Student Question
What does the presentation of Pauline Breedlove's account of her relationship with Cholly in The Bluest Eye suggest?
Quick answer:
The presentation of Pauline Breedlove's account of her relationship with Cholly in The Bluest Eye through italics and indentation suggests an internal dialogue reflecting on past events. This stylistic choice indicates that her narrative is a personal recollection, allowing readers to understand it as both a past experience and a private reflection. Pauline's memories of growing up, family responsibilities, and her relationship with Cholly are framed as introspective, emphasizing their significance in her life.
The use of italics within the dialogue of a text typically refers to one thing: an internal dialogue is taking place. In regards to the indentation and italics (plus quotation marks) during Pauline Breedlove's account of her relationship to Cholly (in Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye), these allow her dialogue to be shown, and understood, as her account of something which has happened in the past.
The idea behind this is illustrated further by the things with Pauline speak about. Pauline speaks about growing up in Alabama, getting the nail in her foot at two, caring for her younger siblings, and her relationship with Cholly later in life. The use of italics illustrates her dialogue as both happening in the past and act as a signal to the reader that it could be taking place in her mind alone (internal dialogue).
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