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Journals / KARE / 2026 / Sayı: 21

Affective Circles and Cruel Optimism: Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye as A Critique of Intersectional Opression

Duygusal Döngüler ve Zalim İyimserlik: Toni Morrison’ın The Bluest Eye Romanında Kesişimsel Baskının Eleştirisi

Kadir Lüta(KIRKLARELİ ÜNİVERSİTESİ, FEN-EDEBİYAT FAKÜLTESİ)0000-0001-6813-7407
Journal
KARE
Pages
70–86
Publication Date
2026-06-30
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

The Bluest Eye serves as a transformative tool for critiquing societal norms that tie individuals to destructive fantasies of the “good life.”

📌 3 Key Takeaways

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Objective & Hypothesis:Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye (1970) examines the intersections of race, gender, and class through affect theory, focusing on Lauren Berlant's concept of cruel optimism.
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Key Findings & Data:Drawing on Berlant’s framework and Sara Ahmed’s theories of happiness scripts and affective economies, this analysis explores how racialized beauty standards and gender norms generate contagious affects, evident in Pecola Breedlove’s longing for blue eyes, which reflects internalized racism.
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Conclusion & Impact:The Bluest Eye serves as a transformative tool for critiquing societal norms that tie individuals to destructive fantasies of the “good life.”
🔬Design:Araştırma Makalesi
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:zalim iyimserlik · ırksal güzellik · içselleştirilmiş ırkçılık

Abstract

Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye (1970) examines the intersections of race, gender, and class through affect theory, focusing on Lauren Berlant's concept of cruel optimism. The novel's characters, caught in “affective circles” of shame, hate, and futile hope, pursue desires for beauty and belonging that hinder their flourishing, perpetuating trauma and exclusion. Drawing on Berlant’s framework and Sara Ahmed’s theories of happiness scripts and affective economies, this analysis explores how racialized beauty standards and gender norms generate contagious affects, evident in Pecola Breedlove’s longing for blue eyes, which reflects internalized racism. Morrison’s narrative style, with multiple narrators and fragmented timelines, amplifies these emotional dynamics, inviting ethical engagement with the text’s critique of white supremacy. By applying affect theory to scenes of violence, alienation, and resistance, this study highlights the novel’s relevance to contemporary Black women’s struggles, urging a reevaluation of literature’s role in fostering empathy. The Bluest Eye serves as a transformative tool for critiquing societal norms that tie individuals to destructive fantasies of the “good life.”

Özet

Toni Morrison’ın The Bluest Eye (1970) adlı eseri, Lauren Berlant’ın acımasız iyimserlik kavramına odaklanarak, duygu teorisi aracılığıyla ırk, cinsiyet ve sınıfın kesişim noktalarını inceler. Romanın karakterleri, utanç, nefret ve boş umutların “duygusal döngüleri” içinde sıkışıp kalmış, güzellik ve aidiyet arzularının peşinden koşarken, bu arzuların gelişmelerini engellediğini, travma ve dışlanmayı sürdürdüğünü fark ederler. Berlant'ın çerçevesi ve Sara Ahmed'in mutluluk senaryoları ve duygusal ekonomiler teorilerinden yararlanarak, bu analiz, ırksal güzellik standartlarının ve cinsiyet normlarının, Pecola Breedlove'un içselleştirilmiş ırkçılığı yansıtan mavi gözlere olan özleminde görüldüğü gibi, nasıl bulaşıcı duygular yarattığını araştırıyor. Morrison'ın çoklu anlatıcılar ve parçalı zaman çizelgeleri içeren anlatım tarzı, bu duygusal dinamikleri güçlendirerek, metnin beyaz üstünlüğüne yönelik eleştirisiyle etik bir etkileşime davet ediyor. Bu çalışma, duygu teorisini şiddet, yabancılaşma ve direniş sahnelerine uygulayarak, romanın çağdaş siyah kadınların mücadeleleriyle olan ilgisini vurgulamakta ve empatiyi teşvik etmede edebiyatın rolünün yeniden değerlendirilmesini teşvik etmektedir. The Bluest Eye, bireyleri “iyi yaşam”ın yıkıcı fantezilerine bağlayan toplumsal normları eleştirmek için dönüştürücü bir araç görevi görmektedir.

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Cite This Article

Lüta, K. (2026). Affective Circles and Cruel Optimism: Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye as A Critique of Intersectional Opression. KARE, Sayı: 21, 70–86. https://doi.org/10.38060/kare.1768011

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