In the course of a few weeks, I have found myself in situations, two to be specific, where I am discussing the novels that we're reading in class with people that I meet while at work. To make sure that I stay on track with the reading that we need to do for the next class session, I often read during my shift at work when I have nothing else to do, mostly to help pass the time. The first instance was with The Bluest Eye. Two women came to the counter and saw that I was reading the book, one of them being a teacher herself, and within 20 minutes or so, we found ourselves getting into a deep conversation about the characters, Morrison's writing style and language, concepts taught in class now versus then (apparently The Bluest Eye is a common staple in many classes whereas Gentlemen Prefer Blondes isn't), and other such things. 

The second instance happened yesterday night (by the time I post this), November 5th, and a different woman came in and saw that my copy of Of Love and Other Demons on the counter. She has obviously read it and is a great fan of Marquez' writing, referencing another work of his. Again, though not as thorough as with Morrison's work, she and I came to discussing a little bit about the writing of the novel and what the story may provide and so one, since we're not so deep into the book yet. Based on the saturation of certain people in the area, it was safe to assume that she was Hispanic, a Latina woman for sure, and she read it in the Spanish translation. One thing she noted was that it is a book that is better appreciated with age. Being 22 myself, she said it would be a little difficult to really appreciate certain aspects of the book, but she encouraged me to look deeper and enjoy a lot of what is offered in the book.

The point of both of these anecdotes is that the concepts that we learn in these novels transcend outside the classroom, and make an impact on everyone that they touch. These concepts are universal among anyone, and you can always find someone to get into a discussion with in regards to what you learn from the stories themselves. Don't be afraid to show off, or be seen with, the books that we're reading in class or anywhere else. You never know what these books will do to you in meeting new people and learning something you probably never noticed before.

A Model for Women

I believe Sor Juana was a role model for women, especially in her time. She was different in regards to her way of thinking and perspective on life. Not that anything is wrong with being a married woman and mother to kids but she wanted another route on life. The passion she had for her education, knowledge and poetry was inspirational to those around her. Learning abut her now in modern times still can impact women today and inspire them to continue to pursue an education and accomplishing your goals. It is a example for men to move past stereotypes and ignorant ways of believing women have to be mothers, cook, clean and do the man's bidding. Women are strong individuals and have the same amount of potential as men. Sor Juana was a positive ideal for how women should not be afraid to obtain all the knowledge they can and stride towards finding happiness in what they chose to do.

Sor Juana

in the letter that she wrote, she mainly argue about the women rights. Her question is why can't women go to school just like a man. As my own knowledge, in the past history, women is known as the weak and the creatures that need to be taking care of, and due to the strong power of man had and the greed of man, male do not want the women taking over of any of their things, therefore they had a rule of not letting women to go to school and learn the things that they are learning. As it happen now days, a lot of women are smarter and more intelligent than man.

Sor Juana

Sor Juana, a woman that cut off her own hair as punishment, something not every women could do and take the courage to do. I personally never gave myself enough confident to cut my hair short. I feel like hair can change a persons looks and appearances. But Sor Juana would cut it off when she did something wrong and use it as her own punishment. I can see and relate to her why she would use hair as her punishment and not nails or other parts of a humans body. Hair signifies a person while nails needs to be cut every week or so. Hair needs time to grow out and people care a lot about their hair. It must have took Sor Juana a lot of courage to do so!

Sor Juana

Sor Juana, in the letter to Sister Filotea or bishop of Pueblo, mentioned that she learned how to read when she was three and by the age of six or seven, she learned how to write and embroidery and sewing. She even boasted how she learned Latin grammar when she did not take over twenty lessons. And by expressing her intelligence, she sarcastically said that she cut her hair “four to six finger lengths of it … to punish my [Sor Juana’s] dimwittedness.” This examples shows how sarcastic Sor Juana is about apologizing to or thanking the bishop of Pueblo.

