The Power of Language: Silencing and Empowerment in Toni Morrison’s Novel “The Bluest Eye”

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Page: 15-18

Chhaya Mangesh Kashid (Waghire College of Art, Commerce and Science Saswad, Pune, Maharashtra)

This paper examines the representation and silencing of women’s voices in Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye (1970), a foundational work in African American feminist literature. The study explores how Morrison portrays the impact of patriarchal and racist structures on Black women’s identities and voices. Using a critical literary analysis method, the research investigates how language, silence, and narrative structure are employed to both empower and marginalize female characters. Through a focus on the character of Pecola Breedlove, Morrison reveals the deep entanglement of racism, sexism, and classism in shaping Black women’s lives. The novel’s fragmented narrative and shifting perspectives reflect the systemic erasure of women’s voices while simultaneously reclaiming space for them through alternative storytelling techniques. Ultimately, the paper concludes that The Bluest Eye is a powerful feminist text that challenges dominant cultural narratives and emphasizes the need to center marginalized voices in both literature and society.