Nicole Gordon
English 112B
Dr. Warner
5 May 2005

Point of You;
Searching for a Black Female Identity in a World Without Eyes


"Quiet as it's kept, there were no marigolds in the fall of 1941 . . . What is clear now is that of all of that hope, fear, lust, love, and grief, nothing remains but Pecola and the unyielding earth . . . There is really nothing more to say-except why. But since why is difficult to handle, one must take refuge in how."
-Toni Morrison, The Bluest Eye (pages 5-6)

Excellent literature has the potential to help students understand their own identities, their own failures, their own desires. With this unit on African-American women, I want to create a full-bodied experience for the students. I want to touch all sides of their nature and personalities so that the literature becomes real for them instead of just another intellectual exercise lying dead on the page. This is a unit that uses Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye as a core text. The experience of learning is enhanced through the use of Modern American art, Jazz and contemporary female music, poetry from the 1960's and 1970's, drama, film and various informative pieces of young adult literature. The aim of this unit is to help students see a part of themselves in the works of African-American women and create a connection between themselves and the African-American culture and community. The ideas suggested for this unit apply best to an eleventh or twelfth grade Modern American Literature course. I have chosen Toni Morrison's contemporary and elegant novel The Bluest Eye as a central text because it is a fine example of how literature has the power to inspire and subtly teach those most important issues..."Who am I?" "What is my purpose in life?" "How do I create my own identity?"
In The Bluest Eye, Toni Morrison writes about black people, particularly black female children, as they try to survive in a world dominated by the trappings of white culture. Many of Morrison's characters must contend with and ultimately subvert the larger racist and sexist structures of hierarchy and domination that are all around them. Morrison aims to shatter female stereotypes as the topic of female silence, body image, madness and isolation become central themes in this novel. Many of the women in The Bluest Eye internalize and long for the white body, the white ethos, the white soul. All the while, they give up the elegance and dignity of their own black identity. Morrison creates a distinctly black esthetic that captures the syntactic language and experiences of African-American women who have often been left out of literature. She is concerned with what happens when people lose their language and then remain excluded from the dominant discourse.
In a 1981 interview with Thomas LeClair, Morrison points out "the language, only the language. ...It must suggest and be provocative at the same time. It is the thing that black people love so much - the saying of the words, holding them on the tongue, experimenting with them, playing with them. It's a love, a passion" (Conversations, 123). In this novel, Morrison's writing becomes a performance that celebrates the free play of language and the power of the voice to utter. Her work is richly crafted with layers of meaning and visual and auditory connotations. For Morrison words are not dead letters, but live sounds in the mouth and in the ear. This is a novel that demands to be read aloud. Repeated phrases, like a musician's riff, get played over and over again so that the multiple meanings of the words can be extracted and offered up as a symphony of feeling.
Morrison is also consumed with the significance of visual perception, the way vision structures each person's world. For Morrison, and for my students, the fundamental question becomes: "How does the world see an African-American girl? " and "How does an African-American girl see the world?"
Launching the Unit

Before reading and discussing The Bluest Eye, use some or all of these activities with the students as pre-reading or anticipatory activities.

1) Get a slide projector and show some slides from African-American female artists. Make a handout that contains the name of each slide, the year and the artist. All of these artists use the feminine form as a significant theme in their work. These women break boundaries as they often portray ordinary women with pride and dignity. During the slide show, ask students to discuss the mood, imagery, tone and experience of the picture. Have each student choose a picture and write about why it is their favorite and how they relate to its message. Here is a brief list of some of the artists and works I would show:

-Elizabeth Catlett "Nude Torso," 1999.
-"Mother and Child," 1993.
-Faith Ringold "Painting on the Bay Bridge," 1988.
-"Sunflower Quilting Bee at Arnes," 1991.
-Kara Walker "Emancipation Approximation," 1999.
-Selections from Pictures of Another Time
-Lorna Simpson "Two Frames," 1990.
-Renee Cox "Yo Momma's Last Supper," 2001.
-"Burning," 1998.
-Carrie Mae Weems "Not Manet's Type," 2001.
-"Untitled; from the Kitchen Table Series," 1990.

