7/23/2019 Oprah Versus Pecola in The Bluest Eye

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Oprah Winfrey, Black Culture, and the

Mainstreaming of American Literature

Some days ago Professor John Howard gave us a conference about Oprah Winfrey. We’ve

been highlighted the great importance and influence she has nowadays all over the world.

She’s one of the examples of the accomplishment of the merican dream! she’s a spiritual lider

and above all and related to this sub"ect! a literary leader.

Her character has many connections with the themes on the boo# THE BLUEST EYE ! such as

frican $igration % merican dream! merican discrimination and segregation! religiosity!

&hild protection! feminism! and even connections with the author! 'oni $orrison itself.

When the professor introduced her bac#ground! it was obvious that her story resembles so

much Pecola’s in 'he (luest )ye. She was a very poor country blac# girl! who was raped by her

relatives in a similar way Pecola was raped by her father. 'he difference here is that while

Pecola went cra*y in the end! Oprah found a way to go on with life and she coped with her

problems dedicating her entire life to helping other +mainly blac#, women.

Oprah and Pecola’s parents both migrated from poorer regions of the -S to richer ones with

the intentions of leading a better life. Pursuing the merican dream Oprah did improve her life!

but Pecola’s parents did not. nd that leads to a very tragic ending! totally contrasting with the

hugely successful life nowadays Oprah leads. (oth sides! by being fromerican encountered

many difficulties on their ways but not both could achieve their dreams.

nother theme present in the boo# is the figure of a child molester! and Oprah is connected to

this because she dedicated time and drew people’s attention not to loo# away from this realitybut to do something through her show.

nd another lighter connection with the boo# is the topic of religiosity. Oprah being born as a

&hristian has divulged these ideas to many people through her show. She ma#es religion an

important aspect of her life! as in the boo# we can appreciate that Pecola as#s for blue eyes to

/od mainly because she believes in /od too. 0f not she would not.

nd finally we were told 'oni $orrison is one of Oprah’s favourite author! and in the (oo#

&lub Oprah has! she promotes $orrison’s boo#s a lot. Oprah even says that 'he (luest )ye

made her better understand the world and enlightened her! because she empathi*ed with

Pecola’s character a lot since they had a lot in common.

Oprah’s life and Pecola’s life are examples of how people could end their lives. 'hey are bestexample of how can you end up in life. 0f you let your bad experiences overwhelm you! you

may end up getting cra*y but if you fight for your ideals and overpass the troubles of your life

and above that you wor# hard you may get a better life.