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Recitatif
Recitatif is a short story written and published by Toni Morrison. The short story tends to be presented in racial writing because the central characters’ race appears disputable. Despite the central characters being clearly distinguished by class, no one of them gets declared as Caucasian or African-American. The short story tends to portray the abolition of racial codes from a chronicle about two protagonists of separate races, whom racial identity seems to be deliberately kept mysterious. According to Morrison, the story tells the reader that of the characters, Roberta or Twyla, is black, and the other is white, without a clear description which is which. Accordingly, the story describes Maggie as “sandy-coloured”, but Twyla and Roberta argue about it. While Roberta insists that she is black, Twyla disagrees by asserting that she is not. Therefore, the primary perception by this incident within Morrison’s story is that physical appearances and genetics do not distinguish individuals from one another. The failure to disclose the girls’ racial identities makes the reader acknowledge that it is not easy to differentiate between a black and white person, without their visual features.
At the beginning of Morrison’s short story, she gives confusing racial guides to the reader, making it hard to understand what races the characters of the story is associated with. She uses detail that could be used in alternate situations, making it difficult to get a grasp on racial definitions are used. The two main characters, Twyla and Roberta, are two little girls placed into “St. Bonny’s” orphanage because their mothers were either too sick or too busy partying to care for them, giving them a connection. Twyla mentions that her mother told her that “they never washed their hair and they smelled funny”, giving the allusion that Twyla could be black and talking about white individuals. It could also go the other way, meaning that Twyla could also be white talking about black individuals. Twyla first judged Roberta by her physical characteristics when she entered the orphanage. “It was something else to be stuck in a strange place with a girl from a whole other race…she [Twyla’s mother] said was that they never washed their hair and they smelled funny” (Morrison 131). Morrison uses the word “they” as if the reader can identify a race of people that have hair that stinks; that sort of assumption leads the reader to judge a race subconsciously. Morrison never said Twyla or Roberta was white, black, or Asian; Morrison left that for the reader to decide. “By forcing us to construct racial categories from highly ambiguous social cues, Recitatif elicits and exposes the unarticulated racial codes that operate at the boundaries of consciousness … readers were summoned to resolve the dispute divided similarly along racial lines…” (Abel 4). It seems as if Morrison is forcing the reader to form racial ideas; however, the reader naturally forms their own conclusions. Morrison is showing the reader their own faults. The reader concludes what the background of the characters is by thinking about what type of person would wear pink-scalloped socks, large hoop earrings; the reader stereotypes them. Racial codes have separated races from intertwining, forcing races to separate giving ethnic/racial groups a sense of security. Those racial codes have sadly led to stereotyping, putting human beings into several racial categories.
When a reader has to make up how a character is without the author blatantly writing all the information, the reader makes their own assumptions and judgments associated with the race and background of the character, which is unconsciously stereotyping the character. Racial struggles are shown very vividly throughout the story between the two main characters Twyla and Roberta. Morrison once again puts clues in like “things were easier for them” (139). The quote can be up for interpretation. However, to interpret how “things” were easier, readers must conceive what things were easier based on their own personal interpretations of race and socioeconomic divisions. These are interpretations that races make on other races, causing separation. As the reader continues reviewing the life and struggles of Roberta and Twyla, the reader makes decisions about characters. The reader may have sympathy for one character, but maybe not for another character. Readers put characters into a category; nevertheless, this is a subconscious selection for most. Stereotyping is not odd when one associates certain characteristics with a race or ethnicity, especially when reading literature that presents open-ended character description.
In the short story, “Recitatif” by Toni Morrison, Morrison’s reason for not stating the character’s race was to make a statement to make readers more aware of their own way of stereotyping subconsciously. Morrison was trying to show readers that physical race and appearance does not define who a person is. People should not attach stereotypes to others at first glance and judge just as Twyla did to Roberta and vice versa. Even though Twyla judged Roberta, Roberta had a lavish life in the end. People need to accept others for who they are born to be, and not their race. Morrison stays strong in keeping racial identification between her characters up for the audience to decide. Throughout her story, she uses allusions, racism and stereotypes to hide the true race of the characters. The race has been an issue for many years and continues to this day. True friendship between anyone includes looking at the person for who they are, not because of their race, and Morrison successfully identifies this in her text.
Work Cited
Abel, Elizabeth. “Black Writing, White Reading: Race and The Politics of
Feminist Interpretation.” Critical Inquiry 19.3 (1993): 470. Literary Reference Center. Web. 9 Feb. 2016.