2) Read the following poems. All of these are by African-American women. Before each poem is read, provide a short introduction to the poet concentrating on their lives, their achievements and their poetry. After reading the poems out loud in class, lead a discussion of the tone, imagery, and symbols found in the poems. Focus on representations of body image and African-American identity. After the discussion of these poems, have students try to link the messages in these poems back to the art slides. Other poems to consider might be

-"The Negro Mother" by Langston Hughes
-"Ain't I A Woman" speech given by Sojourner Truth in 1851
-This is a great source for some other African-American women's poetry: http://digital.nypl.org/schomburg/writers_aa19/toc.html

"Cotton Candy on A Rainy Day" by Nikki Giovanni

Don't look now
I'm fading away
Into the gray of my mornings
Or the blues of every night
Is it that my nails

keep breaking
Or maybe the corn
on my second little piggy Things keep popping out
on my face
or
of my life

It seems no matter how
I try I become more difficult
d to hold
I am not an easy woman

to want

They have asked

the psychiatrists psychologists politicians and
social workers
What this decade will be
known for
There is no doubt it is
loneliness

If loneliness were a grape
the wine would be vintage If it were a wood

the furniture would be mahogany
But since it is life it is
Cotton Candy
on a rainy ray
The sweet soft essence
of possibility
Never quite maturing

I have prided myself
On being in the great tradition

albeit circus
That the show must go on
Though in my community the vernacular is
One Monkey Don't Stop the Show

We all line up

at some midway point
To thread our way though
the boredom and futility
Looking for the blue ribbon and gold medal

Mostly these are seen as food labels

We are consumed by people who sing

The same old song STAY:
as sweet as you are
in my corner
Or perhaps just a little bit longer
But whatever you do don't change baby baby don't change
Something needs to change
Everything some say will change
I need change
of pace face attitude and life
Though I long for my loneliness
I know I need something
Or someone
Or . . .

I strangle my words as easily as I do my tears
I stifle my screams as frequently as I flash my smile

it means nothing
I am cotton candy on a rainy day
The unrealized dream of an idea unborn

I share with the painters the desire
To put a three-dimensional picture
On a one-dimensional surface

"Boxes" by Nikki Giovanni

i am in a box
on a tight string
subject to pop
without notice

everybody says how strong
i am

only black women
and white men
are truly free
they say

it's not difficult to see
how stupid they are

i would not reject
my strength
though its source
is not choice
but responsibility

i would not reject my light
though my wrinkles are also illuminated

something within demands
action
or words
if action is not possible

i am tired
of being boxed
muhammad ali must surely be pleased
that leon spinks relieved him

most of the time
i can't breathe
i smoke to much
to cover my fears
sometimes I pick
my nose to avoid
the breath I need

i also do the same
injustice to my poems

i write because
i have to

"I am a Black Woman" by Mari Evans

I am a black woman
the music of my song
some sweet arpeggio of tears
is written in a minor key
and I
can be heard humming in the night
Can be heard
humming
in the night

I saw my mate leap screaming to the sea
and I/with these hands/cupped the lifebreath
from my issue in the canebrake
I lost Nat's swinging body in a rain of tears
and heard my son scream all the way from Anzio
for Peace he never knew . . . I
learned Da Nang and Pork Chop Hill
in anguish
Now my nostrils know the gas
and these trigger tire/d fingers
seek the softness in my warrior's beard

I am a black woman
tall as a cypress
strong
beyond all definition still
defying place
and time
and circumstance
assailed
impervious
indestructible
Look
on me and be renewed

4) Have students read Ntozake Shenge's "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf." This is a dramatic play was first performed in 1974 at Bacchanal, a woman's bar located just outside of Berkley. In the introduction, Shenge describes the book as a "choreopoem" (xii) that explores the lives of seven women who "were to be nameless & assume hegemony as dictated by the fullness of their lives"(xii). Together these women talk about female sexuality, music, dreams, race, loss and courage. It would be great to do selections of the poem/play as a reader's theater. However, there are many cuss words and racial slurs, so be aware. One of my favorite sections is the "Lady in Blue" speech on pages 52-54. It is a section about female autonomy and self - realization. After the play or section is read out loud, have students write a journal entry about their reactions to the piece. Then, have each student choose one woman that they relate to and then write a monologue in the tone and fashion in which that woman would speak.

5) Ask each student to choose an African-American female who has achieved recognition as an artist, musician, politician, activist, novelist, scientist etc. and then do some research on that person. Have each student bring in a picture of that person and then do a one or two minute presentation on that person's life to the class. Create a bulletin board where all of the pictures can be attached. At the end of the unit, the board should be full. This visual representation will be a source of inspiration for students who are in search of strong role models.

Bluest Eye Activities

1) During journal writing and as students walk into class, softly play some music from African-American female artists. Artists such as Billie Holiday, Lena Horn, Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, Alicia Keys, Salt-N-Peppa, Missy Elliot and Beyonce. Have students bring in their favorite artists to share.

2) Listen to Toni Morrison read a section of The Bluest Eye out loud on Salon.com at http://www.salon.com/audio/2000/10/05/morrison/index.html.