As mentioned in the letter, Sor Juana’s act of cutting her hair which is described as “since this is true about women, and even more so in the bloom of my youth, that we value so highly the natural look of our hair”, shows that it is necessary for her to throw away the most important part of her womanhood in order to learn, and this shows just how determined she is.

Sor Juana

Sor Juana is a historical figure which almost never known or talked about essentially anywhere. Despite being a women in colonel times in New Spain she was still able to get a education and become intelligent despite it being against the church. In her letter in response to the bishop of Puebla, although a bit sarcastic in tone, is a highly intellectual and well written letter. She able to explain her live story and express her views of the role of females in their society. Sor Juana was in a position were she was willing to dress and present to be a boy in order to further her education so in her letter she explained that women were suppressed into in expanding their knowledge but rather to start families. She argues that women, especially those chosen by God, are also supposed to be highly educated so they can truely understand what the bible is saying. 

Sor Juana

My entire life, however long my hair has grown has always been an accomplishment to me. Ever since I was a little girl, I have always loved for my hair to be long. In the Sor Juana reading, the most amazing aspect was how she cut her hair as a punishment in order to push herself to become better. Although I could never have the courage to chop off my hair as punishment, I am capable of understanding the reason behind this action. As her hair grew, if she did not accomplish her goal, she did not feel worthy to let it grow. To me, this is the most amazing idea and I believe it takes so much courage.

Sor Juana is More Than Just a Nun

After reading Sor Juana's response to the bishop of Puebla, it made my realize how this nun has very strong characteristics that defines how she is through her writing. Sor Juana is more than just a nun is an aspiration. She tends to speak out loud and what is exactly on her mind. The way she is responds to the bishop is very sarcastic. I love the fact that she talks about how there are social differences between a male and female especially through the church. After I read this it was surprising to me because I didn't expect for somebody especially someone who is from the religious group to speak about the church. Sor Juana points out how the church is sexist. I love the fact that she does this, but at the same time I question how the church accepted this? Also, if there was any consequences because of how she spoke out?

Sor Juana

Watching the movie in class really got me thinking about life as a nun. I used to think that they were all happy living a solitary life in the convent but now that doesn't seem to be the case.  Sor Juana wanted more than just religion but was not allowed due to the views of the Catholic Church. Most of her books were censored and not everyone was allowed to have books.  The nuns were also treated very differently and I did not think this was the case in the convents.  The head man didn't even want to sit at the same table with a woman and had all their personal items removed from their possession. Although the movie was a little hard to follow with the subtitles and everything, it did change my perspective.

Sor Juana's Letter

In the letter, she described that God gave her a gift and that she must use it. This caught my attention because it shows how grateful she is having that gift. What is ironic is when she decided to cut her hair as a form of punishment. It can make readers wonder if she really has a gift or if she is really forcing herself to learn. Although she is not causing physical harm to her body, it is still a form of emotional harm. As we have discussed this quarter, hair can change a lot about a person's self esteem. It can make someone feel like they have a lot of power or it can make someone feel powerless.

Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz

Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz was a woman with beliefs that were too ahead of her time. In her position, time, and place, she had no way to voice her thoughts other than by writing. Even the writing was frowned upon by others since she was a woman who wasn’t allowed to do what the men did. She had strong thoughts on women having the right to get educated and not only through the convent. All these ideals she hoped for weren’t recognized until many years later. After learning about Sor Juana, I’m surprised that she isn’t more well-known by others as one of the first feminists.

Strength and Hair: how we Look at Masculinity

We've talked in class about Samson, and how his God-like strength came from the sacred vow of his untouched hair. His long hair defined his masculinity. Today, for Halloween, I dressed up as Vegeta, a super saiyan from DragonBall Z, in which the pinnacle warriors of strength increase their power by transformation (during which their hair length increases dramatically and turns from black to blonde).  I did not dye my hair blonde, but I spiked my hair to make it appear larger. However, these cases of long hair and masculinity, often work opposite in today's society. It is common and recommended for bodybuilders to have buzz cuts or shave their heads completely. The short hair is meant to make the bodybuilders appear more muscular; it is aesthetically pleasing. Cutting her hair, Sor Juana is able to remind herself of her mistakes, but also hide her identity by fitting in with the social norm of short hair for men.

