Subversion of Dichotomies in Tony Morrison’s The Bluest Eye

邢恩慧

（内蒙古科技大学外国语学院  内蒙古 包头 014010） 

Abstract: Western metaphysics put forward logocentrism. The so called “center” is regarded to be privileged. By decentering the so called “center” binary oppositions are subverted , and deconstruction is achieved. In this article, the writer tries to find out how Toni Morrison subverts the dichotomies concerning the American whites and blacks in her novel The Bluest Eye.

Key words: Toni Morrison   logocentrism  subversion  oppositions  decenter

 For deconstructionists, elements within pairs of binary oppositions are complementary and the distinction between components within each opposition is vague. In The Bluest Eye, Morrison expresses the hardness of black women in searching for self. Morrison tries to subvert the binary oppositions between white/ black, and that of man/ woman. Here is how Toni Morrison subverts the white/ black opposition.

I  Dismantling the White/ Black Binary Opposition in the Racial Sense

Morrison presents a society in which white superiority is deeply rooted in people’s mind. The deeply rooted ideology of white/ black opposition is shown. Elementary education readers, like the Dick-and-Jane story, lead to a long lasting misunderstanding upon children. Having found the reason of this ill but well accepted consciousness, Morrison adapts the elementary education reader to the effect that the opposition is broken thoroughly.

Another aspect is the society. As a result of discrimination upon the blacks, black people themselves are skeptical about their own beauty. This is the reason why Cholly dies, Sammy runs away and Pecola becomes crazy. Morrison presents that if they keep believing in it, they will finally drive themselves into a very bitter situation.

II  Destroying the Man/ Woman Dichotomy

As we can read from Morrison’s works, female African Americans are under oppression of both the white and the male. This leads to the domination of woman by men. By decentering speech in the opposition of speech/ writing, Derrida subverts this pair of binary opposition and deconstructs logocentrism. In The Bluest Eye, Morrison also reveals her tendency of deconstructing phallogocentrism by decentring man and subverting the binary opposition of man/ woman.

In The Bluest Eye, oppression and indifference that man has imposed on woman appears everywhere. The black woman, Aunt Jimmy is one of the victims. As a female African American, Morrison subverts the binary oppositions and calls for the breaking away from the bondage which was set by the white ideology, and the establishment of values of their own.

III Subverting the Good/ Evil Dualism in religious Terms

In African American culture, people believe no one can clearly make a clear difference between good and evil. They believe evil is born in nature. But westerners treat “evil” with annihilation.

Morrison emphasizes that there exist dual qualities of a person. She conveys in her novel that good and evil are all given to a person by the society and mainstream ideology. They are just inseparable, no matter he is white, black, man, or woman.

IV Conclusion

White/ black, man/ woman good/ evil are not effective in solving problems. So in The Bluest Eye, binary oppositions are subverted, and hierarchical structures in western ideology are proved to be meaningless. With the subversion of binary oppositions, the “absolute truth” evanesces on itself, and anti-foundational effect is achieved. What Morrison presents in her novel is that good and evil are all results of the experience in their lives.                                                                                          

References

伯纳德•W•贝尔，《非洲裔美国黑人小说及其传统》，（刘捷等译）。成都：四川人民出版社，2000。

陈伟，国内莫里森研究综述，《科技信息》（学术版）2007。

王守仁、吴新云，《性别•种族•文化-托尼•莫里森与美国二十世纪黑人文学》，北京：北京大学出版社，1991。

Jacques Derrida, Positions. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1982.

Toni Morrison, The Bluest Eye, New York: Washington Squire Press, 1972.