Laila’s Reviews > The Bluest Eye > Status Update

As jarring as it is to read. The descriptions and the telling specifically of the men’s view of little girls is the closest I’ve come to understanding men like that. I’m not saying I sympathize and condone that abhorrent behavior but this is the closest thing I’ve read to actually understanding the brokenness that creates these predators.

I have no words.

So much has happened to these three girls in such a short amount of time. And with each defining moment you can see the psyche of the little black girl developing. It’s feels almost personal even though I haven’t experienced these things exactly. I know the feeling of having your entire world view go from one of an optimistic and naive child to understanding just how differently people view.

Poor Pecola. Her parents are dreadful. Reading this as a black woman myself is hard hitting for sure. When Toni describes looking into someone’s eyes and seeing how they really feel about you it struck a chord in me that I didn’t know was there. It goes unspoken but every poc knows exactly what she’s talking about.