Analysis on Sor Juana

These past couples days we have been learning about Sor Juana I've obtained a greater insight on her background and who/what her writings were towards. However the writing that Sor Juana did towards Sor Filotea was slightly confusing but the lectures of prior times helped. I've come to understand that Sor Juana was one of the individuals during the 17th century of colonial Mexico who attempted to make a difference in the societal norms and who helped in moving women in Mexico during that era away from the domestic sphere of influence. Sor Juana herself I find relates to the class because her hair represents her inhibitor to advance within society. Because she is a woman who has long hair that inhibited her from being able to learn but she surpassed that by cutting off her hair that symbolism of her womanhood and escape from the domestic sphere and able to pursue learning.

Contrasting Concepts

This just occurred to me, just today, literally a few minutes before arriving at my friend's house as I was messing with my hair using the rearview mirror in my car. Sor Juana cuts her hair to show her strong devotion to becoming more educated and learning at the same level as the men in her society. In contrast, Samson continues to grow his hair as a sign of devotion towards his love for God. In both cases, they physically represent their devotion to their craft through representation of their hair. I just thought that that was a rather interesting concept considering how malleable we can make our hair and what it can symbolize to us and to everyone else. What do you think?

Sor Juana

Sir Juana's strategy of cutting her hair every time she made a grammatical error was convenient. Since only men were allowed to go to school the fact that she cut her hair made her look more like a man, therefore there was less chances of getting caught for going to school with the men. Sir Juana reminds many of how Mulan cut her hair to look like a man to be able to join the male army and save her unhealthy father from being drafted into the Chinese military. Sir Juana, like Mulan, are brave for doing the things they were not allowed to do as women because if they would have gotten caught by the men. The men had the power to punish the women for not following the law and stay away from school unless their husband gave them the privilege to go and study.  

Sor Juana

I'm glad that we watched the movie on Friday because it helped me better understand the reading and gave me a better view on it.  It allowed me to see just how much of an impact her writings had on society during that time period and just how liberating her writings could be for all women during that time.

Life in a Convent

The movie about Sor Juana's life was very interesting to me because I have always viewed nuns (and monks) as people who are very virtuous and constantly engaging in spiritual activity such as prayer and fasting. I have gained a new perspective on their lives. Furthermore, I also gained insight on how loved Sor Juana was. She was very humble about her intelligence, but still managed to gain a high social standing among men. The bishop of Puebla tried tearing her down by publishing her letter to him, but Sor Juana responded to it with sarcastic gratitude, offering her autobiography as well as her view on education. Overall, the movie was very informative and interesting to watch.

Sor Juana

Although the reading of Sor Juana was really hard to understand, I believe it does have a big impact on women's society back in that time period. From what I saw about the movie on Friday, I liked it because it was easier to understand the movie from the book since it would be a visual representation of the reading. Although it was weird seeing the nuns covered their faces when talking to that one guy. Overall, if I were to watch the movie I would have a much better understanding of the reading.

Sor Juana Movie Analysis

 I liked the movie because it gave me a better understanding of what life was like for Sor Juana in the convent. Before I thought the convent was very strict but after watching some of the movie it made me realize that with the exception of just a few things Sor Juana was able to do what she wanted. It also enforced just how brilliant Sor Juana was because everyone listened to her and the scene were she is talking to the men before she is gifted with the crown the men seem as if they are treating her as an equal because she is so smart.

The Bluest Eye

I can compare to Pecola’s want for blue eyes because I have two sisters with different colored eyes.  One of them has blues and the other has green.  I can compare to Pecola because people are always telling them that they have beautiful eyes and I feel left out.  Pecola believes that if she had blue eyes she wouldn’t be ugly anymore. 

