Recitatif

美国文学结业论文1AnOverviewofCharactersandThemesinRecitatifRecitatifistheonlypublishedshortstorybyluminaryAfrican-AmericannovelistToniMorrison.Itappearedina1983anthologyofwritingbyAfrican-AmericanwomenentitledConfirmation,editedbyAmiriandAminaBaraka.Recitatiftellsthestoryoftheconflictedfriendshipbetweentwogirls—oneblackandonewhite—fromthetimetheymeetandbondatageeightwhilestayingatanorphanagethroughtheirre-acquaintanceasmothersondifferentsidesofeconomic,political,andracialdividesinarecentlygentrifiedtowninupstateNewYork.Thetitlealludestoastyleofmusicaldeclamationthathoversbetweensongandordinaryspeech;itisusedfordialogicandnarrativeinterludesduringoperasandoratories.Theterm“recitatif”alsoonceincludedthenow-obsoletemeaning,thetoneorrhythmpeculiartoanylanguage.Bothofthesedefinitionssuggestthestory'sepisodicnature,howeachofthestory'sfivesectionshappensinaregisterthatisdifferentfromtherespectiveordinarylivesofitstwocentralcharacters,RobertaandTwyla.Thestory'svignettesbringtogethertherhythmsoftwolivesforfive,shortmoments,allofthemnarratedinTwyla'sownvoice.Thestoryis,then,inseveralways,Twyla's“recitatif.”'Recitatif'wasanexperimentintheremovalofallracialcodesfromanarrativeabouttwocharactersofdifferentracesforwhomracialidentityiscrucial,writesToniMorrisoninherPrefacetoPlayingintheDark:WhitenessandtheLiteraryImagination.Firstletuslearnsomethingabouttheauthor.ToniMorrisonwasbornChloeAnthonyWoffordtoGeorgeandRahmahWoffordin1931.Thesecondoffourchildren,MorrisonwasraisedinthesmallOhiotownofLoraininatight-knitblackcommunity.Morrisondescribesherfather,ashipyardwelder,asaracist.Havingexperiencedvirulentracism,hedespisedwhites.Hermother,ontheotherhand,wasanintegrationist.BothofherparentsandherlargercommunityinstilledinMorrisonastrongsenseofself-esteemandculturalidentity.Thoughshehadnoaspirationsofbeingawriterinheryouth,Morrisonwasalwaysanavidreaderandaprecociousstudent.Herimaginationwasfurther美国文学结业论文2nourishedbythefolkstoriespasseddownfromherparentsandgrandmother.SheattendedLorainHighSchoolandwentontoHowardUniversity,ahistoricallyblackcollege.Nextlet’slearnsomeinformationaboutcharacters;JamesBensonisTwyla'shusband.HeisanativeofNewburgh,thetownwherethelaterpartofthestorytakesplace.HeiscomfortableasahouseslipperandisassociatedwiththekindoffamilyandcontinuitythatTwyla'shistorylacks.JosephBensonisTwylaandJames'sson.TwylabecomesanactivistinthebusingcontroversywhenJosephisbusedoutofdistrictinordertoensureracialintegrationintheschools.Twylaisthemaincharacterandthestory'snarrator.Shewasraised,inpart,atanorphanage—notbecauseherparentsweredead,butbecausehermotherchoseorneededtodanceallnightandwasthusunabletocareforher.ThefactthatTwylalacksmotheringiscentraltohercharacter.Shemarriesintoastable,rootedfamilyandbecomesamotherherself.ItisinthiscapacitythatshebecomesinvolvedinthecontroversyoverracialintegrationintheschoolsandgetsintoaconflictwithRoberta,afriendfromtheorphanagewithwhomshehasrecentlybecomereacquainted.TwylaischaracterizedthroughoutthestoryintermsofherrelationshiptoRoberta,whichisoftenoneofcontrast.Asintheirdivideoverthebusingcrisis,thesecontrastsarebasedaroundthecentralissueoftheirracialdifference.DespitethefactthatTwylaandRobertaareofdifferentracesandalso,asthestoryprogresses,differenteconomicclasses,thereareunderlyingsimilaritiesandsharedexperiences—particularlytheirrelationshipstotheirrespectivemothers—thatsuggestthepossibilityofunderstandingandfriendship.However,theeventsofthestoryillustratethatthispossibilityisprecariousduetothesocialandculturalpressuresthatdiscourageinterracialfriendship.MaggieworksatthekitchenofSt.Bonny’s,theorphanagewhereTwylaandRobertameet.Sheismuteandbowleggedandwasherselfraisedinaninstitution.OneofTwyla’sstrongestmemoriesofSt.Bonny’sisanincidentwhereMaggiefelldownintheschool’sorchard.TwylarememberstheintimidatingoldergirlsfromtheorphanagelaughingatMaggieandthatsheandRobertadidnothingtohelpher.Butduringtheirargumentoverthebusing美国文学结业论文3controversyRobertatellsTwylathattheyhadbothkickedMaggiethatday,andfurtherconfusesherbyreferringtoMaggieasablacklady.TwylahadneverconsideredMaggieblack.Robertalateradmitsthattheyhadnotkickedher,onlythatshehadwantedto.Butbothwomenremainconfusedastowhatrace“sandy-colored”Maggieshouldbeconsidered.TwylaandRobertaidentifywithMaggie’sweaknessandalsoidentifyherwiththeirmothers,andbothregardherwithacombinationofsympathyandanger.Theissueofraceandracismiscentraltothestory.Twyla’sfirstresponsetoroomingwithRobertaatSt.Bonny’sistofeelsicktoherstomach.“Itwasonethingtobetakenoutofyourownbedearlyinthemorning—itwassomethingelsetobestuckinastrangeplacewithagirlfromawholeotherrace.”ThroughoutthestoryTwylaandRoberta’sfriendshipisinhibitedbythissenseofanuncrossableracialdivide,playedoutagainstthebackgroundofnationalracialtensionssuchasthebusingcrisis.Racialconflictsprovidethemainturningpointsinthestory’splot.Atnopoint,however,doesMorrisondisclosewhichgirlisblackandwhichiswhite.SheofferssociallyandhistoricallyspecificdescriptionsinordertofleshouthercharacterizationsofTwylaandRoberta,andsomeofthese