Searching for Personal Identity in The Bluest Eye A major theme in The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison is the search for individual identity and the influences of family and of the community in that research. This theme is present throughout the novel and evident in many of the characters. Pecola Breedlove, Cholly Breedlove, and Pauline Breedlove are all embodiments of this search for identity, as well as symbols of the search of many of the many blacks who were moving north in search of greater opportunity. The Breedlove family is a group of people under one roof, a family in name only. Cholly (the father) is a constantly drunk and violent man. His abusive ways are evident towards his wife Pauline physically and towards his daughter Pecola sexually. Pauline is a "mom" to a white family and continues to favor them over her biological family. Pecola is a little black girl with low self-esteem. The world has led her to believe that she is ugly and that the epitome of "beautiful" requires blue eyes. Therefore every night he prays to wake up with blue eyes. Raised as a poor, unwanted girl, Pecola Breedlove longs for society's acceptance and love. The image of "Shirley Temple beauty" surrounds her. In her mind, if she were beautiful, people would finally love and accept her. The idea that blue eyes are a beauty necessity has been imprinted on Pecola her entire life. "If [I] looked different, beautiful, maybe Cholly would be different, and Mrs. Breedlove too. Maybe they would say, 'Why look at pretty-eyed Pecola.' We must not do bad things in front of those beautiful [blue] eyes'" (Morrison 46). Many people helped imprint this ideal of beauty on her. Mr. Yacowbski as a symbol of the rest of society's norm, treats her as if she were invisible. "He doesn't see it, because for him there is nothing to see. How can a fifty-two year old white immigrant shopkeeper... see a little black girl?" (Morrison 48). Her classmates also have an effect on her. They seem to think that because she is not beautiful, she is worth nothing more than being the focal point of their derision. "Black and mo. Black and mo. Yadaddsleepsnekked. Black and mo black and mo ya daddy sleeps nekked.