3) Here are some questions for discussion / papers :

  • The title of The Bluest Eye refers to Pecola Breedlove's intense desire for blue eyes. Pecola thinks that she is ugly and unworthy of love and respect and becomes convinced that her life would be magically transformed if she possessed blue eyes. How does racial self-loathing affect the lives of Pecola and her parents? How does racial self-hatred manifest itself in characters like Maureen Peal, Geraldine, and Soaphead Church?

  • How do you relate to the character of Pecola Breedlove? Have you ever wished that you could change something about yourself? If so, what is it and how do you think it would affect your life?

  • This novel was published in the 1970's, a time of slogans like "Black is Beautiful." What do you make of the historical timing of this novel's publication? While many advances have been made, many of the racial issues in this novel remain a problem today. What do you think about the state of racial identity in the 21st Century?

  • Consider Morrison's characterization of Cholly Breedlove. While she clearly condemns his actions, she resists dehumanizing him. Trace the events that make Cholly commit this brutal act of incest. Do you think there is a connection between the white hunters' actions and the sexual aggression he exhibits towards Pecola?

  • Consider the art and poetry we have experienced thus far. How does The Bluest Eye further contribute to the notions of African-American female identity? Consider Pecola, Claudia, Pauline Breedlove and any other relevant characters.

  • Explore the notion of physical beauty and love within the text. Where do the characters first encounter these notions? What negative visions of physical beauty and love does novel offer? Are there any positive aspects?

  • After Cholly rapes Pecola for the second time, she enters a world of silence and madness. Her sense of self becomes so fragmented, that she can only have conversations in her mind. Explore this moment of transition from "sanity" to "insanity" and discuss madness as expressed through the text.

Extending the Unit

1) Read aloud from a "Dick and Jane" reader form the 1950's. Show the students the pictures in the book as you read. "Morrison takes the idea of the American family and condenses it in order to show how most of us do not have 'white picket fence' perfection" (Trounstine). Discuss the prevalence of the "Dick and Jane" motif throughout The Bluest Eye and then have students go back to the text and create their own "Dick and Jane" storybook based on the events in the novel.

2) Watch Spike Lee's gripping documentary "Four Little Girls." It is about the 1963 bombing of an Alabama African-American church. Four young girls die in the bombing and this event becomes a turning point in the civil rights movement. Through interviews with friends, family members and journalists, the short life of these four girls becomes realistic for the viewer. This disturbing film will open up student's eyes to an important historical event that happened just a few years before The Bluest Eye was published.

3) Watch the film version of Toni Morrison's Beloved. Help students create connections between the characters and themes in The Bluest Eye and Beloved.

4) The Bluest Eye, along with many other works by African-American women have been censored or challenged. Here is a great simulation that can be done to show students the many faces of censorship. Give each student a folder with a card inside that will describe the role that they will play in the simulation. Each student must then go out into their community and find someone who has a similar role and interview that person. They must try to understand that person's point of view and why that person has strong or mild feelings about the issue. In the folder provide students with readings that may be relevant to, or interesting to, a person in that role. For example, an entry on a "concerned citizen" might include information on religious beliefs, statistics, or selections from an appropriate magazine or book. Each student must also add one item of information to this background information. For the simulation, each student must dress the part of the person they have interviewed and must make a concerted effort to speak in the parlance and persona of their subject. On the day of the simulation, the Advisory Board on Censorship will meet to discuss the recent concern over the teaching of The Bluest Eye. There will be a cross section of concerned citizens, town officials, parents and teachers. The teacher who is currently teaching this book will also be there to defend his/her decision. At the end of the simulation, it will be each student's task to advise the School Board about how to develop a policy for this and future issues of censorship in the community. More information about this simulation can be found at http://www.d.umn.edu/~lmillerc/TeachingEnglishHomePage/5215/CensorshipSimulation-5215.html.

5) Use some Young Adult texts to deepen understanding of the African-American woman's place in society. The texts can be used in either a small group or individual setting. All of the texts I have listed are about the achievements and trials that African-American women have faced throughout time. Many of the books are inspirational and full of universal themes. Most also contain valuable information on a variety of topics ranging from historical figures to how to deal with AIDS. Here are some texts I recommend . Unless otherwise noted, the annotations come from Kylene Beers book, Books for You. See the full citation in Works Cited section of this Unit.

  • And Not Afraid to Dare: The Stories of Ten African-American Women by Tonya Bolden: These are ten stories of African-American women who not only lived though adversity, but triumphed over racism and sexism to reach their goals. Clara "Mother" Hale dedicated her life to caring for babies stricken with AIDS. Ida Wells wrote poignantly against lynchings at great risk to her own life. The women whose stories are told in this book represent the strength and courage many women have shown when they become "determined to be free, to be heard, to succeed."

