In Toni Morrison's novel "The Bluest Eye," Shirley Temple serves as a significant cultural reference. The character Pecola Breedlove and her desire for blue eyes are intertwined with societal standards of beauty, which are often epitomized by images of white childhood stars like Shirley Temple. Pecola fantasizes about having blue eyes, believing that possessing them would change her life and make her beautiful and loved, much like Temple, who was famous for her curly hair and cheerful demeanor.
Shirley Temple symbolizes the idealized version of beauty that Pecola feels she lacks, highlighting themes of racial identity, self-worth, and the impact of societal expectations on personal self-image in the African American experience. The contrast between Pecola’s reality and the beauty represented by figures like Shirley Temple underscores the novel's exploration of racial discrimination and the longing for acceptance.