Question 4

The theme of love is explored in the novel through morbid and volatile family relationships. It isn’t showed in the conventional ways we would typically see love. For example with hugs, kisses, laughter and joy; a happy and loving family relationship. Instead Claudia’s mother shows her love by attending and “caring” for her daughter when she is sick. She roughly rubs Vicks on her chest when she is sick,”She takes two fingers’ full of it at a time, and massages my chest until I am faint (Morrison 11)”. the love her mother shows her is rough, harsh and humiliating, because when Claudia pukes her mother yells and gets angry at her. “My mother’s anger huniliates me, her words chafe my cheeks, and I am crying (Morriosn 11)”. This example of love is mean, bitter and hurtful. however we do see a more conventional form of love when Frieda comes in the room and sings to Claudia after she vomits.

There is also a lack of love in Pecola’s family. Her mother and father are physically abusively to one another, and their volatile relationship becomes the norm for Pecola. There is a lack of family unity and most definitely love in their household. This lack of love makes it difficult for Pecola to understand what love really is becausee her parents aren’t modeling it for her. It makes her vulnerable, insecure and sad because she internalizes these relationships and thinks that she isn’t worthy of love. It also misconstrudes her ideas about love and forces her to try to figure it out for herself, through very poor examples of love and relationships, like the prostitutes above her family’s apartment.