Introduction
“Recitatif” is a short story by Toni Morrison that explores themes of race, class, and identity by connecting the two stories of heroines Twyla and Roberta. The book is about the subjective experiences of growing up as children left in an orphanage and how they met each other’s lives. The nuanced characters, the other characters’ perspectives on discrimination, and exploring social issues make for a strong and thought-provoking work on race and class hatred.
Characters
The short story “Recitatif” by Toni Morrison includes two main characters: Twyla and Robert. The narrative is told from Twyla’s point of view, with both characters being important to the plot. Throughout the story, the main characters have complex relationships due to their different races.
Twyla is a white woman, while Roberta is the black woman who looked like salt and pepper (Morrison, 1). This difference creates an atmosphere of tension and misunderstanding between them, which is the story’s main theme. The story switches between the views of the two girls, showing events from their childhood and encounters as adults. In addition to the heroines above, there are significant secondary characters in the plot, such as Maggie, a mute woman who works in the orphanage where Twyla and Roberta’s children are housed. This character influences the action by depicting someone with discriminatory views regarding other races, dividing them into cultured and marginalized.
Also involved in the story are characters who appear briefly, such as the girls’ classmates or the nuns in charge of the orphanage. Their role is to develop themes of race, class, and identity in the story, emphasizing their subjective views according to their experiences with other races and classes. The role of Twyla and Roberta’s mothers in the story is also worth mentioning. Twyla’s mother is a white woman who works in the establishment as a waiter and represents the white working class. In contrast, Roberta’s mother is black, financially well-off, and educated, highlighting the racial disparity in educational and economic categories.
Antagonist
There is no clear antagonist in the form of a character in the story; the conflict is constructed against a background of racial tension and misunderstanding between the characters due to their subjective view of life. The story explores how race and class influence people’s perceptions and how these factors create societal conflict. Although there are characters in the story who discriminate against people based on race and class, they are not portrayed as villains. The protagonists act as foils for each other. It is worth clarifying that the foil is a character used to emphasize the contrast with another persona. This is displayed by their different classes, races, financial backgrounds, and families.
Plot Changes
The disappearance of any character, whether major or minor, would have changed the story. For example, if Maggie, who illustrates society’s discriminatory views, were removed, the story would emphasize class and racial distribution less. In the case of the disappearance of one of the mothers, each of whom illustrates the difference between race and status, the social and financial differences between the types would not have been emphasized (Simal-González 104). Even if one of the classmates or nuns, who illustrate different views and opinions concerning other races, were removed, the story would lose its point of view and society’s experience of inequality and racial separation of people.
Changing Opinions about the Characters
My opinion of the two main characters has changed greatly. At the beginning of the story, Twyla and Roberta are portrayed as normal children, unaware of racial discrimination. However, as the story progresses, the author talks more and more about their personal experiences and perceptions of other people, which certainly affects the reader’s opinion (Ahsan 235). By the end of the story, they are no longer so harmless but are complex, imperfect individuals influenced by personal experiences and society’s prejudices.
Conclusion
“Recitatif” by Toni Morrison is a powerful and thought-provoking story that explores the painful topic of race, class, and human identity. With the characters spelled out, the narration from the two characters, and the revelation of their experiences, the reader can ponder how subjective perspectives shape a person’s identity. The work is relevant to the present day; it offers an exploration of important ideas about the impact of society and culture on the lives of others.
Works Cited
Ahsan, Rezaul. “‘I Wouldn’t Forget a Thing like That. Would I?’: Trauma, Testimony, and the Possibility of Healing in Toni Morrison’s ‘Recitatif.’” Spectrum, vol. 16, no. 100, 2022, pp. 230–43, Web.
Morrison, Toni. Recitatif. 1983, Web.
Simal-González, Begoña. “Playing with (Un)Marked Cards: Intersectionality in Toni Morrison’s ‘Recitatif.’” Journal of the Short Story in English. Les Cahiers de La Nouvelle, vol. 12, no. 75, 2020, pp. 97–113, Web.