Valentino's Red Dress

From page 40 on there is a clear change in narration. Claudia our narrator is omniscient. She knows what happens in Pecola's house and gives us a faithful description. Her narration becomes less childish as we move further into the book. By page 51 it is clear that she knows the thoughts of characters such as Pecola. 

babushkas: An Anglicised term for a woman's headscarf tied below the chin, originally worn by Russian elderly women, but now Europe-wide.

Jaundiced: is a yellowish pigmentation of the skin, the conjunctival membranes over the sclerae (whites of the eyes), and other mucous membranes caused by hyperbilirubinemia (increased levels of bilirubin in the blood). 

How people perceive is an important topic in The Bluest Eye. Staring with Pecola's desire to have blue eyes. Pecola is being constantly bombarded by images on blonde, blue-eyed, and white girls. Her deduction is that those physical attributes can determine your beauty. The narrator explains how Pecola thought people wouldn't do nasty things infront of pretty blue eyes. During the chapter, Pecola buys three candies, Marie Jane's candy, with three cents. The candy wrapping has a little girl in it. Pecola sees her beautiful eyes and her white skin and feels as if eating the candy was eating those "superior" physical traits. That process of owning, at least for that moment, a piece of that comfort gave her pleasure: "Three pennies had brought her nine lovely orgasms with Mary Jane." (p. 50)

(Not blonde but definitely blue-eyed.)

It is amazing how the products we consumed and those that we still do affect the way we see and understand things. Pecola is subject of a society that thought her to feel ugly with the way she looked. A society that told her it was wrong. What are we being told now a days? 

Fat is ugly
Poor is ugly
Weak is ugly
Generosity is foolish
Have.
Take.
Buy.

After Pecola, we find the three whores in the building and how they don't care about much. Yet, the narrator those take great interest in both the accessories the women wore, the makeup and the hair styles. Women have found the way to enhance or transform their appearance since ancient Egypt or even before. If these women hate men and women alike and wish nothing but what they have. Why are they concerned with fixing their hair and doing their makeup? 

It is hard to criticize those ideals of Beauty. I abide them daily. I as Pecola couldn't fight the images which I grew up with. I guess I wouldn't marry my maids son. I can't explain why it feels wrong. I know that it is wrong to feel wrong about loving someone that is from a lower social class. As it wrong the Pecola feels shame of her racial traits. 

PHYSICS

Also just for the curious, one of the whores compares Marie's story about turning a bad boy to the FBI to: "the Lady in Red that told on Dillinger." (p. 54) John Herbert Dillinger (June 22, 1903 – July 22, 1934) was an American bank robber in the Depression-era United States. His gang robbed two dozen banks and four police stations. Dillinger escaped from jail twice. Dillinger was also charged with, but never convicted of, the murder of an East Chicago, Indiana, police officer who shot Dillinger in his bullet proof vest during a shoot-out, prompting him to return fire. It was Dillinger's only homicide charge.


A woman gave them the final information on were to find him. She wore a red dress to the theater well they would have found him. Find the whole story here. There's also a movie with Johnny Deep.