Victims and the“Victim of Victims”:On the Dick-and-Jane Narrative in Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye

孙灵

摘要：《最藍的眼睛》是托尼·莫里森第一部小说。它不仅记录和再现一个受伤害的黑人群体，还为莫里森之后的文学创作奠定基础。就主题而言，它涉及了虐待、性以及强暴内容，并被认为不适合它的读者群。结合小说的结构形式，视角转换、复调特点和时间错乱奠定了小说的现代主义特色。本论文致力于研究和分析小说序言第一部分，也就是，学校读本部分。首先，这一“迪克和简”叙述体现出三个特性：第一，文本在序言部分三次出现;第二，读物部分文句作为章节引言出现于后文之中;第三，与简相关的读物部分没有作为章节引言出现于后文之中。总体上，读物反映出了主流价值观和标准的强制推行和黑人社群对于主控价值观和标准的主动默许和接受。社群内部，人们无形之中都受到伤害。在受到伤害之后，承认都将他们饱受的伤害强加于黑人女孩身上。黑人女孩，成了“受害者中的受害者”。在《最蓝的眼睛》中，皮克拉就是这种人群的一员。她受到了来自受到伤害的父母和社群的伤害。皮克拉，如同被抹掉的读物中与简相关的句子，被从小说中抹掉了。她受到忽视，失去了发言机会。尽管是小说的主人公，其他人物的声音淹没了她的声音，结果，她只是成为小说中边缘化的主人公。

关键词：受害者;受害;“迪克和简”叙述;原读本;《最蓝的眼睛》

The Bluest Eye elicits great sensations in terms of both its thematic concerns and its formal features. Thematically， it covers issues of abuse， sexuality and rape and is regarded as unsuited to its anticipated readership. Taken into consideration its formal patterns， it brings with it some experimental elements. The interpretation of the story， inevitably， should combine the formal patterns of the book with its thematic concerns.

Three Versions of the Dick-and-Jane Narrative

These three versions are symbolic of the process of the imposition of standardized values and the reception of these values. The master primer depicts a white middle-class family and the idyllic life they lead. The popularity of Dick-and-Jane narrative reveals the deep impact the dominant values have on the whole community， both the black and white， and especially for the black community. As Debra T. Werrlein points out， “Similarly， Dick and Jane primers not only posit the literary ‘masterplot in The Bluest Eye; as textbooks in Americas public schools， Morrison suggests they posit a national masterplot that defines Americanness within the parameters of innocent white middle-class childhood” （56）.

The primer not only presents an ideal picture of family life for the black communities， but also advocates an ideal ideology and a victimless societal condition. This circulation of Dick-and-Jane primer aims to popularize the innocent middle-class lifestyle. It aims to disseminate the dominant values and implant them into the black communities. It confirms its status as a standard and encourages the blacks yearning and involvement. The second and third versions reveal the disastrous consequences the repetition of the first version generates. With the implantation of white values， the black communities are induced to make and have a copy of the standard lifestyle. Their plagiarism， however， cannot offer them the exact felicity of that the white people seem to enjoy. They cannot procure the piece of happiness due to their color and status quo. Victimized as they are， they are not sensible of their victimization. They accept the dominant values. The more ready they are for the conversion to the white， the more depression and repulsion they get and show themselves. The willing imitation makes unintelligible and distorted their natural cultural legacy， as is pinpointed， “[t]hese three versions are symbolic of the lifestyles that the author explores in the novel either directly or by implication” （Klotman）.

Epigraphization of the Primer Lines

In the primer sections， each chapter is set off by an epigraph taken from the master primer. In terms of subject， the chapter corresponds more or less with the epigraph. This juxtaposition creates discrepancy and tension. It discloses the fictitious nature of the white middle-class values and the traumas these values have done on the black individuals and communities. Morrisons struggle with colonization for her characters can be sensed through “this pattern in the dialogical way in which Morrison frames her early novels： The Bluest Eye is framed with a deconstructive dialogue with the Dick and Jane childrens books” （Pereira）.

As for Pauline Breedlove， her victimized mentality is the outcome of wide popularity of the impositions of the white middle-class values. After her first pregnancy， Pauline stops doing day work and returns to do her housework. In order to kill her overwhelming feeling of loneliness， she goes to the movies. From the silver screen， “[i]n equating physical beauty with virtue， she stripped her mind， bound it， and collected self-contempt by the heap” （Morrison 98）. Her education in the movies is destructive to her sense of self-worth. She learns the white stereotyped logic that the virtuous are in line with the beautiful appearance. And from then on， she realizes her lack of beauty. The overpowering mass culture towers above her self-worth. She learns to fix her hair up the way Clark Gable and Jean Harlow do. After she learns white men take good care of their women， she looks her husband harder and harder. Her previous life seems unbearable for her newly-gained knowledge. The only place for her to find praise and consolation is the movies. But the movies make her even harder to return to her own life. Jane Kuenz points out， “Paulines movies continuously present her with a life， again presumably ideal， which she does not now have and which she has little， if any， chance of ever enjoying in any capacity other than that of ‘the ideal servant” （Kuenz）. Pauline， in brief， is a victim of the ideological implantation of the dominant values.

The Omission of the Epigraphization of the Jane Lines： The ConclusionAlthough Pecola is the protagonist， it seems she is no better than a peripheral existence in the novel. The primer sections express the voices of Pauline， Cholly， Geraldine and Elihue Whitcomb; but， Pecolas status as a centre of consciousness is omitted. Taken into consideration this novels formal elements， Pecolas voice is silenced. She is excluded from the sphere of self-representation. It is also not a coincidence that Morrison pushes Pecola away from the central stage. The elision of the epigraphization of the Jane lines （together with Pecolas absence） holds together to confirm the idea that black girls are the “victim of victims” and their voice and presence are always overlooked in a racist society. The traumatized black communities show allegiance to the white cultures idea of beauty and internalize the epitome of beauty within the black groups. Their acceptance and acquiescence have great negative influences on black girls. Black girlhood is heavily tinted with the illusory color of the ideal lifestyle of the white middle class. These girls， as the result of the rampant popularity of white yardstick of beauty， fall victim to the stereotyped icons of Shirley Temple and Mary Janes， as what is pointed out， “this cinging， retreating， alienated little girl [Pecola] never attains knowledge of herself or comprehends the complex forces that manipulate her reverence for blond-haired Shirley Temple figures” （Cormier-Hamilton）.