Analyze the passage below and answer the prompt. The passage comes from Toni Morrison's book, The Bluest Eye. How is the complex nature of parent child relationships illustrated through Morrison's use of figurative language? What does the reader ultimately come to understand about this father and daughter?
Your response should show a slow and patient unpacking of the text.
Morrison—The Bluest Eye: 61
My daddy’s face is a study. Winter moves into it and presides there. His eyes become a cliff of snow threatening
to avalanche; his eyebrows bend like black limbs of leafless trees. His skin takes on the pale, cheerless yellow
of winter sun; for a jaw he has the edges of a snowbound field dotted with
stubble; his high forehead is the frozen sweep of Erie, hiding currents of
gelid thoughts that eddy in darkness.
Wolf killer turned hawk fighter, he worked night and day to keep one
from the door and the other from under the windowsills. A Vulcan guarding the flames, he gives us
instructions about which doors to keep closed or opened for proper heat, lays
kindling by, discusses qualities of coal, and teaches us how to rake, feed, and
bank the fire. And he will not unrazor
his lips until spring.
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ReplyDeleteIn the excerpt of the novel The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, Morrison utilizes figurative language to demonstrate the complex relationship that exists between a parent and a child. In The Bluest Eye, Morison’s message is that although the father appears to be hostile and brash, he is only doing so to help his daughter. Morrison writes about the father’s face, “Winter moves into it and presides there” (line 2). Winter is often depicted as being unclear due to fast wind blowing the snow and decreasing the field of vision. The comparison of the father to winter shows that the daughter sees him as unclear and she is often misconstruing his actions. Morrison uses metaphors and similies to illustrate the various expressions and aspects of the father’s face. Morrison writes, “His eyes become a cliff of snow threatening to avalanche; his eyebrows bend like black limbs of leafless trees” (line 3). The comparison in the metaphor of the father’s eyes to a cliff of snow threatening to avalanche shows that the father appears to always be threatening and aggressive towards the daughter. The daughter is often unable to predict the brash actions of her father, similar to the difficulty in aiming to predict the exact timing of an avalanche. The simile the author produces when the daughter describes the bend in the father’s eyebrows shows that the father is constantly making a face that appears to be angry. The metaphors and similies Morrison uses to describe the father’s actions towards his daughter offers negative connotations about the relationship between the father and daughter.
ReplyDeleteLater in the excerpt, the author contrasts the aggressive description of the father by stating how he is always looking to teach the daughter and improve her quality of life. Morrison writes, “A Vulcan guarding the flames, he gives us instructions about which doors to keep closed or opened for proper heat, lays kindling by, discusses qualities of coal, and teaches us how to rake, feed, and bank the fire” (line 6). The author uses a metaphor to compare the father to a vulcan to show his as a protecting figure, despite his seemingly contrasting actions. Although contrasting to earlier descriptions in the excerpt, through the father’s seemingly abrasive actions and expressions, the father is seeking to help his daughter. In literature, fire signifies warmth and comfort so by the father teaching his daughter how to achieve warmth and comfort by making a fire, he is essentially protecting and nurturing her. This complicates the description of the father from earlier in the excerpt because the abrasive father is now described as a nurturing father. Through the contrast in the depictions of the father, the reader comes to understand that the father is trying to teach and protect his daughter although his actions say otherwise. The reader learns that the father and daughter have a complex relationship because although the father appears to be aggressive, uncaring, and abrasive towards his daughter, he has good intentions to nurture and protect his daughter through his tough teachings.
Toni Morrison, in The Bluest Eye, explains a father daughter relationship like no other; a relationship that is filled with abuse and mistrust. The entire passage has elaborate metaphors embedded into a simple story about how her father acts during the winter, which is usually a time of celebration with Thanksgiving and Christmas. One of the first things that stood out to me was the very first line; once I read, “My daddy’s face is a study” I knew this passage was going to be exciting to read. Just in that one simple sentence the reader already knows the author’s purpose is to show the harsh childhood that she experienced while also excusing her father for his misbehavior because of how hard he worked to sustain a family. After this first sentence, Morrison moves onto explain her fathers physical features and how they all relate to winter: “His eyes become a cliff of snow threatening to avalanche.” Morrison fears the wrath of her father when he is upset and she recognizes this anger through his eyes. Another quote explaining his physical features is, “hiding currents of gelid thoughts that eddy in darkness.” Gelid, after looking up the definition, means to have icy or cold thoughts, which in the context Morrison uses it means that the father is thinking of hurting the young children that are only trying to please their father. This causes Morrison pain because she understands her father is suffering, but that does not make the abuse any less hurtful. The next sentence of the passage took more analyzing than any others: “Wolf killer turned hawk fighter, he worked night and day to keep one from the door and the other from under the windowsills.” The wolf killer is referring to how the father treated the children; the father was as dangerous as a man that can easily kill a wolf. The transformation into a hawk fighter shows that the father has turned into a more majestic being. Although he is still fighting with the children and abusing them it is less harsh than what the wolf killer would do. Despite the fact that the hawk fighter is less abusive the father still tries his hardest to keep them at bay to protect his children. The next sentence starting with, “A Vulcan,” shows Morrison tries to sympathize with her father because all he is really trying to do is support a family. The stress just gets to him sometimes and that is why he is abusive. The last sentence, “And he will not unrazor his lips until spring,” shows how the father is more interested in keeping everything up with the house than he is about expressing his love towards his children.
ReplyDeleteOverall, Morrison comments on the childhood abuse she suffered through a new perspective. This passage demonstrated the not so ideal father daughter relationship, but it gave insight into two contrasting perspectives: one of the father that is only trying to provide for his family and one of a young child that suffers from physical abuse.
- Bolger, J. 2
In Toni Morrison's "The Bluest Eye", the complex relationship between a father and a daughter is shown through a series of metaphors and heavy description. The child uses winter to describe her dad. Personally I associate winter with bitter coldness and unhappy thoughts, especially when it comes to snow. In line one it says: "My daddy's face is a study. Winter moves into it and presides there". The child is saying her dad is cold, and that he doesn't change; He stays that way. "His eyes become a cliff of snow threatening to avalanche" (line 1-2). By using this metaphor, the reader can associate that the threat of an avalanche in this case represents anger that is waiting to burst at any moment. The little girl has to be careful not to be the cause of this "avalanche". "His eyebrows bend like black limbs of leafless trees" (lines 2-3). This simile stood out to me right away because when I think of "black limbs of leafless trees" I picture death or decay. The little girl is saying her dad looks that way, he has no life about him, nothing cheery. However, in lines 7-8 it says: "A Vulcan guarding the flames". Vulcan is the ancient Roman God of fire and metalworking, so the little girl is saying her dad is very protective of what belongs to him. "...he gives us instructions about which doors to keep closed or opened for proper heat, lays kindling by, discusses qualities of coal, and teaches us how to rake, feed, and bank the fire" (lines 8-10). this big explanation of what the dad teaches the little girl and possibly her siblings because she uses "us", is the importance of taking care and looking after the things that really matter. In this case it's taking care of the flame which seems to be what really matters to the dad. Ultimately what this says about the relationship of the father and daughter is that the dad very protective of what he cares about which is looking after the flames or abstractly: the love of a father towards his daughter.
ReplyDelete-Galvan, E. 2nd
Toni Morrison’s use of figurative language in “The Bluest Eye” emphasizes the cooperative relationship between a child and a parent. Both father and children work together to survive. However, the father is their leader and his authority is unquestioned. Their father is described as, “a Vulcan guarding the flames” (lines 7-8). Morrison compares the father to the Roman god of fire and metalwork to illustrate his importance in the family and show that he protects his children by teaching them how to survive. He teaches his kids how to keep the fire, referring to their lives, from dying. Morrison uses an extended metaphor to compare the father’s face to winter in the first half of the paragraph to show readers that he is impatient and hard on his children, but only because he wants them to thrive. His children respect and fear him. The girl states that her father “will not unrazor his lips until spring” (line 10). Spring is a time of renewal and rebirth; it represents knowledge and trust in “The Bluest Eye.” His lips will “unrazor” only when his children have mastered what he has thought them. This word choices reveals that the father is very strict with his children. The daughter states that her father’s, “eyebrows bend like black limbs of leafless trees” (line 3). This line demonstrates the father’s impatience towards his children. It appears as though the father has explained tasks to his kids many times, yet they did not listen. The fact that his eyebrows are compared to the branches of a dying tree shows that his hope for his children is dwindling. He wants his children to succeed and hates to see them going against what he thinks is best for them.
ReplyDeleteReaders can see the father’s struggle to protect his children. His is hard on them, but only because he needs them to learn how to survive without him in the future. Winter is seen as something that is harsh and bitter; however, winter also kills off disease carrying insects and slows the spread of microbes. Like winter, the father may be cold and appear uncaring but he also protects his children from danger and teaches them what they should know in order to survive. The father and daughter have a cooperative relationship that allows both of them work efficiently and utilize their resources to improve their lives. Although the daughter indirectly describes her father as a demanding man, she knows that he acts that way because he wants what is best for her. This father and daughter may not have the most loving relationship, but they have a relationship that is based on the essential skills of cooperation and respect for each other.
