“She carry some of the blame”: An analysis of Morrison’s use of the child protagonist in Beloved and The Bluest Eye to raise awareness of racial oppression

Abstract

This thesis explores the use of the child protagonists for activism in Toni Morrison’s Beloved and The Bluest Eye. The thesis argues that the child protagonist in both novels raise awareness in adult readers of racial oppression. The analysis of the novels through the lens of Critical Race Theory argues that the fictive depictions of racial oppression contribute to CRT’s aim to create an increased awareness of the construction and institutionalization of racial ideologies in society. The increased awareness and acknowledgement of hidden forms of racism is according to CRT important to counteract racism that has become normalized. The comparison of Beloved and The Bluest Eye illustrates the historical continuation of the institutionalization of white supremacy in the U.S. from the 19th century to the contemporary situation. The thesis argues that the use of a child’s perspective contributes to illustrate the adaptation to racial ideologies which raises awareness in adult readers of the social construction of racial oppression. The depictions of violations against the child protagonists aim to emphasize the damaging effects of racial oppression, and share the stories of black female victims. The use of a child protagonists who is black, female, and poor illustrates Crenshaw’s intersectionality and emphasizes that black women’s experiences are defined by intersectional dimension of race, gender, and class. The thesis argues that the child protagonists symbolize resistance against the avoidance of injustice related to racial oppression, and aim to raise awareness in the reader that the situation of black communities will not improve unless racial oppression is more broadly acknowledged and counteracted.