He returns a shattered man, unable to accept the complexities of the world; he lives on the outskirts of town, attempting to create order in his life. ... The town is at first wary of him and his ritual, then, over time, unthinkingly accepts him. ... "She had practiced not just the words but the tone, the pitch of her voice. ... Instantly, her views become aligned with those of the town and she "belonged to the town and all of its ways" (Morrison, 120). ... Nel's outrage at Sula's actions is reflective of the town's anger at Sula and we see the personal hurt that Sula's in...

• Word Count: 2614
• Approx Pages: 10
• Grade Level: High School

In The Bluest Eye, Morrison thoroughly uses her previous experiences in aid to create the feeling of hardship and the melancholy tone of the novel. ... The town of Lorain on Lake Erie is where both families settled and is also where Morrison was eventually born. ... It opens our eyes to the challenges of the past while allowing us to experience an absolutely wonderful and influential story. ... Our cultural knowledge and values that are central to the blues form the thematic and rhetorical understanding of The Bluest Eye, as the narrative's structure appears to follow a pattern common...

• Word Count: 2626
• Approx Pages: 11
• Grade Level: Undergraduate