-Judele, C 2nd
Through the use of figurative language Morrison is able to show the complex relationship between parents and their children. Specifically in The Bluest Eyes we see a pair of a father and his daughter. In this piece we see perhaps a bitter relationship between father and daughter. She uses the metaphor of her father being winter when she says “My daddy's face is a study. Winter moves into it and presides there”. Personally to me (and all Ohioans) winter is usually very cold, bitter, and most of the time unpleasant to deal with minus the pretty snow (not in blizzard form). She is showing that her father was a cold man, and since winter was presiding there that implies that it is unchanging, and he was always cold and bitter towards his daughter. Perhaps, like how some of us don’t know how to deal with winter, the daughter did not know how to deal with her father’s bitterness. Even if the father is bitter, he is very protective of his daughter, and he does look out for her as well. He makes sure to help themselves keep warm by telling them what doors to keep open or closed, and how to tend to the fire (Lines 8-10). Through this passage I ultimately decided that although the father and the daughter did not have the best relationship, he looked out for her, and made sure that she was safe and healthy, even if she was not particularly happy with the relationship with her and her father.
ReplyDelete-Bunting A, 2nd
Morrison describes her father as an ambivalent character. Solemnness immerses the description of her father’s face: “his eyes become a cliff of snow threatening to avalanche… his skin takes on the pale, cheerless yellow” (2-3). Attributing her father to a figure of winter, Morrison emphasizes the sadness that she recognizes in his life. Comparing his eyes to an impending avalanche reveals that Morrison knows that her father wants to cry. He has yet to show his tears, but Morrison realizes the apparent threat. Furthermore, the cheerless yellow of his face shows the life that has been taken out of him. He is missing something from his life and that lack overwhelms him with despair.
ReplyDeleteDespite these traits of the father’s identity, the father portrays himself in a different way to his children: “A Vulcan guarding the flames, he gives us instructions” (7-8). Now, the father does not keep a desolate winter, but rather encompasses a lively fire. His interactions to his children are positive and meaningful. From the description Morrison reveals about her father, both his identity and how he portrays himself, the reader is able to conclude two characteristics of the father daughter relationship shared between the two: Morrison respects her father greatly and her father dedicates his life for the bettering of his daughter. By identifying her father as “A Vulcan”, Morrison shows her appreciation to her father; she looks to him for guidance as if he were a higher being. The father reciprocates this reverence for his daughter because he is “guarding the flames” of their well-being. Morrison’s father understands his responsibility of educating to Morrison. He wants to ensure her happiness, so that she does not become the winter that he tries to hide within himself.
Morrison’s vivid description of her father reflects the complex nature of parent child relationships. A parent, no matter how unhappy they are, must always portray themselves in a positive manner to their children. It is for the children’s benefit that a parent hides that winter inside them, so that winter cannot affect the ones he or she loves. What makes the relationship between Morrison and her father interesting is that Morrison recognizes her father’s unhappiness. She knows that he is conflicted, yet he is still trying his best to be there for her. From her acknowledgement, she is able to appreciate her father even more. Her ability to discern the struggle faces within him and realize his commitment to her is what makes the bond between the two robust.
Srivastava R, 2
From the beginning of the passage, readers come to realize the complexity of the relationship between daughter and father. The passage opens by saying, “My daddy’s face is a study. Winter moves into it and presides there.” The use of ‘daddy’ allows readers to recognize the youth of the narrator. However, this is immediately contradicted by the higher-level thinking and dialect of the young girl (including the extended metaphor made between the fathers face and winter). This contrast shows that the daughter is mature for her age, most likely the product of a difficult childhood. Through this reasoning, readers arrive to the conclusion that the father and daughter are low class. This concept is reinforced at the end of the passage as it is revealed that the father “discusses the qualities of coal.” In order for the father to have an expansive knowledge about coal, he must have experience working with it. Readers can conclude that the father has worked in a coal mine to provide for his daughter. By working in the mine, he loses time spent with his family and places a burden on the other family members. The daughter’s elevated dialect indicates that she is responsible to taking care of the younger children while her dad is away. The tone of the passage is calm, which shows that the daughter understands why her father cannot be home.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the passage, the father is compared to a few different symbols. For the first half of the passage, an extended metaphor is carried which compares the father to winter. This metaphor relates the father’s outer features with winter- cold, harsh, and unforgiving. Near the middle of the passage, however, the focus of the poem turns to fire. Rather than commenting on the outer characteristics of her father, the daughter comments on her father’s inner feelings and emotion. She shows that her father is warm and nourishing and acts like a light in her life.
The passage also reveals the depth of knowledge that the father passes down to his daughter. Morrison writes, “[he] teaches us how to rake, feed, and bank the fire.” The specific word choice used by the narrator shows that the father is teaching his daughter more than about fire. He shows the daughter how to ‘rake,’ or work to earn a living and raise a family, how to ‘feed’ a house full of children, and how to ‘bank’ for the family by earning money for financial support. The father has done all of these things for the daughter, which she has recognized and taken note of. Although her father may not be around as much as the daughter would like, tender tone of the passage shows readers the strong bond between the daughter and father. The beginning of the passage reveals the animosity the father feels towards himself, while the end shows the value of the time he spends with his children and the values he is able to pass down to them. The father’s role in the household is minimal, but his impact on his daughter’s life is profound.
-Ryan M. 2
The complex nature of the the daughter and father seems to be a harsh one, but still pertaining to the love that they have for one another. The girl here in this passage is making observations on her fathers appearance and by doing this, is personifying and creating metaphors. "Winter moves into it and presides there", is showing coldness and confusion that lies in the decisions made by him. "His eyebrows bend like black limbs of leafless trees", represents the father loosing that spark and happiness in himself, and therefore has that mean look to his face. Going with this loss of brightness, the sentence after states, "His skin takes on the pale, cheerless yellow of winter sun" meaning that it cannot shine through the weather. By being a father, he took a wear on his body because of his attitude and parenting style.
ReplyDeleteHe was a "Wolf killer turned hawk fighter, he worked night and day to keep one from the door and the other from under the windowsill" shows overprotection and wanting to watch the every move this child makes and have a control. "Teaches us how to rake, feed, and bank the fire" is the father instilling these traits of life, which shows the lack of confidence in her intelligence, because education should be enforced from a parent who wants a good future for their child. "And he will not unrazor his lips til spring" is that he will not stop talking and being this stern, until his daughter has bloomed into this person who will prosper on her own.
Asturi V, 7/8
The passage is a very interesting approach to expressing the relationship and the challenges between the father and the daughter. For instance, the passage starts off relating the father, more specifically his visage, to “winter” and “study”, even “gelid” later in the work. It is with these combinations of words that we see the serious and the scornful aspects of the paternal figure. Through wording such as this, the father becomes desolate, almost nothing. Further, the poem explains that the winter “presides there”, indicating how the isolation and distance continues. Morrison then furthers this by saying his eyes are a cliff of snow “threatening to avalanche”, and also using other analogs such as “leafless tree”. This shows the father’s capacity to fly off the handle or to begin yelling. It expresses that even behind his almost dull, winter appearance comes the constant ability to explode with rage, something most children are aware of if their parents work a lot. Additionally, utilizing diction such as “leafless” also shows the depravity of working and the emptiness within.
ReplyDeleteHowever, the latter half of the passage takes on a new perspective, aside from the desolation of the father. The latter portion speaks to his job and how often he works, but it also focuses on his interaction with his children, or his daughter. Morrison speaks to him as “a Vulcan guarding the flames” to express him in a new light. No longer is he winter; he is the guardian, the protector. This is shown in how Morrison explains how he gives them instructions on “which doors” to keep open and shut, based on heating, and also how he teaches the daughter about the fire and the coal. These show not only an intrinsic progression, but it produces a type of attachment for us, the readers. The passage as a whole digresses from a man of cold, distance, and explosive devastation, to the protector, the one who supports his family, and teaches them how to take care of themselves. Lastly, saying that he will not “unrazor his lips until spring” shows his devotion to his children and his work, not taking away or giving up his job. This establishes and almost authoritative relationship between the father and the daughter. We understand the strong and bread-winning role of the paternal figure. However, it also shows how he teaches and raises his daughter to be independent and to take care of herself. Overall, the relationship is one of parental support and deep dependence on behalf of the daughter; however, there are exquisite undertones of self-progress, maturity and love, which is shown in the father’s undying devotion to teach and to support.
