From the beginning of the book Pecola is an unwanted girl. After being put in the MacTeer’s home, Pecola’s father does not come to check on her after he has gotten out of jail for burning down his house out of drunkenness. Neither does her mother. Claudia and Frieda are very nice to Pecola and become her only friends. Pecola admires girls with blonde hair, pink skin, and blue eyes.
She envies and wishes to look like them as a result of society making those characteristics the beauty standards. She prays every night for the bluest eyes and believes she gets them and that everyone is jealous of her. In contrast Claudia and Frieda are raised to be strong independent women and are not bothered by theses standards. Claudia even dismembers a white doll she receives as a gift. A group of boys at school bully Pecola for how ugly she is and that her father sleeps naked.
Pecola does not defend herself; instead Claudia, Frieda, and Maureen come to “save” her. The way this society works is simple, blonde hair, light colored eyes and skin were accepted and dark, black features were rejected.
