"There were no marigolds in the fall of 1941. We thought, at the time it was because Pecola was having her father's baby. Having her father's baby was not the only problem the twelve-year-old young girl had to face. In the novel "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison, Pecola Breedlove must learn what it is like to deal with racism (man versus man conflict). And how to deal with her father (man versus man), and herself (man versus himself).
In 1941 there was not a white person in the south that gave the black people of the community equal rights. The black children growing up never really knew any different. They just like Pecola had grown accustomed to being looked down upon. An example of how whites looked down on the blacks in hate and disgust is when, Pecola stops into the store to buy some candies, she held out her hand to give the money to the white cashier, but he "hesitates, not wanting to touch her hand", the narrator explains. This shows an example of the type of racism that Pecola had to go through. The Breedloves had to face even more unkind remarks and stares because they were so poor. Pecola never thought it was because she was so poor she thought it was because, she was given the cloak of ugliness. Pecola's conflicts with racism were never really solved. She only thought that the problems were solved. When really the rude comments soon turned into stares because they were afraid of the new Pecola that she had become.
Pecola's problems with her father began with her father's drinking problems. Cholly was a violent drunk, unfaithful husband, and abusive father. An example of Cholly's lack of parenting knowledge was, one Saturday afternoon Cholly came home from drunk and seen Pecola standing at the sink like her mother once stood. As when he first fell in love with Pauline. Seeing Pecola in that same position gave him the sexual erg. There in the kitchen Cholly fell to his knees and attacked his daughter.