American Literature / Unit 18 AML 1704 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Pecola Breedlove and the Standard of Beauty
Captions available
The idea
Pecola Breedlove is the child at the centre. The witness recounts that a man called Soaphead Church tricks her into believing a poisoned dog's death is God's sign that her prayer has been answered, which pushes her over the edge. The standard she measures herself by is borrowed.
In practice
A borrowed standard, and a broken child.
Where people slip
Her mother Pauline also narrates.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
Something wrong in this lesson? Flag it