An effective use of literary devices in a novel is something that so called "separates the men from the boys". Literary devices help communicate a better understanding of the theme or themes of the story. There are many types of literary devices like foreshadowing, symbolism, point of view, metaphor, and simile. The two that Morrison uses the most effectively are point of view and symbolism.
Point of view can be a very effective tool in writing a story. Picking the right point of view is not that simple, so some writers like Morrison uses more than one. She uses both the 1st person and the 3rd person point of views. The first person is important to the story because it allows you to experience the life of the character first hand. It is not easy to portray the life of a poor black girl in the days of segregation, but Morrison does it flawlessly through the eyes of Claudia. With the omniscient 3rd person point of view you are able to listen to all the characters words and thoughts. This is also a great point of view because it does not limit you to only what the one character says and thinks. This is told by a narrator and can go into the head of any character at anytime. .
Symbolism gives the story a stronger sense of meaning. It reinforces the main theme to make it easier to pick out and understand. Morrison uses symbolism superbly, especially using the idea of "blue eyes" as the stereotype of a beautiful person. The blue eyes pop up all over the story like when Claudia is saying about her Christmas present "the big, the special, the loving gift was always a big, blue-eyed Baby Doll" (19-20). .
It is also seen when Pecola is praying for blue eyes, "It occurred to Pecola some time ago that if her eyes, those eyes that are held the pictures, and knew the sights-if those eyes of hers were different, that is to say, beautiful, she herself would be different" (46). This is an obvious key symbol in the book that reoccurs to bring across the point, blue eyes equal beauty, happiness, and love.
