The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison Book Analysis

In The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, three women are introduced as prostitutes who live together in an apartment above the Breedloves. These women, Miss Marie, Poland, and China are caring people who treat Pecola, Claudia, and Frieda with respect, and with the intention of teaching them valuable skills, including what to do with men once they reach the appropriate age. Although in the eyes of residents in the Lorain community view these women as non-valuable members of society, they are especially meaningful to Pecola. She considers them role models and favorable adults who care for her. With the constant battle Pecola faces with her “ugliness”, these prostitutes enable her to understand that her looks do not impact the way she is seen. The prostitutes teach Pecola that her looks do not hinder the way she lives her life, and that she is accepted regardless of how she feels about her appearance.

When Pecola first encounters the prostitutes, she is accepted into their home without judgement of her looks or skin color. Pecola has never experienced this before. She has felt the presence of exclusiveness her whole life because of her physical appearance, and has always perceived she was different. When approaching the door of Miss Marie, Poland, and China, however, she felt an immediate wave of welcomeness. Before the door opens, Pecola hears Poland singing, and says her voice is “sweet and hard, like new strawberries” (51). This relieves Pecola of her anxiety, as she knows she is not going to face problems while talking to these women. Although the prostitutes may just be nice people, Pecola relates to them because they are shunned in society, just like her. Since she experiences such difficult interactions because of her looks, being accepted into a new environment is a groundbreaking experience for Pecola, creating confidence for her future self. 

As Pecola slowly becomes more comfortable with the prostitutes, they initiate a conversation regarding their profession. Pecola is too innocent and naive to understand the dexterity of this line of work, so she refers to the prostitutes' clients as “boyfriends”. The prostitutes go on to discuss their experiences with their “boyfriends” and tell Pecola what to avoid when she gets into these situations. On page 51 it says, “How come you got so many boyfriends, Miss Marie? Boyfriends? Boyfriends? Chittlin’, I ain’t seen a boy since nineteen and twenty-seven… How come I ain’t seen a boy since nineteen and twenty-seven? Because they ain't been no boys since then. That's when they stopped. Folks started gettin’ born old”. Miss Marie describes to Pecola how all of her clients are not gentlemen, but instead bad men who do not treat her with respect. She is warning Pecola of the men she will come across later in her life, and is creating awareness so she doesn't fall for any traps in the future. This moment illustrates that these women care for Pecola’s wellbeing because they don’t want her to make the same mistakes they did. This reassures Pecola because she can see how other “ugly” women have overcome this obstacle, making her feel like she can as well. 

Overall, the prostitutes are a safe space for Pecola because she knows they understand how she feels about her physical appearance. They teach Pecola how to live her life in a way that boosts her morale, and apply life lessons they learned to encourage Pecola. For the rest of the community, the prostitutes are nothing but trouble, but for Pecola, they are role models.