The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison was published in 1970. The characters in the novel face intense racism and class distinction.
Pecola Breedlove
Pecola Breedlove is an African black girl of eleven years old who is set as Central character in the novel The Bluest Eye. She is abused for being black and ugly by her family members, class fellow and people of the society . She is severely fed up with her outward appearance and so desires to have blue eyes as to have blue eyes is considered as a sign of utmost external beauty at that contemporary society. Her this kind of belief leads her to a horrible situation.
Claudia MacTeer
Claudia MacTeer is the speaker of the novel. She is a nine-year-old black girl. Claudia does not undergo the bite of racism and violence. She is not upset about her life like Pecola Breedlove rather she is an energetic and determined to survive
Cholly Breedlove
Cholly Breedlove is the father of Pecola Breedlove and he is a depressed person being vulnerable to racial disparity. His life throughout the novel is driven by two incidents-firstly, his mother’s inhumanly abandoning him on a dross pile. Secondly, bad experience of his first physical relation as he is forced to do that in front of two white men. Cholly becomes highly frustrated about his life and ultimately rapes her daughter Pecola.
Frieda MacTeer
Frieda MacTeer is a ten-year-old girl and older sister of Claudia. Claudia is independen and satisfied with her life. She has a great fascination over Shirley Temple and also have liking over white actresses. Frieda believes that external whiteness is the key of beauty.
Pauline Breedlove
Pauline Breedlove is the harsh mother of Pecola Breedlove , Sammy and cholly. She feels inferiority complex for her lame foot and for her missing tooth of front side. Pauline struggles to maintain her family while being abused by her husband. Pauline is religious in a avengeful manner. She beats Pecola for being raped by her own father.
Henry Washington
Henry Washington is a middle-aged boarder of MacTeer who remains bachelor through his whole life. He maintains a close connection with the MacTeer girls those who are involved in prostitution.
Samuel Breadlove
Samuel is a fourteen-year-old boy and brother of Pecola. He usually argues with his parents. He is also abused by his family for uglyness. Samuel has little control over his anger and usually leaves his home after quarreling.
China, Poland and Marie
They are the local prostitute living upstairs from Breedlove family. These three women possess different characteristics and body shapes: China is cadaveric and sarcastic while Poland remains reticent. On the other hand, Marie is bulky but humble and kind.
Maureen Peal
Maureen Peal is a mulatto girl from a wealthy family who gets admitted in the same school with Macteer girls. At the beginning, she is humble and polite but gradually she becomes boastful. She used to wear gorgeous outfit. Claudia describes her as a ” high yellow dream child.” She brings healthy tiffin at the school and is treated with greater affection and respect by the school teachers. She buys ice-cream for Pecola. She is capable of both kindness and cruelty at the same time. She has green eyes and Claudia and Frieda call her a “Meringue pie”. But she has six fingers in her hand.
Geraldine
Geraldine is a light skin and well-off black woman. She has a great sense of cleanliness as she considers herself as a perfect woman. She always takes care of her cat more cautiously rather than taking care of her own family.
Louis Junior
Louis Junior is dominating and haughty . His mother’s coldness and silent appearance make him arrogant. He imposes false blame on Pecola to harm a cat .
Soaphead Church
Soaped Church is a West Indian man who is a famous fortune teller. He seems to be the most moral person in the novel but the irony is that he is immoral and sultry.
Minor Character list of The Bluest Eyes:
Mrs. MacTeer
Mrs. MacTeer is a caring mother of Claudia and Frieda. She is always sympathetic to her children. She has a fascination with songs and cultural activities.
Mr. MacTeer
He is a hard working person and father of Claudia and Frieda . He works hard to maintain his family. He is also conscious about protecting his family from any danger.
Henry Washington
He is known as Mr.Henry who stays in Mr.Macteer’s house as a boarder. He is never married. Frieda and Claudia like him but later they find him with two ‘bad women’. Mr. Henry tries to touch Frieda’s breasts and then Mr.Macteer kicks him out of his house.
Rosemary Villanucci
Rosemary is a wealthy neighbor of Claudia and Frieda . She belongs to white race. Being revengeful, Rosemary always tries to trouble Claudia and Frieda.
Aunt Jimmy
Aunt Jimmy provides Cholly shelter and care when his mother abandons him in a trash heap.
Samson Fuller
Samson is the father of Cholly who rejects him and does not maintain any connection or communication later.
Blue Jack
Cholly’s closest one who is sympathetic like a father figure.
M’Dear
She is a nurse in Cholly’s community. She looks after Aunt Jimmy when she becomes sick.
Thank you for reading. Hope you find this article useful.
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