The novel's women not only suffer of racial oppression, but also the tyranny and violation brought upon them by the men in their lives. Pecola, Frieda, and Claudia, the novel's youngest female characters, possess a limited and idealistic view of what it means to be a woman to have sex and to be loved by a man. "What was the secret?, What did we lack ? " (Morrison 89). Geraldine, for example, represses her black characteristics which are not "fitted" to white femininity as she strives " to get rid of the funkiness" (Morrison 64). The theme femininity, and male oppression over women in "The Bluest Eye", reaches its brutal climax during Cholly's rape of his own daughter, Pecola. This scene, which details the ultimate form of violence and oppression against women, is narrated completely through Cholly's perspective. The lake of Pecola's perspective during the rape scene demonstrates the silencing effect of male oppression over …show more content…
Unlike typical portrayals of racism, involving white hatred against blacks. "The Bluest Eye" explores the issue of racism occurring between people of color. Whiteness is associated with virtue, cleanliness, and value, while being black is associated with immorality, dirtiness, and worthlessness. Mrs.Macteer, for example, is unusually harsh with Claudia when she gets sick, because sickness signifies uncleanliness, which is related to being black. Characters lacking any marker of whiteness suffer the