Megan Lear 2nd Period
The complex relationship between a father and his daughter that is described in Toni Morrison's "The Bluest Eye" is very diverse and hits the reader hard. Throughout the entirety of the passage, the father’s features are described as very cold and condescending. Her father’s “skin takes on the pale, cheerless yellow of winter sun” (line 3-4) and “his eyes become a cliff of snow threatening to avalanche” (1-2). This type of figurative language creates a very vivid image in the reader’s mind of a very cold, dark, cheerless man that is not very loving or caring towards his daughter (or anyone for that matter). It is very powerful when the author refers to her father as “daddy” in the beginning of the passage because of the context that she uses to describe her father. One would not expect a daughter that calls her father “daddy” to look at him as a man that is a “Wolf killer turned hawk fighter” (line 6) and a “Vulcan guarding the flames” (line 7-8).
ReplyDeleteUltimately, the reader comes to understand that the father and daughter’s relationship is not one of love and compassion. Instead, it is one of darkness and abandonment, and possibly even abuse. The girl’s father’s “eyebrows bend like black limbs of leafless trees” (line 2-3); this simile leads the reader to realize that the daughter views her father almost as lifeless and obscure. Yet, she still calls him “daddy” because it is her father and she wants to be able to look past all of his darkness and wrath. The daughter then goes on to say that her father “will not unrazor his lips until spring” (line 10-11). Since she describes her father and his features as very cold and those of the winter, the springtime when he grows less angry may be when she does something right to make her father happy. This last line gives the reader a sense that the father has not always been this gloomy way that the daughter describes him as, and that at times he can be pleasant and loving. Maybe that is why the daughter still calls him “daddy”; maybe she has hope that one day he will no longer be the way he is.
Shaniuk B, 7/8
In the passage from Toni Morrison’s book The Bluest Eye, she shows the complex relationship between a father and child through figurative language. Morrison’s comparison to winter shows the father is cruel. Winter is cold, bitter, and harsh. The language and tone in the beginning of the excerpt show bitterness towards the father. She writes, “His eyes become a cliff of snow threatening to avalanche; his eyebrows bend like black limbs of leafless trees” (lines 1-3). This shows the father is aggressive and threatening in nature towards his daughter. Avalanches are dangerous and loud. When an avalanche starts it cannot be stopped and this is what the daughter fears. This gives a negative connotation about their relationship. Morrison writes, “His skin takes on the pale, cheerless yellow of winter sun…” (lines 3-4). The father is not happy with the relationship and his own life. The second half of the passage shows a shift in focus from the harshness of the relationship to the father’s efforts in trying to protect his daughter. Morrison writes about the father, “A Vulcan guarding the flames, he gives us instructions about which doors to keep closed or opened for proper heat…” (lines 7-9). In Roman mythology, Vulcan is the god of fire and is often shown as a blacksmith. The father wants to provide for his children, putting his efforts into informing his children on how to stay safe and protecting them in any way that he can.
ReplyDeleteThrough her figurative language and vivid descriptions, Morrison shows that the father is aggressive and harsh and even instills fear in his daughter at times. The relationship is more complex than what is merely seen on the surface. The father dedicates himself to protecting her and teaching her to protect herself. Morrison shows underneath the bitterness, that the father still exhibits caring and love for his daughter.
Hornung A. 7/8
The passage taken from Toni Morrison’s novel, The Bluest Eye, captures the complex relationship of a father and daughter through the utilization of figurative language. Morrison shows the innocence of the daughter right away when saying “My daddy’s face is a study.” The audience is able to grasp the youth of the girl. The text does however show the contrast of the daughters innocence to the heavy language used to describe her father. The mature language shows that perhaps she has endured an uneasy childhood or some form of event that have forced her to become more mature, more quickly. This is shown when the daughter illustrates her father to be this lifeless character. “His eyes become a cliff of snow threatening to avalanche; his eyebrows bend like black limbs of leafless trees.” By portraying her father to be dreary, it shows the readers that she has some form of understanding for why the way he is. Understanding that comes from maturity. We can gain a sense of this knowledge when she states that her father “…discusses qualities of coal”, and her comparison of him to a Vulcan, the ancient Roman god of fire and metal working. The readers can infer that perhaps he is a part of a job that deals with coal and that keeps him from becoming close with his daughter. The daughter seems to understand this and accept it for the way it is. His lack of time causes the frustration and melancholy tone he carries with him. It is almost as if he is missing a crucial part of him to bring him more happiness. This could be a result from the distance between the daughter and him due to his inability to get close to her. The daughter describes him to also be not very dynamic. Her extended metaphor of her father to winter shows his static character traits. “His skin takes on the pale, cheerless yellow of winter sun.” By comparing her father to winter, the audience can gain a sense that he has been like this for a while. Winter is a long season that lacks much change. It is cold and calm, much like how she describes her father to be. Although he does not have much to offer to his daughter, the dad still tries to remain a guardian figure over her by helping her grow to be hardworking and knowledgeable person. “A Vulcan guarding the flames, he gives us instructions about which doors to keep closed or opened for proper heat, lays kindling by, discusses the qualities of coal, and teaches us how to rake, feed, and bank the fire.” He gives his daughter and other children useful knowledge about tending to fires. This may seem like a small piece of advice, but this allows readers to see that he is trying. The fire can be metaphor for the warmth that he cannot bring her. This leads back to the cold, “gelid” description he is given.
ReplyDeleteThe figurative language in this piece unravels the relationship of the daughter and the father and gives readers a clear understanding about the complex connection they share. The daughter sees her father to be this very static and chilling paternal figure. However, she seems to have an understanding of why the way he is how he is, and accepts it without much question. The father seems to want the best for his children, but lacks a close relationship to really become an important character in their lives, especially the daughters. Regardless of the problems they may share, they still hold a strong relationship and the depth of understanding of each other remains very prominent.
Cika M 2
From the beginning, Morrison describes her father by pointing out specific body parts. Morrison states, “Winter moves into it and presides there. His eyes become a cliff of snow threating to avalanche; his eyebrows bend like black limbs of a leafless tree” (1-3). This idea draw comparisons to nature, but more specifically winter. The winter scene relates to her fathers sadness and the mentioning snow building up speaks to the fathers need to cry. Morrison can sense that her father wants to cry, but doesn’t know the exact meaning. This speaks to the complexity of a father-child relationship. Morrison doesn’t know what is going on entirely, but she gets the feeling that something isn’t right concerning her father.
ReplyDeleteThe image of the father changes dramatically as the reading makes their way down the piece. Towards the end of the piece it states, “A Vulcan guarding the flames, he gives us instructions about which doors to keep closed or open for proper heat” (7-8). The words in this section totally change from a winter storm setting to an inferno environment. This “flame” that enlightened the father also changes the his mood. Now he is willing to teach the children and enlighten them with information. Morrison states, “lays kindling by, discusses qualities of coal, and teaches us how to rake, feed and bank the fire” (9-10). This changes the identity of her father to one that is helpful and caring, not scared or worried. The use of nature helps give the idea that times and people changed. Although the father appears cold and wary at the beginning, his evolution from that stage is a parallel with the change of seasons.
Overall, Morrison spoke to the idea that parents must help support their kids, no matter what is going on in their personal life. At the beginning of the piece, Morrison could infer that something was wrong, but she didn’t know exact what the problem was. In a way, Morrison father is helping her by not bothering her with things that might bring her down. When the father does talk with her, it is about productive things that would benefit Morrison and her wellbeing. Although the relationship is complex, it is critical to Morrison’s success and development as a child.
Wasylko G, 7/8
DeleteMorrison’s use of figurative language in The Bluest Eye allows readers to get a glimpse inside the life of a lower income family through the relationship of a father and his daughter. Through the use of an extended metaphor and similes, Morrison depicts the paternal figure as intimidating and cold-hearted (literally) in the first half of the passage by comparing him to winter. She says, “His eyes become a cliff of snow threatening to avalanche; his eyebrows bend like black limbs of leafless trees” (lines 1-3). Avalanches are temperamental and can go off at any time. This comparison implies that the father has an unpredictable and bad temper. The father’s bad temper may be stress induced or work-related, enhancing the inference that the father and daughter are part of a lower income family. Morrison then goes on to make more comparisons between the father and winter, making the father appear even more menacing and dominant. A shift in the tone of the passage is evident when Morrison switches comparing the father to winter to describing him as a protector and teacher. She says, “A Vulcan guarding the flames, he gives us instructions about which doors to keep closed or opened for proper heat, lays kindling by, discusses qualities of coal, and teaches us how to rake, feed, and bank the fire” (lines 7-10). In Greek mythology, a Vulcan is the Greek god of fire; this makes Morrison’s shift in tone ironic because she went from comparing the father to winter to comparing him to the god of fire. This shows that the father has two sides when dealing with his children, one side showing his temperamental behavior with his children while the other shows his desire to protect and teach them. Morrison describes both sides of the father with his children to show that even though life can be difficult, a parent will always try to do what is best for their children.