Meet George Kot

 

This is a picture I found interesting. An hair stylist by the name of George Kot. He is a famous hairstylist in the Russia. He is known to have outrageous wedding hairstyles. He tend to have a lot of detail in the hairstyles that he creates. For example in the picture above it has the shape of a flower. through the presence of the flower, the hair is created in loops and is sleeked through the sides of the head to create the pedals of the flower. With this the hairstylist uses a lot of hair spray to keep it in place, but most importantly patience and creativity. George is a very interesting hairstylist that creates a lot of out of the normal wedding hairstyles. One day I hope to get the chance and opportunity to see him live in action.

High and Tight

This class has a lot of emphasis on hair so I found this to be very interesting and pertaining

to our class. In the United States Military, there is a set standard for what is seen as an 

acceptable length for your hair. Men have to keep their hair relatively short in popular buzzed

 and the high and tight haircuts. If the length of a man's hair becomes longer than 2 inches for

whatever reason, they are considered to be "out of regs" (out of regulation) and can be severely punished.The same goes for woman in the military, though it is much less strict when it comes to the length of the woman's hair. A man/woman cannot color their hair other than natural born colors

such as black, brown, blonde, and red (only for natural born redheads). It is very intriguing to

me how much importance is put on the length and color of hair in the military. I mean, is it really THAT important? I believe that the issue is more of a historical thing. Since that was the standard

from the beginning of the military, it is just a tradition that continues to this very day. The man pictured above is sporting a high and tight haircut which is basically a buzz on all side of the head and very short hair on top.

Pecola the Blue Eyed Girl

     As we finished the book and we can see an argument within Pecola about and everyone else.  There are differences in seeing and being seen. Blue eyes are used as a representation of a perfect life, she imagines that if she was blessed with blue eyes people would not want to do ugly things in front of  her or to her. her belief about her image makes her make sense of all the cruel things she experienced and saw in her life. The idea of how she looked became more clear when she was being bullied and she saw the treatment Maureen would get because of how attractive others believed she was. Although all the students and school and other characters have black skin, Pecola uses the eye as  something she wants to change. Instead of saying she want lighter skin, she wishes for blue eyes which in some way can change how she's sees the world and how others perceive her. To finally get blue eyes she has to make herself oblivious of not only the world around her but herself as well. By the end she gets her wish during her dementia and trauma of her hard life. Her connection of how she is seen and what she sees in herself is a crutch that denies her happiness in her own skin.

I found Geraldine to be an interesting character. She is very selective of the type of African Americans her son is allowed to play with. I feel her discontentment with lower class African American symbolizes how she isn't comfortable being African American herself. she loathes poor African Americans in fear of becoming one, and being seen in the public eye as one. In essence she uses low class African Americans as an outlet for her own insecurities. Her cat represents lost compassion and love. Her love and compassion for her family is lost within the cat. She only really shows affection to the cat, which explains Juniors hatred towards it.

The Sins of the Father are Felt by the Family

We've talked in class briefly on the naming of a character, especially relating to Pecola Breedlove. The fact that Pecola means sin, or stain, and the last name "Breedlove" can be interpreted as 'sin breeds love'.

However,  The Bluest Eye does not mean for this to be interpreted as the cute or dainty kind of love, but as its more sinister demeaning form: lust. Pecola could be seen as the "sin" of her father Cholly, because of the sacred bond between parent and child he breaks by having sex with her. The act and Pecola's name reminded me of the story in Paradise Lost where Satan fathers the manifestation of Sin from his head. Though in Paradise Lost Sin does not breed love but Death with Satan her own father. We are also told at the beginning of the novel that none of the marigolds grew the following year indicating, Pecola's child will die at or near birth.  This mean's Pecola--Sin, has also spawned death. A worse fate would have been the child to survive and follow the same shameful path of his father and grandfather.

