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CliffsNotes on The Bluest Eye & Sula covers two of Toni Morrison's unforgettable novels. The Bluest Eye, Morrison's first novel, focuses on Pecola Breedlove, a lonely, young black girl living in Ohio in the late 1940s. Through Pecola, Morrison exposes the power and cruelty of white, middle-class American definitions of beauty.

Sula, Morrison's second novel, focuses on a young black girl named Sula, who matures into a strong and determined woman in the face of adversity and the distrust, even hatred, of her by the black community in which she lives. Morrison delves into the strong female relationships and how these bonds nurture and threaten individual identity.

This study guide will take you beneath the surface of Morrison's complex characters to uncover their universal themes. Helpful background information about the author brings these novels into context for even greater understanding. Other features that help you study include

• Complete character lists
  
  
• A character map that graphically illustrates the relationships among the characters
  
  
• Character analyses of major players
  
  
• Glossary of difficult terms Critical essays
  
  
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