Morrison, Toni: 1931 - 2019

The Bluest Eye, 1970 - Thematic Parallels: Racism

Morrison, Toni: The Bluest Eye, 1970
The novel explores themes of race, beauty standards, identity, and trauma in America.
The following books are thematically similar. They lend themselves well to being read in groups, compared with one another, or used to teach a similar topic over an extended period with a class:
- Lessing, Doris: The Grass Is Singing, 1950, ~240pp
  This novel explores internal and environmental oppression and the corrosive effects of racism—paralleling Morrison’s psychological focus.
  - Both works use the lens of one woman’s (or girl’s) tragedy to expose the corrosive effects of race, gender, and power structures, showing how oppression infiltrates intimate life, leading to psychological destruction.
- Neufeld, John: Edgar Allan, 1968, ~120pp
  This novel explores how societal prejudice infiltrates personal life, drawing out emotional consequences—similar to Morrison’s exploration of internalized hurt and societal failure.
  - Both works explore how racism, internalized oppression, and white cultural ideals shape Black childhood identity, often with devastating consequences for belonging, self-worth, and mental health.
- Paton, Alan: Cry, the Beloved Country, 1948, ~250pp
  This novel explores internal and environmental oppression and the corrosive effects of racism—paralleling Morrison’s psychological focus.
  - Both novels show how systemic racism corrodes families, identities, and communities, often through the most vulnerable—children. They also both weave individual tragedy into a broader social critique, pushing readers to reckon with the moral costs of racial oppression.
- Walker, Alice: The Color Purple, 1982, ~300pp
  Like "The Bluest Eye," this novel addresses overlapping oppressions of race and gender and the journey toward reclaiming identity and self-worth.
  - Both works illuminate how racism, sexism, and abuse shape Black women’s lives, while also exploring voice, self-worth, and community. Morrison’s vision is more tragic, showing what happens when support fails; Walker’s is more hopeful, showing survival through sisterhood.
List of general discussion questions on Racism (pdf)
List of essay prompts on Racism (pdf)