DECRYPTING THE IDEAL OF WHITE BEAUTY AS ILLUSTRATED IN TONI MORRISON’S THE BLUEST EYE
DECRYPTING THE IDEAL OF WHITE BEAUTY AS ILLUSTRATED IN TONI MORRISON’S THE BLUEST EYE

Summary/Abstract: From the instant the spark of self-consciousness flashed in the mind of the first man, several fundamental ideas have accompanied his existence to the present day. Among these principles, the concept of beauty or the aesthetics of the human being and its habitat has been one of the main points of resistance in the thinking of the world's greatest philosophers. Spanning from early antiquity to the present day, there is hardly a thinker who has not approached, dissected, defined, interpreted and reconsidered this notion. Regardless of the identity of the philosopher being discussed or his approach to aesthetics, a single aspect is universally acknowledged: no one has yet succeeded in proposing a comprehensive, integrative definition of beauty that encompasses all aesthetic criteria and satisfies all schools of thought. Certainty resides in the fact that beauty cannot be separated from the subjectivity of the individual in whose mind it is reflected. Therefore, this paper will examine The Bluest Eye, a representation of the voice of oppressed black girls and their unspoken thoughts, as an illustration of the ideal beauty that they cannot attain despite their most fervent prayers. Through its cryptic tone and lyrical beauty, self-loathing and contemplating the worth of life become the focal point of this analysis.

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