ReplyDeleteAguinaga, C 7/8*
This passage from Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye relays the complexity of a father’s relationship with his daughter through the use of a combination of both extended and simple metaphors. The author begins by talking about her father’s face saying “Winter moves into it and resides there.” Even in this single line, a lot is learned about the father. Winter is associated with being cold and by the daughter comparing her father’s face to winter; she implies that it is cold. His face is not cold in the sense of temperature, but in that there is very little emotion in it. Being cold is associated with being almost hostile, leaving the reader with a wary feeling about the father. A potentially violent father leaves a lot to be said. Morrison continues this chilling metaphor of winter in her father’s face, “His eyes become a cliff of snow threatening to avalanche.” This adds to the hostile feeling of the father. It reads as though he is dangerous and similar to what could become an avalanche, teetering on destruction. In the beginning, Morrison leaves no complexity to the relationship; the father is dangerous and the daughter is scared. However, as the passage continues, a different level of the relationship is uncovered.
ReplyDeleteDepth is added to one of the first descriptions of the father, which may have been over looked, near the end of the passage. Morrison writes “Winter moves into it,” implying that the coldness is not always there. By the change of the seasons, there is a change in the attitude of the father and thus their relationship changes. Later in the passage she writes “A Vulcan guarding the flames, he gives us instructions…discusses qualities of coal, and teaches us how to rake, feed, and bank the fire.” Vulcan is a god of fire in mythology, showing the daughter’s high regard for her father. Despite describing him as cold, she also describes him as the god of fire now that the air has grown cold. The daughter also describes him as teaching them about the fire. This passing on of knowledge to the children for survival shows a caring aspect, but also a primal one. There must be a sense of urgency if children who still refer to their father as “daddy” are learning basic survival. It implies that the father must be away, most likely providing a living for his family. This reinforces that his daughter thinks he is cold; he must provide for his family during the winter which is strenuous on him.
McGregor M, 2
In Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, the relationship between the father and his daughter is very complicated and simple throughout the reading. The imagery and simple metaphors provide a clear idea pertaining to the relationship with the daughter and her father. Specifically focusing on the line, “His eyes become a cliff of snow threatening to avalanche;” (Morrison). Readers realize that he is a cold individual like winter itself; harsh and threatening at many times. Eyes are something we use every day (unless your blind) and the fact that his eyes are like snow cliffs ready to avalanche means that he is always on tense emotions, through paranoia and the struggle with keeping his family safe no matter what actions need be taken. He truly wants to keep his daughter safe. One sentence states that, “he gives us instructions of which doors to keep closed,” (Morrison). This shows the reader that he is guiding his children to the correct path to ensure safety and overall accomplishments within their lives. As a father who works hard to keep a supportive family together, he needs to personally ensure himself that the daughter will be okay in the end overall.
ReplyDeleteIt is a parent’s job to teach their child the proper ways to do things, so that they can move on and grow without worrying about how to do simple tasks. Simply, Morrison is trying to tell the reader that it is somewhat necessary for a father to teach their children the correct ways and act in an intimidating way almost. If told with a weak minded goal and weak voice, the daughter would most likely not obey, yet the daughter fears her father to the point where she has given him respect. However, what I noticed about Morrison is the absence of the mother. Typically, the father shows the sons how to the rough dirty work, like raking leaves, banking fires and coal qualities. Her message conveys around the parental standards towards their children, so why only include the father and not the mother? Her message is strong towards parents too, because it’s the parents job to teach you the essentials in life, and nowadays you don’t often see the morals being put into place; you hardly see respect from parents to children, you often will see more of a friendship with parents and children rather than the parents enforcing their authority and leadership to the children, whom they will send out into the world. This passage overall is a great source to enforce the fact that a parent can still have a relationship with their child, and still ensure their respect.
Turnea, D 2nd Period
Morrison starts off the passage by describing her father with rage as she had said, “His eyes become a cliff of snow threatening to avalanche; his eyebrows bend like black limbs of leafless trees”(2-3). The word avalanche brings the vision of cold snow ferociously tumbling down a mountainside, to the readers mind. That shows the anger he is trying to withhold from his daughter even though she has already noticed. The father also embodies another emotion, which is sorrow. The daughter says, “His skin takes on the pale, cheerless yellow of winter sun” (3-4). This line shows that Morrison acknowledges her father trying to hide his emotions even though they are showing through because the winter sun is always deceiving during the cold months. When looking outside it may look warm and pleasant but in turn it is the opposite. The author is trying to convey that just as the sun is a “cheerless yellow” it still shines during the cold winter as the father still presents himself as a father figure even though he holds those cheerless emotions.
ReplyDeleteThough the father is portrayed in an unhappy way he still fosters the traits that show love and care to his child. “A Vulcan guarding the flames, he gives us instructions about which doors to keep closed or open for proper heat” (8-9). Morrison refers to her father as a Vulcan, which shows her respect him because the significance that the Vulcan represents. The father “guarding the flames” shows that he cares for his daughter and wants to protect her as well as enlighten her with the knowledge she needs to carry on in life. He wants her to be seemingly cheerful and content unlike the image of himself described by his daughter. Morrison’s depiction of her father shows the complex nature of the parent child relationship. He tries to cover his emotions in order to provide and educate his daughter in life. Both the father and daughter create a strong bond from the daughter’s admiration of the father to overlook his emotions in order to take care of her.
Ramsumair, M 7/8
In this passage of The Bluest Eye, Toni Morrison establishes a complex relationship between a little girl and her father. Through her use of figurative language, she paints the father as a cold, lifeless figure and the girl as a weaker entity subjected to his bitterness. Statements such as “winter moves into [his face] and presides there” and “his eyes become a cliff of snow threatening to avalanche” enforce this idea of coldness, making the father seem distant, unfriendly, and larger than life. He is an overbearing threat, as there is always the possibility of an “avalanche,” or explosion of anger. There is an inherent darkness about the father, as Morrison writes that “currents of gelid thoughts… eddy in darkness,” insinuating that he is a violent person with violent thoughts who can snap at any moment. Colors such as black and yellow worked into the passage bring to mind images of death and decay and reveal that the father’s presence ”sucks the life” out of those around him. The juxtaposition of freezing-cold sentiments with descriptions of heat brings an element of instability to the relationship. Cold and warmth, like water and oil, do not mix well together. Morrison incorporates these two extremities into the father’s personality to suggest that he is unstable and shifts fluidly between two aspects of himself – the protective father and the abusive father.
ReplyDeleteThe complex nature of parent-child relationships is illustrated in this passage through Morrison’s establishment of the father’s multifaceted personality. Her layers of description carve him into a giant block of ice, one she later melts by writing of fire. Parents fluctuate between anger and contentment when it comes to the behavior of their children, and children often fear the response evoked when they act in certain ways. However, this passage suggests that the father’s indifference and anger are unrelated to the daughter and are entirely characteristic of who he is as a person. The description, “A Vulcan guarding the flames” reveals respect on the daughter’s part, but respect born entirely from fear. Children do fear their parents in some regard, but in this particular relationship, that fear converts into rage and results in an unhealthy bond. The image of a stone-cold father speaks to how children often see their parents – as powerful figures they must cower under because of the rawness of their emotions and the dominance they exert over them. The reader ultimately comes to understand that the little girl in the passage is entirely subjected to her father’s icy temperament and mood swings and so can assume that she is an abused child.
N Keller 7/8
In the excerpt, The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, description and metaphors are used predominately to represent the relationship between a father and daughter. The first line of the excerpt, “My daddy’s face is a study” (line 1) is meant to show the youth of the narrator. ‘Daddy’ is something that most little girls would say who have a good relationship with their dad. However, we see later in the excerpt the heavy metaphors that put this diction into a sharp contrast with the rest of it. “Winter moves into it and presides there. His eyes become a cliff of snow threatening to avalanche” (lines 2-3). Winter is a cold season and can represent someone being distant. This shows that the narrator doesn’t have the relationship that she wants with her dad. Using the word ‘avalanche’ here also depicts the inability to understand her dad. Avalanches can happen at any time and are very unpredictable. The girl’s dad is very unpredictable in his actions and she is unable to figure out what he is thinking or feeling. The first half of the excerpt depicts a very harsh and brash image of the girl’s father when in the second half he is represented as a teacher, someone who is always trying to teach her the right thing to do.
ReplyDeleteThe second half of the excerpt gives a caring image of the father. The following quote gives a good representation of the caring side of her father, “A Vulcan guarding the flames” (lines 7-8). ‘The flames’ here are supposed to represent the girl and her future. The father guards them and takes care of them just like a Vulcan would guard flames. He cares for her and wants the best for her. He tends the flames as she grows older. The author uses this quote to show the father as a protective figure despite the contrasts earlier in the excerpt. Throughout the excerpt the reader learns how the father and daughter have a very complex relationship. Although sometimes the father comes off as aggressive towards his daughter he is really just trying to prepare her. He cares about her and teaches her things through his tough lessons.
