Race and Class in “Recitatif”
In the short story, “Recitatif’, by Toni Morrison, the issue of race and racism is the main
idea of the story. Twyla and Roberta are the main characters that have issues with racism,
beca
...
Race and Class in “Recitatif”
In the short story, “Recitatif’, by Toni Morrison, the issue of race and racism is the main
idea of the story. Twyla and Roberta are the main characters that have issues with racism,
because both are from different races, but which one is black or white? Although both females
represent different races, being black or white was irrelevant to them. So, they slowly begin to
look past skin color and develop a bond at a young age when both were in the same orphanage.
They soon realized they had a lot in common, thus creating a friendship that no one else could
possibly understand. Even though they understood each other in a sense of knowing each other’s
boundaries and knowing what and when to ask a question, with this relationship the girls
somehow ended up reuniting about every twelve years, with each meeting having a totally
different impact in their lives because of the differences they both embody. The girls’ social class
also causes conflict in knowing what race they were. Knowing the social status, as oppose to
race, of Twyla and Roberta truly affects how the story is depicted and adds to our understanding
of the girls’ relationship because how we connect with them through our very own life
experiences.
The author never gives the racial identities of her main characters and Maggie. She does
this to make her audience focus on more than just race. Morrison wants you not to focus on the
girls' races in order to understand how we all create characters upon reading
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