Reading Notes W16: Morrison, Part A

Part A of this weeks reading focuses on Toni Morrison and more specifically on her work "Recitalif". This short story is provided in The Norton Anthology of World Literature Volume F. Before delving into the story, a historical context section described Morrison's writing styling's and early life. When regarding her overall, consistent themes this section provides the following: "Nobel laureate Toni Morrison combines realistic depictions of African-American experience with a strong sense of the past's hold on the present. She often conveys this sensitivity to the power of history by invoking magic or supernatural occurrences" (1172). This quote reveals her knack to comment on the African-American experience while infusing elements of "magic or supernatural occurrences. When operating within these themes she would also speak on a wider aspect of discrimination; including gender as expounded upon in the following: "Her writing also addresses the role of racial and gender discrimination in contemporary society. In all her work, while drawing on the experimental fictional techniques of the early twentieth century, she maintains a close connection to African American oral and literary traditions and to everyday life in the United States" (1172).

"'Recitalif' (1983), Morrison's only published short story, examines a friendship between two girls of different races. . . The story focuses on the dialogue between the two main characters at several junctures of life that may independently seem insignificant but that, when combined in a narrative, reveal the nature of their relationship" (1173).