高级英语 lesson 9 The Bluest Eye

LessonNine•“EachnightPecolaprayedforblueeyes.Inherelevenyears,noonehadevernoticedPecola.Butwithblueeyes,shethought,everythingwouldbedifferent.Shewouldbesoprettythatherparentswouldstopfighting.Herfatherwouldstopdrinking.Herbrotherwouldstoprunningaway.Ifonlyshecouldbebeautiful.Ifonlypeoplewouldlookather.”•(BackCover)ToniMorrison•Morrison’snovelsaremostsetinablackcommunityinthethirtiesorforties.Herworkisalwayssymbolicofthesharedhumancondition,transcendinglinesofgender,race,andclass.Themostenduringimpressionhernovelsleaveisof“sympathy,ofcompassionwithone’sfellowhumanbeings.”Socialbackgroundofthenovel•TheBluestEye,publishedin1970,isthefirstnovelwrittenbyToniMorrison,winnerofthe1993NobelPrizeinLiterature.•ThenovelhasitssettingintheblackcommunityinLorain,Ohio,in1944,longbeforetheCivilRightsMovement.Inthosedays,blacknesswassynonymouswithugliness.Thedominantwhitecultureexerciseditshegemony(霸权)anddictatedstandardsofbeauty.Socialbackgroundofthenovel•Manyblackpeopleacceptedandinternalizedwhitevaluesanddevelopedself-contemptandself-hatredforthemselvesorotherblackpeople,makingsomeoftheirownpeoplevictimsandscapegoats(替罪羊).•Tooverthrowwhiteculturalhegemonyandliberatethemselvesfromoppressionandself-oppression,theblackpeopleraisedthepoliticalsloganinthe1960’s:“Blackisbeautiful.”Socialbackgroundofthenovel•Americancivilrights.MorrisonbeganPecola'sstoryasashortpiecein1962;itbecameanovel-in-progressby1965.Itwaswritten,asonecanseefromthedates,duringtheyearsofsomeofthemostdynamicandturbulenttransformationsofAfro-Americanlife.•OneofthosetransformationswasanewrecognitionofBlack-Americanbeauty.Socialbackgroundofthenovel•Black-Americansbegantoargueforanewstandardofbeauty.Thisnewstandardwasmeanttoberaciallyinclusive,allowingblackstoseeblackasbeautiful,buttheneedtoargueforthisnewstandardrevealshowfirmlythewhitestandardofbeautywasentrenchedContentofthenovel•TheBluestEyeisthestoryofayoungAfricanAmericangirlandherfamilywhoareaffectedineverydirectionbythedominantAmericanculturethatsaystothem,You'renotbeautiful;you'renotrelevant;you'reinvisible;youdon'tevencount.Contentofthenovel•Thatiswhatispainfulinthenovel--thewayinwhichourcountryhasdealtwithrace,thewayinwhichthepowerstructurehashurtus,andthewayinwhichithasmadeushurtourselves.OftenenoughweAfricanAmericansdon'tgettheopportunitytosayThisisthesourceofmydysfunction,andit’snotallmyfault.Contentofthenovel•ThestorycentersaroundthetragiclifeofalittleblackgirlnamedPecolaBreedlove.TheBreedlovesarethepoorestfamilyintown.Theylivedinastorehouseofanabandonedstore.Theplaceissouglythat“visitorswhodrivetothistinytownwonderwhyithasnotbeentorndown,whilepedestrians,whoareresidentsoftheneighborhood,simplylookawaywhentheypassit.”Contentofthenovel•Pecola,elevenyearsold,isblackandugly.Herfather,ChollyBreedlove,isdriventoalcoholismbyalifeofappallingracialoppression.Onceheburntuphishouseandturnedhisfamilyoutdoors.Contentofthenovel•Hermother,Pauline,isdrivenbyherhusband’srageandtheunbearablemiseryofherlife.Shetriestoescapefromlifeandfindpeaceonlyinworkingasaservantinawhitehome.•Shegivesmorecareandattentiontohermaster’schildrenthanherownlittlegirl.Thepoverty-strickenandfrustratedcoupleisconstantlyquarrelingandfighting.TheytotallyignoretheirdaughterPecola.Contentofthenovel•Atschoolotherchildrenbullyandridiculeher,callingherugly.Imprisonedbydire(dreadful)povertyandextrememisery,Pecolawishesforlighterskin,blondhairandespeciallyblueeyeslikemoviestarShirleyTempleandotherwhitegirls.•Everydayshepraysforamiracletohappensothatshewouldbegivenapairofthebluesteyes.Contentofthenovel•Shebelievesthatheruglinessisthesourceofallhermiseryandthathavingblueeyeswouldbethekeytohappiness.Sheisconvincedthatifshehadblueeyes,shewouldbecomeprettyandhappyandthatallherproblemswouldbegone.•Finally,throughmadness,shethinksthathereyeshavebecomeblue.Inherimaginationshehasbeentransformedintoaprettygirl.Contentofthenovel•Assheiswaitingforloveandhappinesstocometoher,ironicallyherdrunkfathergetshome,andgives“love”tohisdaughterbyrapingher.Thelittlegirlbecomespregnant,shegivesbirthtoastillborn死产的child.Shesinksdeeperintodespairandmadness.Intheendofthenovel,shewassomad,herfatherdiesintheworkhouse;hermotherstilldoeshousework.Pecolaandhermothermovetoalittlehouseontheedgeofthetown.Contentofthenovel•Pecola'stragedywasnotmeanttobetypical,butbyshowingsocietalandsituationalforcesworkingagainstanextremelyvulnerablelittlegirl,Morrisonhopedtogetatatruthaboutthosesocietalforces.Theeffectislikespeedingupfilmofaslowprocess?BylookingattheextremecaseofPecola,welearnthetruthaboutourworld,atruththatwearenormallyincapableofnoticing.SketchanalysisofthenovelGenre-Coming-of-age（成熟、成年）,tragedy,elegy（挽歌、悲歌）TimeandPlaceWritten-NewYork,1962–1965DateofFirstPublication–1970Narrator-Therearetwonarrators:ClaudiaMacTeer,whonarratesinamixtureofachild'sandanadult'sperspective,andanomniscient（全知的）narrator.SketchanalysisofthenovelPointofView-Claudia'sandPecola'spointsofviewaredominant,butwealsoseethingsfromCholly's,Pauline's,andothercharacters'pointsofview.Pointofviewisdeliberatelyfragment