Addie G. 2
In The Bluest Eye, Toni Morrison shows a complex father-child relationship through an excessive use of rhetorical devices, showing a relationship in which the father cares about the daughter, but in an uncommunicative and somewhat begrudging way. The daughter clearly does not understand the father well, saying “My daddy’s face is a study,” which implies that he is not making his emotions clear, and she is thus unsure how he feels about her and the family in general. She studies his face in an attempt to gain an insight into what he’s thinking. Right after that, Morrison says “Winter moves into it and presides there. His eyes become a cliff of snow threatening to avalanche; his eyebrows bend like black limbs of leafless trees,” and to me it appears Morrison is saying that winter was a particularly hard time for this family, perhaps work dries up for the dad or something, and the stress that the dad feels as a result of this shows on his face all the time. The “cliff of snow” bit implies that the dad may be at his breaking point in these months, as aforementioned snow is “threatening to avalanche.” A bit later on in this text, Morrison says “His high forehead is the frozen sweep of Erie, hiding currents of gelid thoughts that eddy in darkness.” This part shows the more grudging side of the father; it says it hides “gelid thoughts,” or in other words, cold and sick thoughts, probably involving an amount of regret towards having a family or something like that. But yet he still tries to care for them despite these frigid thoughts. The text describes the father as a “Wolf killer turned hawk fighter, he worked night and day to keep one from the door and the other from under the windowsills.” So even though he may not like doing all the things he has to for his family, or perhaps even may just outright dislike his family, he still tries to keep them safe and care for them. There’s a high level of ambivalence in his actions. He does not act very connected to his family but continues to care for them. Ultimately the father and daughter have a strange relationship; the father tries to keep her alive but doesn’t appear to interact with her, and she doesn’t seem to form a real bond with him, but respects him for sticking around and providing.
ReplyDeleteCrow, M 7/8
Seen in line one, Morrison uses the strength of metaphors to describe the complex facade of the father. “My daddy’s face is a study” (Morrison line 1). Through the term “daddy” also seen in this piece we can infer the immaturity of the daughter, perhaps suggesting that she is an adolescent. The use of so much comparison really encompasses this piece as it takes a simple subject and transforms it into something much more complicated. “His eyes become a cliff of snow threatening to avalanche” (Morrison). This piece reverses the role of personification, as it turns a human object into an unlikely yet easily relatable subject. The strength of the word choice also provides insight on the often-felt anger the father experiences such as “gelid” and “darkness”. The relation between the two seems to be one of an average father daughter bond. The father often becoming hostile towards her actions, yet always remains reliable, and guards his child as stated in, “A Vulcan guarding the flames” (Morrison). The complexity of this bond is easily expressed through word choice and even the color comprehension mentioned in this piece, the strong usage of metaphors helping to describe a simplistic matter.
ReplyDeleteThe reader comes to understand that this piece is written to describe an instance of anger commonly experienced in any caring parent’s household. The father becomes cold, and closed off when his daughter does him wrong, he seems lifeless, and dark. Grudges hang on him, heavy like snow, the weight of the winter. He gets brittle like a leafless tree, on the point of breaking at any moment, making his very strong temper apparent. This father makes it his duty to keep his children away from escaping his affectionate fatherhood when he becomes upset with them. “He worked night and day to keep one from the door and the other from under the windowsills” (Morrison). He is afraid they will run away because his outburst pushed them away. Yet he protects them as a raven would flames. Through the anger and pain caused by the love and support of any family, through even the hardest times, compassion will come out on top, forcing an idea of togetherness and protection. He gives his daughter guidance, on what to do with her life and he is angry because he feels as though she is making the wrong decisions. He will not get over this argument until he understands, until his daughter blossoms on her own and he respects her choices. Soon spring will come and this heavy burden will seem irrelevant after he realizes the woman his child has become.
Mewhinney, M 2
The passage from Toni Morrison’s, The Bluest Eye uses figurative language in describing the relationship between a parent: specifically a father, and a child. The entire passage is filled with metaphors to an animal in nature. Picking to compare the relationship to natures is symbolic. Nature relies on instincts in order for survival, comparing the two shows that Morrison believes parenting is based off of instincts. Morrison starts off the passage by saying “My daddy’s face is a study. Winter moves into it and presides there”. By saying that her fathers face is winter the reader is able to infer that her father is not happy. However by using the word daddy in the opening sentence you can feel that the child is young and even though her father is mad she has a love for him. When broken down into these simple lines it feels as if the passage is simple in what it is saying. Morrison uses many simple metaphors such as the one above throughout the passage. However when the passage as the whole is examined the series of simple metaphors compose a larger extended metaphor. This figurative language within figurative language shows how many layers there are in the relationship between parent and children. This is symbolic of fights between parents and children, many small fights between parents and children can lead up to a larger one.
ReplyDeleteThe reader begins to understand that the relationship between the child and the father in the passage may not be a healthy one. From the start when the child compares the fathers face to a “study” the reader comes to understand that the father does not make his emotions very clear. When Morrison says “His eyes become a cliff of snow threatening to avalanche; his eyebrows bend like black limbs of leafless trees” the reader feels the father in pain. He is about to cry but over what is unknown to the reader. He does not let the child into why it is that he feels sad. The reader begins to pity the father yet quickly then the child begins to describe her father much harsher. The child uses words as Vulcan, fire and wolf hunter to describe her dad. These words show that there may be some resentment there from the girls end. In the final section of the passage Morrison writes, “teaches us how to rake, feed, and bank the fire. And he will not unrazor his lips until spring”. The father is teaching the children the things they need to know in order to survive in the world. Until that job is done he has not finished. When the passage is broken down the reader sees different aspects of how children view their parents, often this changing from day to day. When looked at in the whole picture though parents love their children and children love their parents. No matter how hard life gets the father is always trying to teach the child what is right, and even though he may come off as mean he is trying his best.
A Sansone, 2nd period
In Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye,” a confusing and conflicting father-daughter relationship is revealed through metaphors. It uses harsh, unyielding language to show the strained relationship the girl has with her father. The line “Winter moves into it and presides there” (2) immediately brings readers the idea of a cold, uncaring man. Starting with this gives the readers an idea of how this father treats his children, and using winter to continue to describe him paints a picture of a stern father, less imposed to make his children happy than to teach them a lesson.
ReplyDeleteIn line 6, Morrison describes the father as “A Vulcan guarding the flames, he gives us instructions about which doors to keep closed or opened for proper heat, lays kindling by, discusses qualities of coal, and teaches us how to rake, feed, and bank the fire.” This shows that the father is not necessarily completely uncaring towards his children, but rather more likely to teach them what they need to get by in life. The father, instead of being warm and welcoming, teaches them how to find their own warmth to survive.
-Avery, A. 2.
In the passage, "The Bluest Eye" there is a strained and pressed relationship between a father and daughter. The perspective is from the daughter in describing her fathers mannerisms and personality. "Winter" (1) alludes to often in poetry or literature the death of someone or the act of being dead. This relates to the famous Benjamin Franklin quote "Some people die at the age of 25, and aren't buried until 75." This is the same situation with the girls father.
ReplyDeleteThe eyes and eyebrows of her father resemble nature landmarks, with a cliff at snow that at any moment an avalanche could happen saying the father could explode of anger at any minute and eyebrows that been backwards where with anger eyebrows really give expression to people's faces, without eyebrows often facial expressions just look the same.
His skin is describes the blankness, sometimes how when people are really upset or angry instead of getting so red, they become pale as if they are so angry or upset it's sickening.
Through all of the fathers teachings to his children, though the daughter may have perceived it wrong, similar to the noose story we read in class, it was still hurtful enough to write about. The father while appearing inattentive and cold, was really teaching his child how to care for itself, how to feel on its own. This is the complex nature of the two, how both are misinterpreted and lost, but there really is a solid purpose behind all of it. The comes to understand that the daughter will eventually take on the same role as her father in continuing the legacy of the grumbled facial features in metaphors and will act the same way towards her own children.
Westphal 2nd
This passage from “The Bluest Eye” portrays a strained relationship between a father and daughter. Based upon Morrison’s description, one can conclude that the father is a very cold, serious figure. The girl’s comparison between her father and winter is meant to show that he is completely dead inside, he is completely void of emotion. This is apparent in lines 2-3, “his eyes become a cliff of snow threatening to avalanche… his skin takes on the pale, cheerless yellow” (Morrison 2-3). This quote expresses the anger that has built up in the mind of her father, it threatens to overflow as he barely keeps it in check. The saying “the eyes are the window to the soul” comes into play here as Morrison’s description of the father’s eyes show that he has a very dark, tormented mind. The description of the father’s skin is also very significant as it sounds as though she is describing a corpse rather than a living human being. Normally a person’s face is flushed and pink, a sign of life, while yellow and pale skin sounds like the description of a corpse.
ReplyDeleteUltimately we discover that the father does have an emotional attachment to his family and he does care for them. He doesn’t expressly show it, but he loves them. This is shown in lines 8-10, “he gives us instructions about which doors to keep closed or opened for proper heat, lays kindling by, discusses qualities of coal, and teaches us how to rake, feed, and bank the fire,” (Morrison lines 8-10). This attentiveness to the well being of the family shows that he cares for them, even though his attitude is grave. The reader may even infer that his dark mentality is a result of circumstance rather than disposition. The father may act this way due to the harshness of their current situation, but he still makes sure they are well cared for and that they survive these hardships.