Much like Satan is rejected by God who he considers his father, Cholly is spurned by his, and both are obsessed with the concept that they are "free" to do whatever they want. By blaming others such as Darlene or their parents for how they act, both have perverted what free-will stands for: you can make your own choices, but you must take responsibility for the consequences of your actions,  .

The Breedlove family also seems to be cursed much like Oedipus' family from Greek mythology. His father's rejection of him causes a rippling effect and the repercussions are felt by all members of the family and even future generations: Oedipus murders his own father, beds his mother who commits suicide, his incest-born sons slay each other, and his daughter hangs herself. Though it is cruel, their suffering and deaths are necessary to cleanse the stain of sin that they had no control over. Similarly Pecola suffers the the insults of Geraldine, Maureen, and the boys, the attack from a cat, and the guilt of accidentally killing a dog.

Did She Really Get Blue Eyes?

Okay, so after finishing the book, I have a series of questions that may or may not be answered, either here on the blog or in our next class, regardless, I hope someone can help me in shedding some light on the matter.

During the last few pages, Claudia and Pecola are conversing about her new blue eyes and how much prettier a person, and better person she will be, now that she has them. However, as we all know due to genetics, you can't simply change eye color, especially through prayer. So, is Claudia saving Pecola's feelings and making her believe she has blue eyes, or has Pecola become so traumatized with everything she's experienced that she convinced herself she has blue eyes?

Both of these are loaded questions, but it wouldn't be too far off, since the narrator describes Pecola going mad, or losing her mind, at the end of the novel. But why, or how, does she lose her mind? I feel like the book presents more questions than answers when you come to the conclusion.

What do y'all think?

Pecola

In the The Bluest Eye, we meet the a young girl named Pecola. She believes herself to be ugly as she has very dark skin, and more importantly not having blue eyes. Throughout the book she is constantly reminded of her ugliness by her classmates, her parents, and the people around her. Her desire to obtain blue eyes is a central focus of the book. It is shown through her love for Shirley Temple, who has blue eyes. Also when she goes to see Soaphead Church, she asks him for blue eyes, and is willing to do what she says. Even though she kills a dog, she is more exited by the notion that she will get blue eyes since the dog dying was a sign.

The Bluest eyes

     In the book, "The Bluest Eyes", a little girl that goes by the name Pecola seems to always feel like she is less of a person compared to everyone else. I get this impression because of a one specific event, although there are more than one events where this impression is made.  The one that stood out to me the most was when she goes to buy candy from Mr. Yacobowski's store, she takes note of his blue eyes. She also seems to feel as if he is not really looking at her, as if he just glances over her because of the color of her skin and the lack of her colored eyes.  She describes him as not needing to waist the effort of a glance on her.

Pecola: "My life is ugly because I'm ugly."

In "The Bluest Eye", Pecola is a troubled child who grew up with parents who are not the best example to live up to be. Pecola gets thrown into a world where her father is an alcoholic and her mother loves to bring attention to herself in ways that make her seem like she does everything in the household. Pecola dread life in the house. She hates it completely. She gets swallowed up in her own thoughts of why she couldn't be born in a different way. She wished her parents would stop fighting and hoping that if she was prettier, then life wouldn't be so ugly. She was ugly and she knew it. It wasn't like her parents were the supportive type and tried to dissuade her that she was ugly. She believed that since she was ugly, her life was ugly.

People see her as one thing, ugly. People don't see her as a person but more of what she is on the outside. She yearns for blue eyes. Why does she want those blue eyes? Will blue eyes make her pretty since all the blue eyed girls she seen turn out to be pretty? Is it because it is a shade of color in her eyes that could change how her life is? I believe that Pecola yearns for blue eyes because she truly believes that having blue eyes will make her pretty and in turn, create a life different than the one she has now. Maybe, a set of blue eyes would have her parents notice her more and love her more. Maybe, a set of blue eyes could make her stop wanting to think of dying. Maybe, a set of blue eyes will have people like her more as a person and no one would bully her.