"What for? He wasn't nowhere around when you was born. Your mama didn't name you nothing. The nine days wasn't up before she throwed you on the junk heap." (133) This is a narrative that happens way too often. A guy and a girl mess around thinking, "oh I'm just having fun.." or "I'm not getting pregnant." Then one day the girl realizes she's pregnant and the both of them are scared out of their minds. The guy decides he isn't ready to have a kid, he still has his whole life ahead of him. So then, a couple months later the guy disappears from the picture leaving a scared girl to raise a baby by herself. Then, after the baby is brought into the world the mother decides she cannot do this alone. By this point, a grandmother or an aunt steps in to save the day. It is said that one in fourteen kids live in a household with someone other than their biological parents. This is a huge blessing for kids who are taken in by their relatives instead of going into foster care. Hopefully their relationship with their parents develop along the way and they learn to understand why they don't live with their parents. The feeling of being abandoned can hurt and understanding why it happened can help them heal.


      "Everybody in the world was in a position to give them orders. White women said, "Do this." White children said, "Give me that." White men said, "Come here." Black men said, "Lay down." The only people they need not to take orders from were the black children and each other." (138)Do you ever think about how different your life would be if you were born in a different time period? This is a scary thought considering what black people have been through in the past. I could never imagine being a slave, being told what to do at all times, and never having any freedom. Living my whole life in fear out of what will be done to me if I don't obey the rules. Being a child working as a maid instead of getting an education. A lot of times I find myself taking for granted all of the freedoms and blessings that I have in my life. Not too long ago could my ancestors say the same. This reminds me to always remember where I came from and the sacrifices made for me. I have the responsibility to do my best in everything I do and get a great education. Not just for myself, but for everyone who's ever sacrificed their life for my freedom!

      In a way, "The Bluest Eye" is similar to the Stanford Prison Experiment. The prisoners are like the slaves and the prison guards are the slave owners. "The experiment quickly grew out of hand. Prisoners suffered- and accepted-sadistic and humiliating treatment from the guards. The high level of stress progressively led them from rebellion to inhibition."(469) Like the experiment, how slaves were treated grew quickly out of hand. Slaves and servants suffered and were humiliated quite often. Being talked down to and belitted in front of your kids or friends is not a good feeling. Both the prison experiment and slavery were disgraceful acts that had serious consequences for the people affected.