20 thoughts on “Toni Morrison, Recitatif”

1. Why do you think Morrison chooses not to be explicit about which girl is African American and which girl is Caucasian?

   I believe Morrison chose not to classify the girls as either African American or Caucasian because with those labels, the readers will innately feel something towards the characters. It also adds to the drama with Maggie because if the reader is aware of the races of the girls, the issue of a hate crime can be debated about. However, I believe this work of literature dwells more into racial differences as a opposed to the differences between African Americans and Caucasians. Both girls grew up to live such different lives and I believe Toni Morrison choose not to label Twyla or Roberta because had either of them labeled, the unnecessary plot device of going with or against a stereotype would be incorporated.

2. Why do you think Morrison chooses not to be explicit about which girl is African American and which girl is Caucasian?

   I believe that Morrison chose not to show which girl was black or white because she didn’t want her readers to have bad feelings towards either one of the girls. Since I had no idea which girl was black or white, I treated them equally the which is probably what Morrison wanted all of her readers to do. She didn’t want the girls to be labeled because of their race as well. Just because Roberta’s class is considered to be wealthy and Twyla’s class is considered to be in the middle class, I’m sure most people would assume that Roberta is white and Twyla is black. It could be the other way around but at the same time, nobody knows because we don’t know who’s black or white.

3. –Morrison adds issues of class to what is already a complicated story about race. Why? Where in the story do you see evidence of this?

   She adds issues of class because it is very closely related to difference of role that race played at the time the story takes place. Unlike race, Morrison explicitly describes that Twyla was the one who went on to live a middle class lifestyle and Roberta went on to marry a rich guy and have servants. This is important because the story starts off with the two girls having a lot in common, from their mothers all the way to them failing the same classes and as they grow up and start living in the society that is racist, they become different. They become something they were not as young kids and join the society’s norms. She adds the difference of class in the story to differentiate the two even more and give us a perspective of racial divide.

4. How is the theme of maternity explored in the story? Give at least two examples.

   The mothers of Roberta and Twyla give the reader some background of their lives, and how it affects them in the future. Each one of them strives to be the mother that they did not have and fears becoming the mother that they did have. Maternity is explored in the third encounter between Twyla and Roberta where they exchange details of their married life and children. Roberta did not give birth to her children but Twyla did and that portrays a much closer connection to motherhood. Roberta’s connection to her children (her motherhood) helps represent her life as a whole. Her life seems to be more distant and cold. She is of a higher class because she married into money and we know that that kind of lifestyle is much different than that of Twyla’s. Twyla gave birth to her children thus creating a much stronger connection to them and the feeling of motherhood. She is part of the middle class where people seem to be more family oriented and tight knit, and that portrays a much warmer image than that of a higher class. Another part of the story where motherhood is explored is in the issues Roberta and Twyla have with Maggie, a servant girl. They both see Maggie as a representation of their mothers. The mothers that were not there to care for them or provide anything, not even love. Their ability to see their mothers in this woman led to their hatred towards her and their desire to hurt her. This explores the impact that a mother has on her child’s life. Theses that arise without her presence and the types of actions it motivates.

5. Why do you think Morrison chooses not to be explicit about which girl is African American and which girl is Caucasian?

   I think Morrison chooses not to be explicit about their races is because she wants her readers to figure out their races just by look at their conversations and actions. Since each reader has his or her own perspective and expectation of who should acts in what way, which is their prejudice, their races seem do not have a great impacts. In the meanwhile, by not telling their races, the author is also able to shows her readers her mean points beyond the race. However, the race seems do not have a roles in the story actually plays a significant role. The main characters do not have a perspective of their races and their lives seem do not impact by their races when they were in their childhood, Yet as story continued on, they actually do got affect by their races. As readers read the story, it drags people’s curiosity and their unintentional bias of who should be in what race, which is pathetic.

6. –Why do you think Morrison chooses not to be explicit about which girl is African American and which girl is Caucasian?

   Morrison is trying to prove a point by intentionally hiding the race of the girls. He wants readers to make their own assumptions about which girl is which race. By analyzing their own assumptions, they will realize their own reasoning. From my perspective, I had already formed my own assumptions about the girls’ race and I realized that I was forming them based on stereotypes associated with black and white people. Morrison is trying to show that stereotyping is wrong and that people can not be differentiated just by their skin color.

7. –Why do you think Morrison chooses not to be explicit about which girl is African American and which girl is Caucasian?

   I believe that Morrison chose not to be explicit about which girl is African American and which girl is Caucasian because as a reader you would be quick to stereotype and he would rather leave the reader to assume/guess who is who. In reality race should never matter and we are all human. I like that he did not tell us who is who and just left us guessing.

8. Why do you think Morrison chooses not to be explicit about which girl is African American and which girl is Caucasian?

   I think it is better to not be explicit about their race. Without those labels, audiences will be more focused on how these two girls’ characteristics drawn the social conflicts. humans get affected easily. If the audience knows which girl is African American and which girl is Caucasian, they will look at them with prejudice. This will make Morrison more difficult to tell us what he wants to say through the story.

