TRAUMA AND POSSIBLE PATHWAYS TO HEALING IN THE BLUEST EYE: PECOLA’S STORY AND CLAUDIA’S NARRATION

Abstract

The Bluest Eye tells the story of Pecola, a black little girl who undergoes different forms of discrimination and abuse because of the color of her skin. As result of all the pain and suffering—including an incestuous rape—which she is subjected to, the girl loses her sanity. Therefore, one of the objectives of this article is to analyze how trauma is portrayed in the novel, considering the many micro-aggressions which Pecola is exposed to and which result in insidious traumatization. As her tale is years later revisited by childhood friend Claudia, this work also aims to examine some of the healing pathways which the narrator seems to present. In order to meet these objectives, some concepts related to trauma theory are presented and analyzed in relation to their portrayal in the novel. Furthermore, the crucial role of African American knowledge and culture in Claudia’s survival is also discussed. The result of this analysis shows that storytelling is presented as a possible healing for the traumatization of a community and that the connection to African American values can further help with such process.

Keywords

• American Literature
• African American Literature
• Trauma
• Toni Morrison