The Bluest Eye: Pecola's Character

In “The Bluest Eye,” Pecola is facing problems that a lot of young children and teens face even today. In the novel, Pecola Breedlove has always been the victim. She is constantly reminded that she is ugly and believes it is mainly because of the color of her skin and eyes. Girls today watch TV and read magazines that make them want to change the way they look. They start idolizing people and trying to become them.  Pecola does this with Shirley Temple. She drinks lots of milk only because she wants to use the Shirley Temple cup. Children and teens also get bullied a lot in school. Pecola gets picked on at school by the colored boys because of the way she looks. It does not relate to her personality. She is also treated poorly by her family. Pecola believes that her parents won’t fight as much if she is prettier. This is also what a girl her age might think when her parents are fighting, that everything is her fault.  A lot of girls today are struggling to accept the way they look because there is always someone that looks better than them. In the novel, Maureen Peal is that girl. Toni Morrison does an excellent job building up Pecola’s character to truly express the struggles some girls her age are experiencing even today.