Analysis of Recitatif Essay

Literary Analysis

You Bitch, only one of the foul quotes in tony Morrisons short story Rectatif (Morrison 163).The story is based off morals and how Americans categorize people of diverse racial backgrounds. While Morrison typically writes about black communities from an inside perspective, in this story she takes a different approach. Recitatif explores how the relationship between the two main characters is shaped by their racial difference. Morrison does not, however, disclose which character is white and which is black.

Morrison gives a situation in which either race could possibly do. When Roberta introduces her mother to Twylas mother, Robertas mother grabbed her and went to the back of the line. Morrison gives this situation to show that Mary could be white or black, and the same with Robertas mom. The question is still in the air as to whos black or white, Roberta or Twyla. Mary could be white because in the 1950s, blacks would still fear whites, and would move to the back of the line in fear of imprisonment. Mary could also be white because back in the 1950s whites and blacks didnt mix, they were still looked at as scum on the bottom of the floor. Obviously Robertas mother didnt feel comfortable in that situation. Prejudices were all over the place during this time period.

There are numerous stereotypical things stated in the story: Fried chicken, dancing, food, being poor. Morrison uses fried chicken as a stereotype to make readers think that whichever girl eats it might be black, but then she still doesnt tell you which is white or black. The same girl mother dances all night and when she comes shes wearing a ripped jacket with skin tight pants. Roberta cant read and back then most stereotypical people would think that this means that Roberta was black, but all these other signs are showing differently. Colored and whites both love fried chicken, they both dance for money If need be, and you can go down streets today and see a white and a black homeless person. So we still cant really put a finger on which girl is white or black. Both parents could be poor because both of their children are in an orphanage, also meaning they cant take care of them. Morrison gives her audiences all of these stereotypes of the 1950s, but some are still prevalent in todays society.

Twylas son, Joseph, is on the list of kids to be transferred from the junior high school to another one at some far-out-of-the-way place. This implies the segregation of schools by sending the blacks to go farther away so the whites could have the closer school to themselves. However, this idea of Twyla being black based on this detail is disproved when we find out that Robertas kids are being bussed too. The whites set up this bussing procedure. When Twyla and Roberta discuss the bussing, Roberta says, Its a free country (Morrison 171). Twyla comes back by saying, not yet, but it will be (Morrison 171). Obviously offended, Roberta retorts with, What the hell does that mean? Im not doing anything to you (Morrison 171). This implies that Twyla was blaming Roberta for this bussing, meaning that Roberta is a white Woman. Twyla continues by referring to Robertas fellow picketers as they, Look at them. Just look. Who do they think they are? Swarming all over the place like they own it, and now they think they can decide where my child goes to school. Look at them, Robert, Theyre Bozos (Morrison p. 171). The Big Bozo, described at the beginning of the story, was the head of the orphanage; a white woman. This implies that the picketers are whites as they are the ones causing the racial strife. However, Roberta responds by defending them, as one would defend your own kind. The animosity goes to another level and Roberta even accuses Twyla of kicking Maggie. She says, Youre the same little state kid who kicked a poor old black lady when she was down on the ground. You kicked a black lady and you have the nerve to call me a bigot (Morrison p. 172) She is accusing Twyla of being a bigot, an intolerant white person.

This leads to my primary point. Genetics and appearance do not make people different from one another. The difference between a black person and a white person is so hard to distinguish without visual features that maybe there is actually no difference between them except for the visual features. Even these features are sometimes absent in a mixed race person who is still considered black (non-white) due to genetics, but white due to appearance.

Works Cited Page

Morrison, Toni. Recitatif. Womens Writing in the United States. Ed. Cathy Davidson and Linda Wagner - Martin. New York: Oxford University, 1994. Print