Editor's Choice
Who is Maureen Peal and what does she represent in The Bluest Eye?
Quick answer:
Maureen Peal is a new, light-skinned, biracial girl in school who embodies the societal ideals of beauty that Claudia envies and fears. She is charming, wealthy, and self-confident, contrasting sharply with Pecola's insecurity. Although initially friendly, Maureen later taunts Pecola for being black, reinforcing community prejudices. Maureen's acceptance and perceived beauty highlight the societal advantage lighter-skinned individuals have, underscoring the novel's themes of racial identity and self-worth.
Maureen Peal is the new girl in school, who is perky, cute, and represents what Claudia envies, but at the same time fears. Maureen is well-liked because she is attractive and light-skinned. That she is biracial and light-skinned is emphasized in the book.
There is also smugness about Maureen that the reader recognizes, although the girls do not understand immediately. As a result, the reader understands just how shallow Maureen is. Nevertheless, the lightness of Maureen – both literally in terms of her skin and eyes, and figuratively in terms of her self-confidence - contrasts with the insecurity that Pecola and the others feel.
Maureen is charming, wealthy, and well-dressed. Above all, she has the self-esteem that the other girls lack. In part, this is because of her appearance as someone biracial or half-white. Maureen is light skinned with “sloe green eyes, something summery in her complexion, and a rich...
Unlock This Answer Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
autumn ripeness in her walk." By comparison, Pecola is described as ugly.
Initially, she is even nice to Pecola, inviting her to have an ice cream as her treat to Claudia and Frieda’s surprise. Yet shortly after the ice cream scene, Maureen begins to taunt Pecola just like all the other kids in school (except for the MacTeer girls) do. Maureen even taunts Pecola because Pecola is black. Maureen says,
“What do I care about her old black daddy?” asked Maureen.
“Black? Who you calling black?”
“You!”
“You think you so cute!” I swung at her and missed, hitting Pecola in the face...
Safe on the other side, she screamed at us, “I am cute!
And you ugly! Black and ugly black. I am cute!”
Maureen, half black herself, equates black with ugly, just as many other people in their community do. The reader despises Maureen for this. However, it cuts through the girls, who think that if Maureen was cute, it means that they are not.
The author is making the point that regardless of how unkind and insincere, “the Maureen Peals of the world” still have an advantage in that they are accepted and embraced by the world at large, while the Pecolas are not.