Surviving childhood sexual abuse affects the rest of your life. Toni Morrison portrays different incidents of sexual child abuse, in the novel The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison. Children do not understand what goes on if they are inappropriately touched or raped, but it literally haunts them for the rest of their life. There are several different kinds of sexual child abuse and Morrisons shows three types; those types are intrafamilial, non-family and forced. Pecola experiences intrafamilial abuse when her father raped her. Frieda experiences non-family abuse when her neighbor, Mr, Henry touches her inappropriately. Cholly experiences forced abuse when two armed white men forced Cholly to continue to have relations in front of them. Sexual child
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Intrafamilial abuse involves a relative, most likely fathers, uncles, or older brothers. This kind of abuse really confuses the child and affects their mental state. Finkelhor states that, “This is regarded as the most serious form of sexual abuse, because it tends to go on over an extended period of time and threatens the relationship between the child and his or her most important source or social support” (Finkelhor 104). Unfortunately, Pecola had no one to confide to. Pecola has an unstable and abusive household, and sadly she starts to get used to these terrible situations. The relationship between Pecola and her parents is extremely unhealthy. Finkelhor states that, “Such abuse tends to undermine the child’s relationship to even the other non-abusive family members, such as her mother and other siblings, because it creates such severe loyalty conflicts” (Finkelhor 104). Abusing a child can confuse them to the point where they do not know who to trust. Being constantly abused makes children develop a certain mentality that makes them vulnerable to violent situations. Unfortunately, that child will get used to these violent ways and believe that it is a way of life. Vickroy states that, “In this context Pecola becomes especially vulnerable to the sudden, violent traumas of being beaten and rejected by her mother Pauline, and by the more horrific traumas of being raped by her father Cholly and then losing the baby” (Vickroy 2). …show more content…
Pecola can not process the tragedy that occurs. Morrison states that, “ So when the child regained consciousness, she was lying on the kitchen floor under a heavy quilt, trying to connect the pain between her legs with the face of her mother looming over her” (Morrison 163). Pecola faints during the rape, and when she wakes up she does not fully understand what just took place. She does not know who to go to, so she isolates, herself while trying to figure out the situation. During that isolation she starts questioning herself. Vickroy states that, “In part she seeks understanding of what her father has done to her, but her conflicts dialogue with a split-off persona of herself also illustrates how much she had been isolated and how her pain and need to speak are ignored by her community and even her family” (Vickroy 9). Pecola does not speak directly to the reader about what is going on. She questions her imaginary friend about herself and the situation between her and her father. Donaldson states that, “Her madness prevents an intimate dialogue with the reader, and even in her madness she barely acknowledge her rape” (Donaldson 53). What her father did really messed up Pecola's way of thinking and she is having a hard time acknowledging what happened. Donaldson also states that, “Although the secret of the incestuous rape is divulged in the novel, it is told
Intrafamilial abuse involves a relative, most likely fathers, uncles, or older brothers. This kind of abuse really confuses the child and affects their mental state. Finkelhor states that, “This is regarded as the most serious form of sexual abuse, because it tends to go on over an extended period of time and threatens the relationship between the child and his or her most important source or social support” (Finkelhor 104). Unfortunately, Pecola had no one to confide to. Pecola has an unstable and abusive household, and sadly she starts to get used to these terrible situations. The relationship between Pecola and her parents is extremely unhealthy. Finkelhor states that, “Such abuse tends to undermine the child’s relationship to even the other non-abusive family members, such as her mother and other siblings, because it creates such severe loyalty conflicts” (Finkelhor 104). Abusing a child can confuse them to the point where they do not know who to trust. Being constantly abused makes children develop a certain mentality that makes them vulnerable to violent situations. Unfortunately, that child will get used to these violent ways and believe that it is a way of life. Vickroy states that, “In this context Pecola becomes especially vulnerable to the sudden, violent traumas of being beaten and rejected by her mother Pauline, and by the more horrific traumas of being raped by her father Cholly and then losing the baby” (Vickroy 2). …show more content…
Pecola can not process the tragedy that occurs. Morrison states that, “ So when the child regained consciousness, she was lying on the kitchen floor under a heavy quilt, trying to connect the pain between her legs with the face of her mother looming over her” (Morrison 163). Pecola faints during the rape, and when she wakes up she does not fully understand what just took place. She does not know who to go to, so she isolates, herself while trying to figure out the situation. During that isolation she starts questioning herself. Vickroy states that, “In part she seeks understanding of what her father has done to her, but her conflicts dialogue with a split-off persona of herself also illustrates how much she had been isolated and how her pain and need to speak are ignored by her community and even her family” (Vickroy 9). Pecola does not speak directly to the reader about what is going on. She questions her imaginary friend about herself and the situation between her and her father. Donaldson states that, “Her madness prevents an intimate dialogue with the reader, and even in her madness she barely acknowledge her rape” (Donaldson 53). What her father did really messed up Pecola's way of thinking and she is having a hard time acknowledging what happened. Donaldson also states that, “Although the secret of the incestuous rape is divulged in the novel, it is told