Bluest Eye Close Read Worksheet

Grade Level: 10th Grade | Time: 30 minutes | Text: Toni Morrison, The Bluest Eye (pp. 1–15)

Vocabulary

Below are four words from pages 1–15. For each word:

1. Write your own definition.
2. Use the word in an original sentence related to the novel.
3. Plaintively (p. __)
   Definition:
   
   
   
   Sentence:
   
   
   
   
   
4. Reverie (p. __)
   Definition:
   
   
   
   Sentence:
   
   
   
   
   
5. Indignity (p. __)
   Definition:
   
   
   
   Sentence:
   
   
   
   
   
6. Deteriorate (p. __)
   Definition:
   
   
   
   Sentence:
   
   
   
   
   

Comprehension Questions

1. Narrative Perspective: Who narrates the story in the first 15 pages? How does this perspective influence your understanding of events?
   Answer:
   
   
   
   
   
2. Family & Gifts: Describe the Christmas gift exchange at the beginning of the novel. What do the gifts reveal about Pecola’s family dynamics and social status?
   Answer:
   
   
   
   
   
3. Setting Details: Identify two details that establish the setting (time and place). For each:
   a. Quote the detail exactly (include page number).
   Quote 1: “______________________” (p. )
   Explanation:
   
   
   
   b. Quote 2: “____________________” (p. __)
   Explanation:
   
   
   
4. Pecola’s Wish: What does Pecola wish for? Why is this desire important for understanding her character? Use evidence from the text.
   Answer:
   
   
   
   
   

Analysis and Discussion

1. Close Reading: Select a passage of at least three lines from pages 1–15. Copy it exactly (including punctuation).
   Passage:
   “__________________________________________” (p. __)Then analyze how Morrison uses literary devices (imagery, tone, symbolism) in this passage.
   Analysis:
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Narrative Style: How does Toni Morrison’s narrative style build empathy for Pecola? Refer to specific narrative techniques and examples from the text.
   Answer:
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Theme Development: Identify a theme introduced in the first 15 pages (e.g., identity, beauty standards, alienation). Explain how Morrison begins to develop this theme through character actions and language.
   Answer:
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Personal Reflection

How do the beauty standards and societal pressures depicted in the novel resonate with issues today? Provide at least two modern examples or analogies.
Answer:

Materials referenced: Bluest Eye Close Read Worksheet