Broken Landscapes: Eco-Trauma in Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye and Beloved

Eco-trauma refers to the emotional, psychological and cultural impact of environmental degradation, especially on subaltern groups. This paper explores how Toni Morrison’s Beloved and The Bluest Eye show not only psychological, physical and systemic trauma of racism but also environmental trauma. In The Bluest Eye, the failure of marigolds to bloom demonstrates Pecola Breedlove’s emotional breakdown, while in Beloved, 124 Bluestone Road is a possessed and disquieting place, where the trauma of slavery has made people numb. They are unable to feel, and even experience their surroundings. Drawing on eco-critical theory, trauma studies, and Black environmental perspectives—particularly the work of Cathy Caruth, Anissa Wardi, and Paola Nardi this paper examines how Morrison positions nature as a witness to historical trauma. Her narratives reveal how environmental degradation and alienation from the land are inextricably linked to the deep emotional and historical wounds borne by her Black characters.