The Bluest Eye

Morrison, T. (1970). The Bluest Eye.  New York:  Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

The Bluest Eye has been on my reading list for a while. I read Beloved back in college and enjoyed Morrison's writing then. I'm currently preparing for my AP summer training. I received a list of books that the trainer wants us tone familiar with (one was The Great Gatsby! Surprise). The Bluest Eye happened to be on the list. So I thought, "Why not?"  

The trainer is recommending the novel as part of the literature curriculum. Since I read the book from that perspective, I will say absolutely not. I do not plan to teach this book to high school students. Not even my advanced seniors. 

The novel was an interesting read and thoroughly lends itself to discussions on race and gender. I enjoyed Morrison's comment on both. As a book published in 1970, The Bluest Eye is a very provocative novel about African-American women living in poverty. Morrison's writing style and narration through a preteen girl was a great way to tell the story. The audience is able to feel a connection to Morrison's theme. 

But my big problem with The Bluest Eye: the sexual content. I can handle discussing one or two scenes with students. But Morrison uses the act as part of her comment on racial, social and gender issues. Sex is used as a manipulative tool or as a sign of dominance throughout the novel. While I would not fault another teacher for using Morrison's novel in an AP literature course, I personally would not feel comfortable teaching the novel to teenagers. 

From a reader's standpoint, I enjoyed the   novel, but from the teacher's perspective, I will not be using The Bluest Eye in the classroom. I am interested to hear the thoughts from the trainer and other teachers in just a few weeks.