The Bluest Eye

Synopsis

Toni Morrison's groundbreaking debut novel tells the story of Pecola Breedlove, an eleven-year-old Black girl who longs for blue eyes, believing they will make her beautiful, loved, and worthy in a society shaped by white ideals of beauty. As Pecola's wish collides with the realities of racism, poverty, violence, and neglect, Morrison exposes the devastating consequences of internalized prejudice and the stories a culture tells about who deserves to be seen.

Lyrical, uncompromising, and profoundly moving, The Bluest Eye is a landmark of American literature. With extraordinary compassion and emotional power, Morrison examines race, class, gender, and the enduring effects of systemic injustice in a novel that remains as urgent today as when it was first published.

About the Author

Toni Morrison (1931–2019) was a Nobel Prize-winning novelist, essayist, and editor whose work transformed American literature. The author of Beloved, Song of Solomon, Sula, and numerous other acclaimed works, she received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012. Her novels continue to shape conversations about history, memory, race, and identity.

Publisher
Vintage International

Publication Date
April 28, 2007

Format
Paperback

Pages
224

Subjects
Classics · Literary Fiction · African American Literature · American Literature

ISBN
9780307278449