Quotessence
Home / Quotes / Quote by Toni Morrison

Quote by Toni Morrison

“Tall, head forward, eyes fastened on a rock, his arms higher than the pines, his hands holding a melon bigger than the sun, he paused an instant to get his bearing and secure his aim. Watching the figure etched against the bright blue sky, Cholly felt goose pimples popping along his arms and neck. He wondered if God looked like that. No. God was a nice old white man, with long white hair, flowing white beard, and little blue eyes that looked sad when people died and mean when they were bad. It must be the devil who looks like that -- holding the world in his hands, ready to dash it to the ground and spill the red guts so niggers could eat the sweet warm insides. If the devil did look like that, Cholly preferred him. He never felt anything thinking about God, but just the idea of the devil excited him. And now the strong, black devil was blotting out the sun and getting ready to split open the world.”

Quote by Toni Morrison

Work

The Bluest Eye

Set in the 1930s in the American Midwest, this novel delves into the complex psychological and social issues faced by a young African American girl named Pecola. The story follows her journey as she grapples with her own perception of beauty and her place in a society that is deeply divided by race and class. more

Author

Toni Morrison
Toni Morrison

Toni Morrison is an American novelist known for her profound portrayal of the history and culture of African Americans. Her works often explore issues of race, gender, and identity, with her most famous novels being 'The Bluest Eye' and 'Sula'. more

You May Also Like

“She stared at her mother's hat resting so quiet and rich on top of her parent's closet. It had a soft brown velvet brim ad white feathers were peeking out brown with dots and that hat was amazing because it stayed so solid and fixed to the shelf and yet the girl thought the feathers made it seem as if it could just fly away when she wasn't looking and if it really wanted to. Anyway, maybe the hat had thoughts of its own or could absorb all the thoughts and made-up stories of the person who wore the hat and keep them under the velvet brim and hide them in between the soft feathers as if they were eggs and keep them warm until they escaped.”

“She thought of the little disks hidden in her closet and under her bed and at the back of her drawers. They were her secret. The disks she made let her hold those times and remember them forever. Like putty her father had used to fill the nick in the cupboard, her disks dilled the empty space that was left behind wen a moment was over. Her mother and father could never find them.”

“To be beautiful all you have to do is…Be yourself. Like yourself. But most importantly be kind to yourself and others. Stir your heart with your dreams. Celebrate your life. Laugh, cry, pretend you can fly. Make friends with yourself. Believe in your magic. Honor your body and your life. Wish upon a star. Say ‘I love you’ often, & smile regularly.”

“Everything, it seemed-the city, the sky-was brighter and more vivid than before. So modern, compared with the time capsule downstairs. As he left the hotel, Henry looked west to where the sun was setting, burnt sienna flooding the horizon. It reminded him that time was short, but the beautiful endings could still be found at the end of cold, dreary days.”