  • Women of Hope: African-Americans Who Made a Difference by Joyce Hansen: This stunningly beautiful book profiles the lives of twelve African-American women who have made a difference though their words and actions. The black-and-white portrait photographs that accompany each biographical sketch were chosen from a series of posters honoring "Women of Hope." In this book you will encounter Maya Angelou's stirring words, "You may write me down in history with your bitter, twisted lies, you may trod me in the very dirt but still like dust, I'll rise" and Toni Morrison's exclamation, "My world did not shrink because I was a black female writer. It just got bigger." This book reminds young people, especially young African-American women, that "greatness looks like them."

  • The Starplace by Vicki Grove: It's the year 1961, and Frannie lives in the perfect little town of Quiver, Oklahoma. She is planning a party with her friends to launch their eighth grade school year. Then, Celeste, an African-American girl, moves to town. Frannie is drawn to Celeste, but she is afraid to make friends with her because Celeste is the only African-American student in the school. As time goes by, however, they become close friends. Through their friendship, Frannie learns some history that was not taught in her school.

  • One More River to Cross: An African-American Photo Album by Walter Dean Myers; They say that a picture's worth a thousand words. If that's true, then this book is worth thousands and thousands of words, because it's filled with black-and-white photographs of African-Americans from the time of slavery and reconstruction to the civil rights movement of the 1960's and modern events of the 1990's. This portfolio will give inspiration to all who strive for racial, social, and gender equality.

  • Romiette and Julio by Sharon Draper; Romiette Capelle and Julio Montague meet in an online chat room. Later they discover that they attend the same school. It's not long before the two are friends. The Devildogs, a local gang, tell Romiette and Julio that they had better be careful. They do not like the fact that a Black girl is dating a Latino boy. When Romiette and Julio ignore their warnings, they place themselves in grave danger. This modern-day retelling of Romeo and Juliet deals with issues of racism and prejudice in contemporary society.

  • Dancer by Lorri Hewett; Sixteen-year-old Stephanie wants to be a ballerina, but like Miss Winnie, the aging African-American dancer who mentors her, Stephanie faces the prejudice of not having a face "the color of a freshly peeled apple." Miss Winnie's belief in Stephanie's talent fires the young dancer's passion for ballet, increasing her parents' concern that she will sacrifice going to college for a career in which she may not succeed. Being a scholarship student in the private school where her father is a janitor does not make her social life easy either. Then Vance, Miss Winnie's nephew, dances into Stephanie's life, adding a little spice to her days of studying and recitals.

  • Am I the Last Virgin? Ten African-Americans Reflection on Sex and Love edited by Tara Roberts; These 10 essays range form the title story about Roberts' determination to take the word virgin back to its Latin root, Virgo, meaning strength, force and skill, to stories of rape, sexual assault, unwanted pregnancy, AIDS, and loss of self. As ten African-American women share their personal stories, you learn how triumph can raise from tragedy. The book also includes an extensive, twenty-five-page Resource Directory that lists hotlines and help centers nationwide.

  • Her Stories by Virginia Hamilton; This is an outstanding collection of seventeen tales. Each story features an African-American woman or girl as the main character. Within the book, there are true stories, ghost stories, folk legends, classic fairy tales and more. A vast array of African-American cultural tradition is covered within the beautifully illustrated pages. In 1996, this book won the Coretta Scott King Award. Virginia Hamilton has been called the "Toni Morrison of children's literature." Her efforts to promote her positive view of personal strength, pride, and childhood in her stories compare strongly to those ideas promoted by Morrison. (Amazon.com)

  • Roll of Thunder Hear Me Cry by Mildred Taylor; In all Mildred D. Taylor's unforgettable novels she recounts "not only the joy of growing up in a large and supportive family, but my own feelings of being faced with segregation and bigotry." Her Newbery Medal-winning Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry tells the story of one African-American family, fighting to stay together and strong in the face of brutal racist attacks, illness, poverty, and betrayal in the Deep South of the 1930s. Nine-year-old Cassie Logan, growing up protected by her loving family, has never had reason to suspect that any white person could consider her inferior or wish her harm. But during the course of one devastating year when her community begins to be ripped apart by angry night riders threatening African-Americans, she and her three brothers come to understand why the land they own means so much to their Papa. "Look out there, Cassie girl. All that belongs to you. You ain't never had to live on nobody's place but your own and long as I live and the family survives, you'll never have to. That's important. You may not understand that now but one day you will. Then you'll see" (Amazon.com).