-Harris, S 2*
The parent-child relationship is illustrated by the contrasting ideas of winter and warmth. Morrison states that her father is like a winter landscape, dangerous and unforgiving: “His eyes become a cliff of snow threatening to avalanche,” On the outside he seems calm and serene, but underneath this deceptive peace is a temper waiting to boil over. He is harsh as the winter wind, and has little light left in him, as the sentence on the winter sun implies. However, this idea is quickly contrasted by the father as teacher and protector: “he gives us instructions about which doors to keep open or closed for proper heat, lays kindling by, discusses quality of coal, and teaches us how to rake, feed, and bank the fire”. A father is most often the one who teaches his children the most enduring and important life lessons. These can be practical, such as how to literally start a fire, or more ethereal, such as how to keep the “flame” of knowledge alive.
ReplyDeleteFrom this, we can infer that Morrison was wary of her father, yet coveted the lessons he taught her. She shows, though her metaphors of winter, that her father’s cold nature and temper intimidate her. Like the anticipation of an avalanche, she treads lightly around him; one wrong move or word could have her buried in the snow of his displeasure. This is most likely why she pays so much attention to his teachings; as long as she pleases him, the avalanche will not come. However, though he scares her, a part of her knows he is trying to prepare her for life after he is gone: “Wolf killer turned hawk fighter, he worked night and day to keep one from the door and the other from under the windowsills”. She knew that one day, he would not be there to keep her safe, which was why he was teaching her to do these things herself. Of course, he is not this serious all the time: “And he will not unrazor his lips until spring”. This “spring” is when the hard times are over, and the father can show his love. For now, though, it is about survival, and he is as hard as stone to impress upon her the seriousness of what he is trying to say. For all his fierce exterior, he loved her and wanted nothing more than for his daughter to be safe. And for all his coldness and indifference, she knows this.
Maslach, K 2
Morrison's use of metaphors equate the father to various physically cold things. This ultimately portrays the father as emotionally and figuratively cold. His features are defined as unmoving and frozen bits of nature. He is set in stone on one single task and he doesn't think of anything else. The father is focused on keeping the winter cold from the inside of the house. This is a task that only arises when it's cold outside, and as Morrison says, the father "will not unrazor his lips until spring" (Morrison). This is evidence that the father only becomes unfeeling during the winter. This sense of emotionlessness is only temporary and noticeable from the outside. In his mind, the father only wants to protect his family from the cold. He seems to be stoic, but he really does care a great deal for his children and wants nothing more than to preserve their safety.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great portrayal of fathers everywhere. Many children believe their fathers are very strict or cruel, but they mainly just want to encourage their children to better themselves and save them from the dangers of the world.
Bahr, S. 7/8*
The first sentence of Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, characterizes her father as a distant figure in her life. She writes “My daddy’s face is a study” (1), and studies are not a place for children. They usually consist of important paper work and are viewed as the place where adults escape the house to do work. By writing this metaphor she informs the reader right in the beginning that he has no place for children. Morrison has no place in his facial expressions, which are described as cold and lifeless, and the reader may infer that the relationship between the father and daughter is cold and distant. The communication is minimal between the two as seen in “his forehead is the frozen sweep of Erie, hiding currents of gelid thoughts that eddy in the darkness”(4-6). He hides his cold feeling to himself but they grow in the darkness and show on his face and in his eyes when the two interact. Because of this constant miscommunication and body language the relationship between Toni Morrison and her father is cold and distant.
ReplyDeleteTheir relationship isn’t all bad though. During time of trouble and hardship goes from a wolf killer to a hawk fighter (6). Wolves are seen as loners or pack members and are regarded as a beast that is hard to hunt. A hawk fighter and most birds of prey protect their young and join together. The resemblance of guarding the fire shows that though their relationship between father and daughter is distant in times of hardship, he will act as a part of the pack and protect the nest rather than being by himself. He nurtures her and does his duty as a parent to the best of his ability until that time has passed, when their relationship goes back to how it usually is.
-Rachael Supina 2
AP Blog #4
ReplyDeleteErica Dame
Parents and Children
The relationship between a parent and a child are different for everyone and yet are all very similar. In The Bluest Eye Morrison uses figurative language pertaining to winter to illustrate the connection between a particular father and daughter. I believe that when Morrison says in the first two lines of the passage, “His eyes become a cliff of snow threatening to avalanche,” shows that her father becomes very depressed when the winter comes. When most writers describe people being on the verge of crying they say that the tears are brimming their eyes or things along those lines. Morrison uses a cliff and an avalanche to portray the same idea. She also writes, “…for a jaw he has the edges of snowbound field dotted with stubble” (4). When people get depressed they generally do not care about how they look. Therefore, a depressed man may not care about shaving for a while and will have a sort of scruffy appearance. This idea is restated at the end of the passage when she says, “And he will not unrazor his lips until spring” (10-11). It also appears to the reader that he helps his children learn how to stay alive and warm during the winter: “…he gives us instructions about which doors to keep closed or opened for proper heat” (8-9). The reader can then understand that even though this father may be depressed and cold hearted he wants his children to learn things from him like “how to rake, feed, and bank the fire” (10). This girl that Morrison writes about needs to figure out that her father actually cares about her before she is able to describe him as cold or winter-like as the passage portrays him. Perhaps there is something going on with her father and mother that she does not know about that is causing him to be depressed but he does not want to lose his children.
Dame, E 2nd
In this passage from The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, she demonstrates how complex the relationship between parent and child is. The narrator describes her father in the coldest of terms, literally, comparing him to the harshest winter. The figurative language she uses (the metaphors) allows the reader to get the sense that her father is cold, almost dead inside. The description is very detached, and it is difficult to remember that the narrator is describing her own father. She claims that, “Winter moves into it and presides there” (line 1). This demonstrates how cold she sees her father, how detached he is from his children. The very end says, “And he will not unrazor his lips until spring” (line 10-11). This shows how very little he speaks to his children and how they almost fear him because of this. He is not a loving father, but rather one who is able to provide for his family and not much else. The narrator says, “Wolf killer turned hawk fighter, he worked night and day to keep one from the door and the other from under the windowsills” (line 6-7). Her father worked hard to ensure that his family was safe, and he taught his children how to stay alive in the winter, but he could not provide love for them. He was emotionally cold as ice, and this will damage his relationship with his daughter perpetually.
ReplyDelete--Dushek, K 2˚
Morrison’s figurative language in the passage beautifully demonstrates the relationship between parent and child. “The winter” is an excellent vehicle to portray the stern, but loving father. The way Morrison describes the father is, at times, almost menacing. The way in which she describes the father’s eyes is especially threatening: “His eyes become a cliff of snow threatening to avalanche; his eyebrows bend like black limbs of leafless trees” (Morrison 1-3). This description of the father’s face jumps out from the text in that it makes the father appear ominous, perhaps harmful. But this initial interpretation of the way the father is described does not hold as one continues to read. As the passage goes on it becomes clear that the father is portrayed as a masculine, emotionless, perhaps detached father. But this apparent lack of emotion does not mean that the father does not love his children beneath the façade he depicts, “Wolf killer turned hawk fighter, he worked night and day to keep one from the door and the other from under the windowsills” (Morrison 5-7). The passage continues on to depict the father defending his children against presumably harmful entities coming from “the door” and “under the windowsill.” He risks his own well-being to defend that of his children; proving their worth to him, regardless of how callous he may seem from the outside. As the passage goes on the fathers love becomes even more evident through the narration depicting him teaching his children: “He gives us instructions about which doors to keep closed or opened for proper heat, lays kindling by, discusses qualities of coal, and teaches us” (Morrison 7-9). This excerpt ultimately proves that the father, although appearing callous and indifferent, even being described as such, loves his children. Why else would he embark on sharing his knowledge with his children? This is the grand testament to the father’s adoration of his children: his protection and his teachings triumph over the seeming indifference that is observed in the initial description of the father. While this passage says much about fatherly relationships in general, it is also crucial in the relationship observed within the passage itself. While the father has the outward appearance of callousness and indifference towards his daughter, he actually intends to protect her in the immediate physical area surrounding her, but also he aims to protect her through sharing his knowledge with her. The father’s goal in teaching his daughter is to provide her with knowledge, and knowledge is often the sharpest weapon in one’s arsenal.
ReplyDeleteBruggeman, J 7/8th
In Toni Morrison’s novel, “The Bluest Eye” the complex relationship between the father and child is abusive, yet protective, and shown through numerous rhetorical devices. In line 6-7, it is pointed out that the father works hard to protect his family, “Wolf Killer turned hawk fighter, he worked night and day to keep one from the door and the other from under the windowsills.” Saying that he turned “wolf killer turned hawk fighter” symbolizes his transition from full of anger to controlled protector, working to protect his family and control his two moods. He makes sure to keep the two apart to protect his beloved family.
