Investigating Racial Dehumanization, Distortion of Perspectives, and Perpetuation of Trauma in Morrison’s The Bluest Eye

Abstract

As the world continues to struggle with violence and the devastating legacies of racism, colonialism, and slavery, the systems and structures designed to subjugate and enslave fellow human beings still plague human society, even in an age of human dignity, freedom, and civil liberties. The brutal murders, lynching, and crimes of hate we witness against black people in America point to the existence of racism as a thriving, underground force, often institutionalised and perpetuated by the very system mandated to eradicate this menace. Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye offers several insights into how inhuman portrayals of black people inform white discourse. Blackness evokes fear and insecurity in the minds of white supremacists, and systemic racism even creates a hierarchy among black people. Some, having grown up with a deeply disturbing self-image, develop an all-consuming desire to be white in order to count as human. This study focuses on how racism is perpetuated by financial interests and white supremacy, coupled with discrimination and prejudice within law enforcement and ambiguities in the laws enacted to eradicate these issues. The study suggests that systemic racism dehumanises not only the black victims but also the white oppressors, distorting perspectives and perpetuating a vicious cycle of violence.