THE BLUEST EYE by Toni Morrison

SİMGE GÜZELİŞ

TÜMAY TEOMAN

EZGİ ORAL

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OUTLINE

Features of Black LanguageCivil Rights MovementFamily Identities (Pecola& Cholly& Pauline)

Features of Black Language SLANGS

“She’s ministratin.” p.31They use this word because they cannot pronounce the word itself which is menstruation.Pauline cannot pronounce children, and instead she says “chil’ren”. p.126

“Ya’ll soaked ain’t you” p.149 “Black e mo. Yadaddsleepsnekked” p.65“I yam what I yam?” p.180Gimme, shet up, git the wash, wid it, thas them, looka here, dyin’“nookey” means sex for the black women who come from the South.“Funk” is a descriptive word which is used to describe the black features of a human(dark skin, thick mouth..)

‘bout=aboutScairt=scaredDere go da heart=there goes the heart. p.135‘head=ahead‘long=alongLi’l=little‘member=remember‘spect=expectCaint=cannot p.142

Songs

“Blues Everywhere” By Casey Bill Weldon I got blues in my mealbarrel Blues up on my shelf Blues in my bedroom 'Cause I'm sleepin' by myself

p.51

“Blender Blues”

“I know a boy who is sky-soft brown I know a boy who is sky-soft brown The dirt leaps for joy when his feet touch

the ground His strut is a peacock His eye is burning brass His smile is sorghum syrup drippin slow-

sweet to the last I know a boy who is sky-soft brown”( p.57)

“Nearer, my God, to Thee”

Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!

E’en though it be a cross that raiseth me,Still all my song shall be, nearer, my God, to Thee.

Nearer, my God, to Thee,Nearer to Thee!

Though like the wanderer, the sun gone down,Darkness be over me, my rest a stone.Yet in my dreams I’d be nearer, my God to Thee.

Why do you think Mr.Henry sing a hymn after frieda’s dad throw him out their house?

In the story Mr.Henry starts singing the hymn after Frieda’s dad hit him because of the abusement. (p.100)This hymn was played after the death of American president William McKinley, assassinated in 1901.Words: Verses 1-5, Sarah Adams, in Hymns and Anthems, by William Johnson Fox, 1841.Music: Bethany (Mason),1856.

“Precious Lord Take my Hand”“Precious Lord, take my hand             Lead me on, let me stand             I'm tired, I’m weak, I’m lone             Through the storm, through the night             Lead me on to the light             Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home…” Words & music by Thomas A. Dorsey

“ Pretty eyes. Pretty blue eyes. Big blue pretty eyes. … Four pretty blue eyes. Blue-sky eyes. Jerry has blue eyes. Alice-and-Jerry-blue-storybook-eyes.” p.46Here the author tries to take the readers’ attention to the concept of “ideal beauty” in the books where little children are always white skin-blue eyed.

In what aspects does your attention is caught by this particular song in the consept of ideal beauty?

Breed love?

Pauline & Pecola (lack of love)

“Mrs. Breedlove” vs. “Polly” Blueberries “Crazy fool” vs. “Hush, baby hush”. “Don’t cry no more.”

Here is your turn !

“But Pecola look like she knowed right off what to do. A right smart baby she was. I used to like to watch her (...) Head full of pretty hair, but Lord she was ugly.” (p. 126)What do you think about this quotation?

A MOTHER TEACHS...

Pauline “taught them fear: fear of being clumsy, fear of being like their father.” Into her son she beat a loud desire to run away, and into her daughter she beat a fear of growing up, fear of other people, fear of life” (p. 128).

Cholly

He had many difficulties in his lifeLet’s remember: What were the difficulties he had exprienced in his past?AlcoholicRapes PecolaPuts his family outdoors

Pauline &Cholly (Domestic Violence)

They fight with each otherSammy tries to escape from battles.Pecola covers her head with the quilt( tries to ignore them) Pauline enjoys to fight with Cholly.

“Cholly picked her up and knocked her down with the back of his hand.” (p. 44) Sammy: “Kill him! Kill him!” (him refers to Cholly!)Pecola: “Please, God.” “Please make me disappear”.

“See Mother. Mother is very nice. Mother, will you play with Jane? Mother laughs. Laugh, Mother, laugh. See Father. He is big and strong. Father, will you play with Jane? Father is smiling. Smile, Father, smile.”

See Mrs. Breedlove. Mrs. Breedlove is strict and stoic. Mrs. Breedlove, will you love Pecola? Mother, gets angry. Huff, Mother, Huff!. See Father. He is alcoholic and cruel. Father, will you love Pecola or WILL YOU HARM? Father is beating her wife. Beat, Father, beat.

IN CONTRAST…

MacTeersBig mamma is a “real mother”. She takes care of her children.She gets angry with Claudia when she gets sick.She cures their illness.

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Claudia: “When I think of autumn, I think of somebody with hands who does not want me to die.”Big mamma loves and protects her childrenMr.MacTeers also thinks about his children.

What do you think about the importance of family? Can you share your own exprience with us?

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What may change if they had a closer relationship in their family?

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Civil Rights MovementRetrieved from http://xoxo123.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/civil_rights_movement.jpeg

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Martin Luther King Jr.

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Beauty

Obsession with beauty especially Pecola and Pauline“If she looked different, beautiful, may be Cholly would be different, and Mrs. Breedlove too.” ( p. 46) What do you think about this quotation? What do you think about beauty? Is it necessary or not?

Racism

Geraldine“Get out,” she said, her voice quiet. “You nasty little black bitch. Get out of my house.” ( p. 92)What do you think about racism? How does racism affect black people’s life?

“I have a dream that one day little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.”(Dr. Martin Luther King)

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION

References

http://blueslyrics.tripod.com/lyricsandtabswanted.htmhttp://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/n/m/nmgtthee.htmhttp://www.kentangen.com/sing/Lyrics/Precious%20Lord%20lyrics.htmhttp://www.answers.com/topic/the-bluest-eye-novel-3The Bluest Eye Study Guide