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Summary Of Recitatif By Toni Morison

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A social issue Toni Morison emphasizes in “Recitatif” is that people should not judge others on their racial basis because life experiences are not limited by race. Morison demonstrates it by not revealing the races of Twyla and Roberta. Morison makes it vague for readers to identify Twyla’s and Roberta’s races. First, Morison’s use of names that are often used for both races shows ambiguity in their ethnicity. Second, their mother’s feeling of superiority over each other does not disclose their races. Finally, Morison hides their racial differences by showing their friendship regardless of their separate races and how they unite against other old girls. Toni Morison blurred the race line by using names, mother’s sense of superiority and friendship …show more content…

Morison shows Twyla and Roberta unite regardless of their differences against older girls. In Recitatif, Twyla mentioned, “We did not like each other all that much at first, but nobody else wanted to play with us because we weren’t real orphans with beautiful dead parents in the sky” (Recitatif). Roberta and Twyla forget their differences and find similarities. They both are not orphans and both mothers left them. Other children do not like them, so they unify against them. Twyla and Roberta do not feel privilege over each other. They meet many times but they do not feel that they are different from each other. Morison shows a close relationship between Twyla and Roberta when they meet after a long time which hides their racial differences. Terry Otten observes that “In "Recitatif" the mixed sisterhood assumes a new dimension beyond conventional racial or gender considerations” (“Toni Morrison's 'Recitatif' of Race, Gender, and Myth”). Twyla and Roberta meet each other warmly after their marriage and Twyla mentions that they behaving like sisters. How can white and black become sisters? Morison shows understanding and love in their relation just like real sisters. This makes it harder to distinguish their races because Morison does not show tension in between their different racial

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