While it is true that Lester's life is not worthless per se, it is important to realize that because he thinks it is and behaves as though it is, he has already given up in the sense that Morrison suggested. Lester has resigned himself to the fact that his life has reached its peak. In other words, he has placed himself into spiritual and mental sleep. At one point, he admits to Brad that he has "nothing left to lose." Here we see that Lester has all but given up because he believes that there is nothing of value left in life.
In addition, Lester's life is worthless because he is not proactive. He proves Morrison's point succinctly when he lives so apathetically and selfishly. Instead of working on things with his wife, he allows himself to become distracted with a silly fantasy about Angela. He lives in a dream and has no regard for the real life that belongs to him. While Lester could have made motions in the direction of something intricate and interesting, he chose to be oblivious instead. Lester was tired and he did not want to work hard for much. He justifies Morrison when she suggests that a worthy life is one that comes with effort. He has given up on this notion and decided that his fantasy life was better than anything he could ever actually experience. He is living out what Morrison says when she declares that we can make our lives trifling if we choose and no one can change that for us - except ourselves.
Claudia and Lester illustrate the two paths in which we take. Toni Morrison describes these paths as either trifling or intricate....
Every individual faces these choices and they are made unique by every life experience but, in the end, a choice must be made in favor of something intricate and interesting if one is to live a life of worth. Claudia represents how we can take derive something good out of a negative experience or a bad choice. When it comes to bad choices and living a worthy life, the best we can hope for is the belief that something good can come from our experience. Claudia found worth because she recognized and learned from the Pecola incident. While she could not erase the past, she could certainly turn her life around from that point forward. Her recognition of guilt and her sincere shame allows her to be free from the experience and move on. Then her life gains worth because we know she will never go down that road again. Lester, on the other hand, represents what happens when an individual refuses to be positive and proactive. Interestingly, Lester does not experience anything as traumatic as Claudia does and he still cannot lift himself out of apathy. Lester is unhappy and does not care - life has not given him what he thinks he deservers and he gives up, living a rather worthless life. These characters illustrate how the human spirit and the will to survive are just as important as life experiences because we must choose worth and then move toward it.
Works Cited
American Beauty. Dir. Sam Mendes. Perf. Kevin Spacey, Annette Benning. 1999. Videocassette. Dreamworks.
Morrison, Toni. The Bluest Eye. New York: Plume Books. 1970.