ReplyDeleteIn line 3, the daughter states, “His skin takes on the pale, cheerless yellow of winter sun.” The metaphor implies that his face is pale and may result in him being stressed out from trying to protect and support his daughter and family while keeping the two moods in check. He is then seen as “a Vulcan guarding the flames”, this shows the audience that out of stress the father may become abusive toward the family. He is a protector of ratchet flames, which he protects from the family but creates himself and lashes out from protecting for so long. The daughter refers to her father as “daddy”, showing that she is a young child still full of innocence and may not realize when her father does wrong when trying to protect her.
Although the father may come off hostile, he still wants what is best for his daughter, so he provides her with teachings of how to “tame the fire” that he protects his family from, “discusses qualities of coal, and teaches us how to rake, feed, and bank the fire.” This symbolizes that the father is handing down his knowledge of how he supports his family on to his daughter so when he cannot protect them, she knows how to do it and take over his role.
S. Güt 7/8
In an excerpt of Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye”, imagery is used in order to show rather than explain the relationship between a parent and a child. She writes, “…he gives us instructions about which doors to keep closed or opened for proper heat, lays kindling by, discusses qualities of coal, and teaches us how to rake, feed, and bank the fire. And he will not unrazor his lips until spring”(Morrison). Morrison clearly describes the transfer of knowledge passed down from parent to child as the father teaches the children how to stay warm during the winter. It is clear that this is not done with a touch of gentleness evident by her choice of words. It is implied that the father is barking orders at his children with the final line, “He will not unrazor his lips until spring.” This line implies that the father speaks harshly until the warm weather comes and kindling is not needed. The reader ultimately comes to understand that the father is negligent towards his child in an emotional sense but still takes on the responsibilities associated with fatherhood.
ReplyDelete--Javorsky, R 2*
The relationship between a parent and a child is constantly changing. Sometimes, the actions of a child make a parent angry. Other times, the decisions of a parent make the child throw a fit. There are times when the child may be happy while the parent is unhappy, and vice versa. On page 61 of Toni Morrison’s book titled The Bluest Eye, the narrator speaks about the relationship between her and her father. The narrator uses an extended metaphor to describe her father and his actions. Her father is compared to winter. She begins by telling the audience, “Winter moves into it (his face) and presides there” (1). The word winter is associated with connotations of cold, bitter, and unfriendly. The father is therefore all of the above. The narrator goes on to explain that his physical features are not attractive. His skin turns pale yellow, his face is unshaved and covered with stubble, and his forehead is wrinkled. The first impression of the reader would be that the narrator does not like her father very much. However, as the narrator goes on with her description of her father, the reader discovers that there is more to her father; there is something beyond his mean face. The father is very caring and protective of the narrator and her family. The narrator writes, “Wolf killer turned hawk fighter, he worked night and day to keep one from the door and the other from under the windowsills. A Vulcan guarding the flames, he gives us instructions…and teaches us how to rake, feed, and bank the fire” (6-10). The father protects his children and wife (if the narrator’s mother lives with them). He works hard to earn money so that his family can stay warm. He is a Vulcan, the head of the house, and he teaches his children valuable life skills. These skills will help his children survive. In this excerpt Morrison demonstrates how the relationship between a parent and a child can be seen from different viewpoints. To the child, the father is mean and harsh. This could be because he is very tired from a long day at work. The child does not understand this and thinks her father is harsh.
ReplyDeletePatel D, 2
Morrison does not use a simile in her relating the narrator’s father’s face to some strong quality of winter. Her metaphor, extended throughout the passage, leaves no room for question; her father very much is all of the things that she says and there is no reason for one to disagree, but rather much a question as to if her words are strong enough. Strong words like “wolf killer” to describe the father in the spring and summer imply that he was not the most gentle soul in any season. Though this, somehow, is less severe than “hawk fighter” of the winter. While a killer is violent, a fighter is brutal, taking some kind of pleasure in the process of death. What Morrison suggests is that, while the father is rather solid and harsh at all seasons, the winter, when his eyes threaten an avalanche and his eyebrows become stiff and cold like tree limbs and his skin is cheerless, brings a sort of brutal mindset. The narrator has a relationship with her father where she is frightened of him in a way that she might compare him to such things as killing and fighting in nothing more than the glint of his eyes during winter.
ReplyDeleteJankovsky A. 7-8*
In the passage from Toni Morrison’s book, The Bluest Eye, Morrison uses figurative language to illustrate the complex relationship between a parent and a child. She uses metaphors and similes like, “His eyes become a cliff of snow threatening to avalanche; his eyebrows bend like black limbs of leafless trees” (lines 1-2), to illustrate that the father comes off as harsh. An avalanche is dangerous, and sudden. There is not much warning before one happens and it is hard to judge how bad it will be, where it will go, and when it will happen. This shows that the father in the eyes of his daughter is dangerous and unpredictable. The comparison between a bent and lifeless tree gives the reader the impression that the father’s brows are always furrowed into an angry glare or scowl that makes him look scary and threatening. The reader also sees figurative language when the daughter states, “Winter moves into [my daddy’s face] and presides there” (line 1). One typically sees winter as a cold, harsh, and dead season, and by comparing her father to winter, the daughter is basically saying that her father looks cold, harsh and dead. In her eyes he is scary and dangerous and cold in how he looks. However, later in the passage there is another metaphor used when the daughter states, “A Vulcan guarding the flames, he gives us instructions about which doors to keep closed or opened for proper heat, lays kindling by, discusses qualities of coal, and teaches us how to rake, feed, and bank the fire”(lines 6-8). By saying this about her father, she states that her father’s actions are quite different from his looks and rather than acting cold and harsh, he is actually trying to help, teach, and protect his daughter.
ReplyDeleteThe reader ultimately learns that the relationship between the father and daughter is kind of complicated when it comes to the daughter’s perspective. She sees her father as scary, cold, and threatening in his looks and demeanor. However, the father actually cares about his daughter and helps and protects her by teaching her how to combat the cold that takes him over by teaching her to tend a fire. I fire brings warmth and comfort, which shows what the father and daughter’s relationship is under the frigid outer surface. Though he may seem cold, the father wants nothing more than to teach his daughter how to stay save and warm. Thus showing that the reader ultimately finds out that the father and daughter’s relationship, though complicated is warm and caring.
-C. Lenhoff 2nd period
The relationship between the daughter and father is very distant. She describes her father in a way that it seems she only shows the bad. She never describes positivity in him. Her descriptions include saying that “His skin takes on the pale, cheerless yellow of winter sun,” and that shows how his personality is towards her. He has an edge with her that is cold like winter and possesses winters poor qualities. Using all the bad parts of winter to describe her father shows how she feels towards him. The relationship is seemingly nonexistent. The reader then comes to understand that the daughter and father do not have a relationship that is close or loving in any way. Instead of describing the positive aspects of winter, the daughter choses the cold and horrid parts, showing her outlook on life. Her father seems to have created an image for himself in her brain that then changed how she saw him forever. By using seasons to describe him during a cold time, this could mean that during summer he is either nicer or she does not see him as much and doesn’t affect her life as much during that period of time.
ReplyDelete-Camille
Toni Morrison colorfully describes the unique and complex relationship between father and daughter through a series of metaphors and figurative language. At first, Morrison depicts the harsh, cold father figure through metaphors to winter. For example, " His eyes become a cliff of snow threatening to avalanche; his eyebrows bend like black limbs of leafless trees" (line 1-3). The metaphors to the cold winter demonstrates the strictness that fathers can project on their daughters. Morrison's father is almost abusive to the daughter, however there is a transition. In lines 7-10 the father becomes a protective and teaching figure, " A Vulcan guarding the flames, he gives us instructions about which doors to keep closed or opened for proper heat, lays kindling by, discusses qualities of coal, and teaches us how to rake, feed, and bank the fire". The father now shows the side of parenthood in which teaching, and caring is takes the place of strict authority. Through "The Bluest Eye" Morrison artfully captures the complicated balance between coldness and love which a father-daughter relationship follows.
ReplyDeleteFlorek, E. 7/8
Toni Morrison is able to illustrate the relationship between daughter and father in the “The Bluest Eye” passage through her use of figurative language. Right from the beginning, Morrison writes the narrator to be metaphorically comparing her father’s face to a study. She speaks of her father’s face with cold, hard descriptions: “eyebrows like leafless trees; skin like pale, cheerless yellow of winter sun; frozen sweep of his forehead.” I think this illustrates the complicated relationship between the girl and her father and the lack of warmth and compassion between them. This could possibly imply some form of abuse, as my peers might argue, but I think it implies more of a misunderstanding between the two characters, as is often found between a grown man and his young daughter.
ReplyDeleteThe line, “Wolf killer turned hawk fighter,” is the narrator’s way of illustrating her father’s role as Protector. The ‘wolf killer’ represents her father’s role during the night, and the ‘hawk fighter’ his role during the day. She further illustrates her father to be a protector by describing him to be a “Vulcan guarding the flames” of the fire. This literal fire is the father’s way of keeping his children warm, previously proven to be unable to express warmth through his physical being. The father’s role changes from Protector to Teacher when the narrator speaks of her father to “give instructions about which doors to keep closed or open for proper heat” and “how to rake, feed, and bank the fire.” The once assumed cold, complicated relationship may actually just be a relationship that lacks the ability to relate.
