1. The Bluest Eye
Toni Morrison

2. The image has to come before the individual is established
Lacan’s Mirror Stage
Reaching the “Ideal I”
Stages:
Real, imaginary, symbolic
The image has to come before the individual is established

3. Lack of love and affection creates negative sense of self
Lack of love and nourishment make it hard for Pecola to move on from the pre-oedipal
Mrs. Breedlove vs. Mom
Absence of “m(other)”
-Abel
Lack of love and affection creates negative sense of self

4. Identifies with the image of the “other”
The racial other
Where there is lack, there is desire
There is always desire for more
Problem differentiating herself from the other because she is so caught up in IWI
She is always looking in the mirror

5. Image of “beauty” is socially constructed
This socially accepted image builds up Pecola’s desire to be what she is not
Claudia is able to differentiate from and accept the other, this allows her to evolve to the symbolic realm

6. In order to evolve to the symbolic she needs to be pushed through the oedipal stage
Cholly fails to take up the symbolic function
Soaphead replaces Cholly as the symbolic figure
His illusion registers her in the imaginary rather than symbolic
Schizophrenic breakdown
Other’s neglect leads to isolation and abandonment of self-worth

7. Events lead to her delusional state of mind
Events stop her from emerging from imaginary to symbolic
Due to lack of love from family and society desire for beauty and love intensify