Colour as Identity: Colorism in Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye

Abstract

While Racism traces its roots back to the subjugation of the non-white communities by white ‘masters’, Colorism emerges as an offshoot of Racism. Colorism, or the discrimination amongst individuals, solely on the basis of skin colour is practiced not only by the members of a different race, but also by the members of the same race towards each other.  Toni Morrison, in her novel, The Bluest Eye, reveals how colorism is embedded in the psyche of African-American people. She demonstrates how “Black People” are not also subjected to Racism, but also Colorism by their own people. Morrison portrays a nuanced version of Racism, where the characters have internalized the set notions of Superiority and inferiority viz a viz race. This internalization creates a cycle of victimization and oppression which in turn strengthens the dominant cultures’ oppressive standard of beauty. Though Colorism stems from Racism, it acquires a life of its own. This paper seeks to show how Morrison’s novel, besides addressing the issue of racism, also tackles the issue of Colorism in the novel and shows the twin forces of racism and colorism are used by and against the members of the same community.