-K Brav 7/8*
This was a very abrasive passage at first. The way that the writer spoke about the progression of the father's communication as winter approaches comes off as very harsh. He is short and mean to the girl. There are a lot of comparisons made directly between him and the physical state of winter itself. "His skin takes on the pale, cheerless yellow of winter sun; for a jaw he has the edges of a snowbound field dotted with stubble; (Morrison)" Morrison is referring not necessarily to the actual appearance of her father, but moreso the way his words and actions make him seem. As the writing continues though, the apparent cruelty of the father takes on a different tone. It becomes more paternal and protective.
ReplyDelete"A Vulcan guarding the flames, he gives us instructions about which doors to keep closed or opened for proper heat, lays kindling by, discusses qualities of coal, and teaches us how to rake, feed, and bank the fire. (Morrison)" The father is acting this way out of necessity. It is winter in a time and/or place where survival is obviously difficult and he is simply assuring the survival of his children. How to get food and keep the door shut so as not to let the cold in, and how to gather kindling to keep the fire going. His lips will unseal in the spring because the weather will break and surviving will become easier. This is the true cause of the father's being cold.
- Graf, A 2*
The metaphors throughout this passage speak to the dynamic relationship between a father and daughter. The daughter starts her description by saying “My daddy’s face is a study.” A study is a place where one goes to think and to process information. By making this comparison, she leads into her future points which explain how her father’s thoughts are written on his face. When she compares his eyes to “snow threatening to avalanche,” another comparison can be made to the cliché “if looks could kill.” Every child knows the look their parents give when they are in trouble. They know that they had better stop what they are doing or else there will be serious consequences. The next clause of the sentence uses a metaphor to create the image of the father raising his eyebrows. This is another characteristic facial expression which children see and know that their parents are silently asking them if they are making the right decision. As the daughter continues to describe her father’s face in the next sentence, one word she uses to describe his skin is “cheerless.” Generally, children believe that their parents make rules and provide consequences to ruin their lives, implying that they are disciplining for pure fun. The use of the word “cheerless” expresses a contrasting view: parents do not enjoy being harsh with their children. The daughter is taking a step back from seeing her father as someone she should be fearful of, and she is starting to see the purpose behind his stern discipline.
ReplyDeleteShe begins to explain his protective nature by telling the readers that he would keep them safe by keeping animals away from the house. Examining this, among other qualities of a father, the daughter sees that everything he does is to teach her and to provide her with the knowledge she needs to live her life even without him around. He teaches his children ways to build a fire, a crucial aspect of survival, showing his care and love for them by making sure they will be safe in the future. The daughter closes with the statement, “He will not unrazor his lips until spring.” This shows that he will not stop teaching and protecting them, even if that means discipline, until he knows that they are able to survive on their own. Spring is a time of growth and new beginnings, and he must prepare them and equip them with the knowledge they need to reach their full potential in life.
Ultimately, the reader comes to understand that the father and daughter are growing closer in their relationship. The daughter begins to realize that the father is only doing what is best for her, so she knows that she must respect him and his teachings.
Woods, L 2
The figurative language that Toni Morrison uses in "The Bluest Eye" passage is to display the complex nature of parent child relationships. The relationship between the father and child the reader is witnessing is tense and strict. The child is unsure of how the father feels, and the father will not open up. Morrison writes," My daddy's face is a study" (1). There is a lot going on in the fathers life during the hardships of winter that a child will not understand, just like a young child will not understand the complex books in a study. The father is probably trying to get through the winter and help keep his child alive, and the stress of that makes him unwilling to react to his child in a caring way. Morrison writes, "He gives instructions about which doors to keep open for proper heat" (8-9). The father is not acting as loving for the sake of their survival, though he is putting the child's needs above his own. He makes sure that the child is prepared for anything that could happen. The father loves his child and the child loves their father, and support each other through hard times.
ReplyDeleteLoDolce, A 7/8
This passage took me a few reads to grasp, and I am still not sure I fully do. Toni Morrison writes about her father, describing his looks as well as personality with cold, harsh words; “His eyes become a cliff of snow threatening to avalanche; his eyebrows bend like black limbs of leafless trees” (line 1). Her metaphors and similes describe her father’s face as cold and stiff. The words “snow” “black” and “lifeless” show the harshness of his face. Her father’s features are bitter like the cold winter, but her first line shows her love for him “My daddy’s face is a study” she refers to him as “daddy” instead of “father”. This one word clued me in on the rest of the passage, even though she describes her father as harsh, she loves him. The relationship between Toni Morrison and her father is a complex relationship, he shows his love through his actions. Towards the end of the passage she lists his actions, his teachings to the children, these teachings are how he showed his children he loved them, by protecting them and teaching them right from wrong. I think Toni Morrison captures part of the father daughter relationship. Lots of men do not express emotion well, so they show their love through actions, as Morrison explains in the passage.
ReplyDelete- Parey C 7/8
This excerpt from Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eyes details the father’s face so closely through the daughter’s eyes that the reader is able to have their own relationship with the father’s seemingly distraught body language. The father’s connection with winter leaves the daughter unable to find emotion within his cold stare. While direct, we see the father’s actions of “giving instructions about which doors to keep closed or opened for proper heat” as his own way of affection. The nature of the young girl might not understand her father’s strict nature, but he provides in the only way he seems to know. As an “A Vulcan guarding the flames” the father is comfortable with having the air of knowledge and sternness, but it’s the first line “My daddy’s face is a study” that shows his daughter is more interested with what lies underneath his rough surface. Yet the father is unaware of his daughter’s curiosity because “he will not unrazor his lips until spring.” The father tries to influence his daughter by showing her how to fend for herself without verbal communication: “Wolf killer turned hawk fighter, he worked night and day to keep one from the door and the other from under the windowsills.” While their relationship is complex the father sees no error in having an emotionless connection with his daughter if that means she will learn life lessons to survive.
ReplyDelete-Grabowski, H. 7/8
In this poem, the complex relationship between a father and a daughter is illustrated from the point of view of the daughter. She describes her father’s features, some subtle and some rough, through similes and metaphors. The daughter utilizes simple objects, typically enjoyed or observed mostly by children, to paint a picture of her father. She compares his eyes to snow, his skin to pale sunlight, and his eyebrows to tree limbs. Through this usage of figurative language, the author illustrates the complexity of the relationship. The daughter is young and naïve and doesn’t understand all that her father does, whereas the father is mature and acts as a caretaker.
ReplyDeleteThe author comes to realize near the end of the poem that the father is not just a man with a snowboard jawline and a frozen-river forehead, but he is a provider. The father fights away the dangers day and night, and directs the daughter to open and close the proper doors to keep herself warm. The author comes to understand that the two are different, but together, create a home. The teamwork between the father and the daughter makes for a better atmosphere for the both and helps to simplify the complex relationship shared between the two.
Cruse, S 2
I firmly believe that no parent child relationship is simple and this excerpt enforces my opinion. Morrison includes a description of the father, comparing him to inanimate objects, “My daddy’s face is a study. Winter moves into it and presides there. His eyes become a cliff of snow threatening to avalanche; his eyebrows bend like black limbs of leafless trees…” This description shows very powerful, but violent aspects of nature. This may allude to thee idea of the power and wrath of the father. "Wolf killer turned hawk fighter, he worked night and day to keep one from the door and the other from under the windowsills, the father is the protector of the child. Yet, as the passage progresses, the distance between the father and the daughter is shown. The end of the passage, “He will not unrazor his lips until spring,” shows that the father has a cold demeanor. Children, for a lack of a better word, are childish. They get along best with those with a sense of whimsy. This child obviously seeks more from her father and is not receiving it. The reader comes to understand that while they both work for the same goal, to have a happy and safe home, they take two different approaches and in doing so separate themselves.
ReplyDelete-Kett J 2
In the passage, the complex nature of parent child relationships is through the point of view of Morrison. It’s looking through the lens she sees. The descriptive detail the author uses gives the impression that her father is a stone cold man. There are no changing moods with him; the attitude is a constant. The man knew how to take care of his family, but he was stern and strict. As a reader, one ultimately understands that there are many closed doors between the father and daughter. The father shows a care for his family, but he is not mushy nor a push over. He has been through a lot and does not take no crap from anybody.
ReplyDeleteHe is more of a traditional father; stern and strong. There is obvious doors closed between the father and daughter, and there is not a loving connection between them. In the passage, Morrison states the following: “my daddy’s face is a study. Winter moves into it and presides there…” In this quote, the author compares her father’s face to winter. Winter is the cold, bitter season; never a comfortable temperature. With that comparison, the reader can understand that he is not the easiest to dig deep with. He has many walls up as protection, and has the strength to maintain him emotionally. Morrison talks about how her father taught them how to take care of the land; how to rake and feed. He taught his children well, but might have lacked in the love section.