"We honed our egos on her, padded our characters with her frailty, and yawned in the fantasy of our strength. And fantasy it was, for we were not strong, only aggressive; we were not free, merely licensed; we were not compassionate, we were only polite; not good but well behaved..." (205).

Here, Morrison sums up an important theme of the novel: through Pecola, those who are suppressed in some area of his or her life can find strength to overcome worldly pressures. I think Claudia finally realizes that comparing herself to Pecola and wanting to better the life that Pecola has only pushed her to see the world as she wants to see it, not how the community would have her see it. Though she creates an "ego" for justice, her motivation is less for Pecola and more to assert her ability to formulate an opinion, which mostly differed from her peers. Claudia uses Pecola just like everyone else in the novel. She gives herself a false sense of identity that is bred only from her devotion to figuring out the world for herself. Pecola becomes something of a christ-like figure as she takes in all that is lesser, causing her surroundings to rise above her in comparison. Thus, the idea that there is something to fight for, whether for beauty, intelligence, or acceptance, feeds those who look upon Pecola, giving her existence a purpose: to help others help themselves.

While feeding the fantasy of identity, at which point does true self-betterment turn into madness (as in Pecola's case)? Since Claudia acknowledges this false sense of motivation, does her attempt to be a bold individual in the world seem less significant if she is feeding this off one who has driven herself into madness?