The Bluest Eye Love

Love is something that many characters in The Bluest Eye desire. Claudia admires the women in blues songs, pining after their lovers. Pauline spends countless hours daydreaming about love at the movies. Pecola wants blue eyes, which she thinks will make her more loveable. In the case of Pauline and Pecola, the idea is: "if someone loved me, I would be saved; my life would be completely different." The idea that love could lead to salvation is one that gets tested in the novel, and the novel should get us thinking about whether or not this vision of love is one that is sustainable.

Questions About Love

1. How many definitions of love are there in the novel?
2. Does anyone love Pecola?
3. What does the phrase "Love is only as good as the lover" mean?

Chew on This

Cholly loves Pecola.

Pecola creates an imaginary friend in order to have someone to love her.