I believe that The Bluest Eye is a very good work of literature, but it should not be considered a "Great American Novel". I believe the novel is indicative of the horrors of being an African-American child in the 1940s, but that these horrific situations are not enough to make it a "great American novel." This novel is meant to come true for the reader, which is successful, except when there are coincidences that seem to drive the plots, if any, that the novel contains. In Mark Twain's Huckleberry End, the writing becomes the reader's reality, and there are a minimum of coincidences which do not detract from the greatness of the writing. The coincidences in The Bluest Eye seem like extremely lazy writing that is used in an attempt to advance any sort of plot of the novel, if it even has one. In addition, this novel can drag on for quite a long time in summaries or scenes. which seem to fill the pages. A teacher pointed this out to me when he asked the question “Is this novel boring?” "Do you think they included Pecola's pregnancy by her own father at the beginning so that she wouldn't be pregnant" (Works)? Although I have not edited this book, this suggestion seems entirely possible, and if true, much of the integrity of the novel is lost. Yet Morrison's writing sometimes captivates the novel's readers who are spoiled by coincidences such as Geraldine's return home just after her beloved cat was killed by her son Junior. Before the cat dies, Morrison gives readers a summary of Geraldine's life: who really only loves her cat and nothing else, and her son Junior's response to his mother's lack of love by instigating Pecola upcoming and basically at... middle of paper ...... coincidences seem to surround Pecola for a reason. Maybe she's just unlucky, but I believe these coincidences are just examples of lazy writing that makes it easier for the writer to jump to conclusions. The Bluest Eye is certainly different from any other novel I've read, which might explain why I think it shouldn't be considered a "Great American Novel." I think I rated the novel fairly, because it is very good, and the breakup of the "main narrative" only contributes to it being considered a "Great American Novel." Despite the skill of Toni Morrison's writing, the seemingly lazy coincidences surrounding Pecola discredit the novel. Works Cited Morrison, Toni. The bluest eye. May 2007 Reissue ed. New York: Vintage International, 1970. Print.Works, John. “The bluest eye.” St. Andrew's Episcopal School. Austin, Texas.Conference.