The Bluest Eye Group

Question:

oliviamull2
oliviamull2
Student
High School - 12th Grade

Explain the opening phrase of the prologue of "The Bluest Eye": the narrator says  "quiet as it's kept"? 

What does this phrase suggest?

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Posted by oliviamull2 on Friday November 14, 2008 at 10:21 AM and tagged with characters, narrator, prologue, quotes, the bluest eye, themes.

Answers:


  1. ladyvols1 Teacher
    High School - 9th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    The term at the beginning of the second half of the “prologue” is narrated by Claudia.  It is important because the term "Quiet as it's kept" grounds the act of storytelling in a world of gossip, of talk between women, of secrets shared.”  These words bring the reader and the novel into a partnership, and the expression itself is a common phrase used by the black women of Morrison's childhood. “Morrison is using spoken Black-American English to enrich America's literary language; here, specifically, the reader is being invited to learn about Pecola's tragedy, and the opening four words indicate that the story is both little-known and important enough to share.”

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/bluest-eye/characters
    http://www.enotes.com/bluest-eye/dick-jane-preface-summar...
    http://www.gradesaver.com/classicnotes/titles/bluesteye/s...

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    Posted by ladyvols1 on Friday November 14, 2008 at 5:05 PM