“Eliminating the White Gaze”
Share
Toni Morrison, born on February 18th, 1931 in Lorain, Ohio, had a childhood filled with the importance of reading, instilled in her by her parents from a young age. After graduating from high school in 1949, she secured a spot at Howard University (the real HU). After graduating from Howard she obtained her master's degree from Cornell University. This led to her accepting an editorial position at the New York Review of Books in Syracuse, New York.
A pivotal moment from Toni Morrison's childhood stuck with her throughout her life. It was a conversation between her and another black girl, in which the girl confessed to praying every night for blue eyes. This memory deeply impacted Morrison, sparking a profound purpose within her. She felt compelled to understand how racism's painful effects led black girls to internalize self-hatred. This motivated her to embark on a journey of self-expression through her writing, with a focus on her own perspective.
At the age of 39, Morrison published her debut novel, "The Bluest Eye," written between her responsibilities as a book editor and a single mother to two young sons. The book dives into the complexities of understanding how Black girls were taught how to hate themselves, and how the pain that comes from racism is internalized.
Toni Morrison went on to write a total of 11 novels, all with a focus on eliminating the white gaze. She was determined to ensure that her stories and characters were not framed or filtered through the lens of white people. The white gaze is the assumption that the default reader or observer is coming from a perspective of someone who identifies as white, or that people of color sometimes feel the need to take into account the white reader or observer's reaction.
Morrison's approach was nuanced and aesthetic. Seeking to tease and complicate rather than simplify or preach. Her work was deeply enriched by accurate portrayals of her characters and their experiences.
Morrison won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993 and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1988.
HELLA INSPIRED.
A pivotal moment from Toni Morrison's childhood stuck with her throughout her life. It was a conversation between her and another black girl, in which the girl confessed to praying every night for blue eyes. This memory deeply impacted Morrison, sparking a profound purpose within her. She felt compelled to understand how racism's painful effects led black girls to internalize self-hatred. This motivated her to embark on a journey of self-expression through her writing, with a focus on her own perspective.
At the age of 39, Morrison published her debut novel, "The Bluest Eye," written between her responsibilities as a book editor and a single mother to two young sons. The book dives into the complexities of understanding how Black girls were taught how to hate themselves, and how the pain that comes from racism is internalized.
Toni Morrison went on to write a total of 11 novels, all with a focus on eliminating the white gaze. She was determined to ensure that her stories and characters were not framed or filtered through the lens of white people. The white gaze is the assumption that the default reader or observer is coming from a perspective of someone who identifies as white, or that people of color sometimes feel the need to take into account the white reader or observer's reaction.
Morrison's approach was nuanced and aesthetic. Seeking to tease and complicate rather than simplify or preach. Her work was deeply enriched by accurate portrayals of her characters and their experiences.
Morrison won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993 and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1988.
HELLA INSPIRED.