This week is a sad, but happy post. As most of yall know Toni Morrison passed away earlier this month. Today I wanted to dedicate this post to her legacy and how much her work meant to me. When I read my first novel by her I could no longer be content with looking at the world in rose-tinted lenses. I was forced to face the reality she so desperately wanted to relay. This was a woman in the 70s willing to talk about issues that authors now still can’t get themselves to write about. She celebrated the joys and denounced the negatives of the black community, without hesitation. RIP to a legend.
Beloved
The story Beloved, in which she won a Pulitzer Prize for, is set after post-slavery and focuses on the life of a woman named Sethe, haunted by her dead daughter. I remember reading Beloved for the first time and thinking..”what the hell is this.” It was so different from the novels I was used to.
What makes this story one of my favorites is the blend of fantasy and reality. When Beloved, her dead daughter, comes back to life to seek vengeance on Sethe we the audience experience a rollercoaster ride. A ride filled with guilt, betrayal, and love. Characters such as Paul D, Baby Suggs, Denver, etc. all bring the novel together in their own perspectives to shine a light on a black community scarred by the aftermaths of slavery and oppression. No character in this novel is static but deal with their own complexities that we are blessed to witness.
The Bluest Eye
When I read The Bluest Eye nothing could explain the feelings that stirred in me. It was more than just a novel. It was a testament to literature that can be used to heal and confront detrimental issues such as internalized racism. The Bluest Eye challenges the false idealism that beauty equates to whiteness. Pecola, the novel’s protagonist, is the main victim of this false praxis and we sadly see her demise as she does her best to acquire “blue eyes.” She continues throughout the novel with her quest thinking that her family and community will finally accept her. However, they never do.
This novel spoke to a much younger me. There was a certain point in my life where I was Pecola. Not to her extremity, but I remember thinking lightness was beautiful.That my dark skin made me ugly. I hated my curly hair because I thought it was uncivilized so I permed it. I hated my brown eyes because I thought it didn’t meet the societal standards of beauty. They only made the pretty dolls and all the magazine cover model’s white so what was I suppose to believe? Why were African Americans depicted to the world as slaves and criminals? While white people had the chance to be hero’s and live great love stories.
Thankfully, I was raised by a strong African community that made me feel appreciated even if I didn’t realize it back then. I just wish Pecola had that strong community to shift her adverse view about herself before it was too late.
What Mrs. Morrison meant me
Her innovative use of culture, biblical elements, history, and folklore paved the way for many authors. Her novels may not be the easiest to go through, but it sure does speak the truth about issues black communities have struggled with for centuries. I loved being able to learn from her books and her sheer ability to sweep me in an emotional whirlwind with every single page. She embraced us and never veered from her goals of uplifting and embracing a community of people that are so used to feeling ignored.
Author
RIP Mrs. Morrison