9. Twyla and Roberta disagree on the integration of schools, “school busing” is a system where children are placed in schools outside of their neighborhood to help end segregation. Twyla doesn’t mind that her son will go to school outside of their neighborhood, but Roberta is protesting the idea of children from other neighborhoods being placed in her step children’s school. They disagree because race is something neither of them had taken into account when their friendship was being considered. However, the well being of their children and their children’s future opens up Roberta’s feelings about the other race and Twyla is offended and surprised that Roberta felt so strongly about holding on to segregation.

10. –Why do you think Morrison chooses not to be explicit about which girl is African American and which girl is Caucasian?

    I think Morrison chooses not to be explicit about which girl is African American and which girl is Caucasian is try to make us focus on the issue of class not race and against stereotypes about white people and black people. Honestly, half the time when I am reading this text, I try to figure out which girl is black and which girl is white by the descriptions that the narrator gives us. However, the description that the narrator gives out is not clear enough to point out the race, which makes me confuse about their races. I think it is the narrator’s purpose to against the stereotypes, and try to deliver a message that the race is not the issue, the issue is the people who label the race.

11. –Why do you think Morrison chooses not to be explicit about which girl is African American and which girl is Caucasian?

    I think that the main reason as to why she never disclosed any race throughout the story is to make us assess our own stereotypes and biases. She draws our own attention as to how we make the determination as to who is White and who is Black. She wants us to find similarities and differences between the two characters and how that makes us determines their race. I think that this is a very strategic method of writing. She clearly conveys the message of her writing, without directly writing about it.

12. Why do you think Morrison chooses not to be explicit about which girl is African American and which girl is Caucasian?

    Morrison chooses not to be explicit about the girls’ races to let her readers infer for themselves. Perhaps, Morrison wanted the readers to realize that their inferences could have possibly been based on stereotypes and biases associated with both African Americans and Caucasians. She wanted us readers to think about who is what race based on their words and actions. Without discussing their races, Morrison keeps us constantly wondering which I thought was a great skill as a writer.

13. What are Twyla and Roberta fighting about in the section about school busing? What’s going on between them?

    They are fighting about race integration they are both from different races but they are fighting for their kids in a different way. Twyla wants them to be together and Roberta does not. There also another conflict between themselves that what happened to them in their past. It is the first time they meet in a place that is not a place where people of color and whites usually hang around. Throughout the story, they have been in places that are mixed race except this school protesting.

14. Why do you think Morrison chooses not to be explicit about which girl is African American and which girl is Caucasian?

    Morrison doesn’t tell us which girl is african american and which girl is caucasian because she wants us to see the similarities between both races, To draw attention to how we make our own determinations and to invite to confront our own biases.

15. –Why do you think Morrison chooses not to be explicit about which girl is African American and which girl is Caucasian?

    Morrison chooses to have an experiment about these two girls without telling racial codes. People always have biases according to someone’s racial labels. And no matter who we are, witnesses is default identity. Through Recitatif, we can see lots of similarities between two characters, though they have different races. Twyla and Reberta share same childhood experience of living in an orphanage. However, they have different social, economic status regardless of their racial identity. Since readers don’t know about which girl is African American and which girl is Caucasian, we make the determination based on two girls’ experiences’ differences instead of ethnic prejudice.

16. –Why do you think Morrison chooses not to be explicit about which girl is African American and which girl is Caucasian?

    I think the reason why Morrison chooses not to be explicit about which girl is African American and which girl is Caucasian is that removing stereotype when people read this story. Most people cannot easy to get rid of their stereotype. Now in this world, there is no racism like old days. However at that time this story written, most people have racism in every part such as in work, education, and financially.
    In Recitatif, there is no about exactly who is Black and who is white so most reader can read this story without their stereotype.

17. I believe that Morrison chooses not to be explicit about which girl is African American and which girl is Caucasian so that the reader can see that even if there is no evidence of race, people still have biases and attribute certain stereotypes with a particular race. It is interesting because while reading the story I often classified one of the girls to a particular race and then questioned my judgement as I went along. I was oscillating between which girl pertained to which race throughout the reading of the story. I think that this is Morrison’s way of showing readers that we all have a tint of racism in our mind that springs out unconsciously.

18. –Is the story’s perspective on race relations ultimately pessimistic or optimistic? Why?

    I believe that it is ultimately optimistic, because though the racism of Roberta waxes and wanes as a child it is absent. I believe that this expresses the idea that racism is societally constructed perspective and that racism is not innate in the human psyche. Through people like her cross-bearing mother have influenced her through expressing their own prejudices in the presence of a child. I think it is also interesting that we never know what race Twyla and Roberta are explicitly and yet by the end of the story we as modern Americans know exactly who is what race. I think it expresses the societal prevalence of race. Though the story never denies the results that race has on all Americans, I think that it is ultimately positive because it infers that since it is not innate we have the capability to change.

19. Why do you think Morrison chooses not to be explicit about which girl is African American and which girl is Caucasian?

    I think that Morrison deliberately chooses not to specify which girl is African American and which girl is Caucasian in attempt to both prove humans equal regardless to their race, and to challenge us and make us realize that our minds have been conditioned to associate stereotypical aspects to people of different races.

20. Why do you think Morrison chooses not to be explicit about which girl is African American and which girl is Caucasian?
    I think the author wants us to see the differences and similarities of two different race. She doesn’t want us has some stereotypical bias toward any characters.

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