Colour Consciousness and Internalized Racism in Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye

Abstract

The aim of this research is to examine colour consciousness, the devastating impacts of racism, and how systemic prejudice destroys the lives of Black people in Toni Morrison’s novel, The Bluest Eye. Toni Morrison portrays the ceaseless struggle of African Americans to survive in the White dominated society. She posits that Black people are treated as aliens who are in a lifelong battle for survival from birth to death. This research asserts that while the Black community strives to build an ideal ego, White society consistently acts as a barrier to its development. The study argues that White society functions as a distorted mirror for the Black people reflecting only their perceived ugliness and otherness. This confrontation between the Black individuals’ ideal ego and the reality imposed by White society is responsible for their tragic lives and psychological fragmentation. Adopting a qualitative methodology and thematic analysis, this research explores the sufferings and self-destruction of the African Americans who are seen as incongruous in a world full of perfectness. The findings uncover that skin colour cannot define personal identity, and the Black people’s struggle for recognition is based on a misconception perpetuated by the racially charged atmosphere. The study reveals that colour consciousness functions as a devastating force that deforms self-perception, rifts familial bonds and aggravates socio-economic intolerance. Ultimately, this study contributes to exposing the harsh truth of colour consciousness, which directly or indirectly creates an invisible wall between human beings by subverting their conscience.