  • Sugar in the Raw: Voices of Young Black Girls in America edited by Rebecca Carrol; A collection of 15 spirited and thought-provoking monologues based on conversations and interviews the author held with over 50 young black women. The selections reflect the girls' diverse experiences, attitudes, and dreams, and represent a broad spectrum of social class and geographical regions. Jo-Laine of Brooklyn, NY, observes, "The kind of girl I am has everything to do with the kind of woman I think I'll be. I know that I am bold and straightforward. When it comes time to deal with boys and whatnot, I will make clear who I am and how I expect to be treated." Aisha, of Seattle, WA, declares, "My strong suit is what I can do with my mind and my personality. Yes, I am beautiful, too, but it's not a priority to me." Reacting to the author's project, Reni of Birmingham, AL, says, "I think the concept of this book is very inspirational because it is so important for black girls to hear what other black girls are thinking. People create who they are based on their experiences with and their exposure to other people." The book is entertaining and instructional both for what it tells readers about the hearts and minds of black teens and for the model it serves for those who want to learn to evoke personality and power in their own writing. http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/community/857/SLJ+Reviews/23354.html .

Works Cited

Beers, Kylene. Books for You: An Annotated Booklist for Senior High. Illinois: NCTE, 1998.

Bolden, Tonya. And Not Afraid to Dare: The Stories of Ten African-American Women. New York: Scholastic, 1988.

Carrol, Rebecca. Sugar in the Raw: Voices of Young Black Girls in America. California: Three Rivers Press, 1997.

Catlett, Elizabeth. Nude Torso. 1999. June Kelly Gallery, New York. 5 May 2005.

. ---. Mother and Child. 1993. Studio Museum, New York. 5 May 2005. .

Cox, Renee. Yo Mamma's Last Supper. 2001. Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York. 5 May 2005. .

---. Burning. 1998. Cristinerose Gallery, New York. 5 May 2005. .

Draper, Sharon. Romiette and Julio. New York: Simon & Shuster, 1999.

Evans, Mari. "I am A Black Woman." I am A Black Woman. New York: Morrow, 1970.

Giovanni, Nikki. "Boxed." Cotton Candy On A Rainy Day. New York: Quill, 1980.

---. "Cotton Candy on A Rainy Day." Cotton Candy On A Rainy Day. New York: Quill, 1980.

Grove, Vicki. The Starplace. New York: Putnam, 1999.

Hamilton, Virginia . Her Stories. Michigan: Sky Blue Press, 1995.

Hansen, Joyce. Women of Hope: African-Americans Who Made a Difference. New York: Scholastic, 1998.

Hewett, Lorri. Dancer. New York: Dutton, 1999.

Miller-Cleary, Linda. "Censorship Simulation." 5 March 2005. .

Morrison, Toni. The Bluest Eye. New York: Penguin, 1994.

---. Conversations With Toni Morrison. Ed. Danille Tayle-Guthrie. Jackson: Mississippi UP, 1994.

---. MP3 of The Bluest Eye. 5 May 2005. .

Myers, Walter Dean. One More River to Cross: An African-American Photo Album. New York; Harcourt Brace, 1999.

Riben, Cynthia. Rev. of Sugar in the Raw: Voices of Young Black Girls in America, by Rebecca Carrol. 5 May 2005. .

Ringold, Faith. Painting on the Bay Bridge. 1988. Private collection. 5 May 2005. < http://www.faithringgold.com/ringgold/d43.htm>.

---. Sunflower Quilting Bee At Arles. 1991. Private collection. 5 May 2005. .

Roberts, Tara. Am I the Last Virgin? Ten African-American Reflection on Sex and Love. New York: Simon & Shuster, 1997.

Shenge, Ntozake. For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf. New York: Scribner, 1989.

Simpson, Lorna. Two Frames. 1990. M.F.A.H., Houston. 5 May 2005. .

Taylor, Mildred. Roll of Thunder Hear Me Cry. New York; Puffin,1991.

Trounstine, Jean. "The Bluest Eye." Changing Lives Through Literature. 5 May 2005 .

Walker, Kara. Emancipation Approximation. 1999. Studio Museum, New York. 5 May 2005. .

---. Kara Walker: Pictures From Another Time. Michigan: Zzdap, 2002.

Weems, Carrie Mae. Not Manet's Type. 2001. Sightlines, New York. 5 May 2005. .

---. Untitled; From the Kitchen Table Series. 1990. Rhona Hoffman Gallery, Illinois.

Unit Pictures

http://www.artnet.com/ag/fineartthumbnails.asp?aid=17631.