Claudia's New Perspective

In the last few pages, Claudia is caught in her own consciousness. She feels confused and unsure of her actions. As she sees Pecola running around seeming to be unstable, she is given a chance to step back and observe herself and the others of the town. By this she notices that Pecola is made out to be the laugh of the town, a mockery of sorts. Everyone in town looks to compare themselves to Pecola especially because it makes them feel more beautiful. Before she even realizes that she is doing it, Claudia too compares herself to Pecola purely to boast her self-esteem. In observing Pecola, Claudia learns about herself as well as the society in which she lives. To them as well as Claudia, Pecola is a tool; she is a means to an end and the end is feeling better about whom they are and their appearance. Through this realization Claudia finds a new kind of love; a new love that goes beyond physical appearance and farther than skin deep. Love is what you make it to be, it is never fully understood or capable of being controlled. However, Claudia has a choice in how she shows and sees love as well as what kind of love she wants in her life. "Love is never any better than the lover. Wicked people love wickedly, violent people love violently, weak people love weakly, stupid people love stupidly, but the love of a free man is never safe” (Morrison 206). Claudia realizes Pecola's baby did not nice because the flowers she planted weren’t rooted firmly enough, but farther the ground in which they were nurtured was not fertile enough. Pecola and her baby were affected by the love they were surrounded by. Just like the town did not supply the support it should have to Pecola and her baby, the flower was never given a chance to grow because it was denied what it needed to thrive.