In a 5 to 7 paragraph essay explore how one character in The Bluest Eye attempts to find “Love as a Practice of Freedom.” (If you choose to write
about a character other than Pecola, be sure to let your reader know how he or she is connected to Pecola since she is the protagonist of the novel.)
Below are other things to consider as you prepare and write your essay:
How does Morrison debunk the stereotypes of slavery (which are amplified in the media and reenacted in society) to unmask the desire for love and
the effort attain freedom?
If you choose to focus on Pecola, Claudia, Frieda or Maureen, keep in mind that as Black girls of 1940’s America, they were not offered many choices
as typically, children do not have agency, even today. How do black girls in the novel use their imagination and self-will to create agency for
themselves? Are there instances in the novel where their actions (real or imagined) defy social norms and expectations for black girls in their
community? Society?
How does defiance or rejection of social norms and stereotypical images derived from slavery exemplify self-love?
Does this character resist or succumb to the effects of societal and internalized racism? How does their resistance or victimization impact their ability
to express and receive love?
Sample Solution
