Surname 1
Student's name
Professor's name
Subject title
Date
“Recitatif” by Tony Morrison
In as much as Tony Morrison tries to highlight on complexity of social racism through
fiction story, many races here in the united states continue to fight against it. Recitatif is a
short narration of two abandoned girls who meet in an orphanage rather childrens’ home. The
two girls, Twyla and Roberta, are depicted as people of diffent race who play the role of
expressing the state of racism in social institutions. They are connected by the fact they they
were not real orphans like the rest of the group and they have a shared characteristic of
getting F’s in three subjects including gym. It’s a story that develops in an orphanage where
the authors expresses issues of conflict between the “big” girls with eye pencils and lipsticks
against the two little girls of about eight years. Twyla and Roberta, regardless of them
coming from different races connect well through their coming of age story. Roberta is seen
as an introvert and complex in not only personality but also in eating habits. Contrary, Twyla
is right the opposite with complex empathy and ambiguity about other races. Racism is a
social issue and complex to comprehend the connection between skin tone and the hate that
accompanies it from other races. Racism is socially constructed and Recitatif allows readers
to gain empathy through the perspective of the narrator, racial ambiguity, and stereotypes.
The perspective of the narrator about other races creates a different understanding of
racism to the reader. Twyla is a young girl that seems to be fed with negativity and prejudice
about other races. She uses direct methophor to describes other races by comparing them with
things like salt and pepper. She sees herself and Roberter as dark as salt and pepper because
of their difference in skin stone. “So for the moment it didn't matter that we looked like salt
, Surname 2
and pepper standing there and that's what the other kids called us sometimes” (Morrison, 1) it
is a descriptive perspective that Twyla holds on the blacks and the whites. She sees dark-
toned people as black pepper while the white race is seen white and clean as salt. It’s a
negative perspective that enlightens the reader on the racial segregation of people in social
settings. Additionally, the story outlines the negative perspective some people don’t deserve
good food leave alone good family relationships. During visiting day and the meeting with
their parents at the teachers lounge, Roberter’s mother brought her nice food compared to
Mary who brought Twyla nothing. “Things are not right. The wrong food is always with the
wrong people. Maybe that's why I got into waitress work later-to match up the right people
with the right food” (Morrison, 5). Twylla has a negative perspective about the other racial
community. She sees that “wrong” people don’t deserve such nice food since Roberter barely
touched the chicken legs and ham sandwiches. She argues the need for her race to have better
food than the other due to the wrongful unknown accusations. The author uses her personality
to show how different children are brought up with racial prejudice that dictates their relation
and behavior around others.
There is the aspect of racial ambiguity and uncertainity that is expressed through the
Recitatif story. Ambiguity is the major topic of the narrative, and it is utilized to push readers
to address the issue of racial identities, as well as to support the notion that it is an obvious
feature. The author purposefully avoids discussing the ethnic identity of the two girls. She
just refers to them as "salt and pepper" in the story and never specifies whether they are white
or black which outlines the thematic ambiguity of racism. The basic goal of the essay is to
provide alternative solutions to the author's narrative technique and to make readers examine
their character as well as the confusing nature of racial prejudice. Moreover, the racial
ambigutity is seen in Twyla and Roberta's adulthood encounter that occurs when they wind
themselves protesting on opposing sides of the desegregation busing. Twyla looks stunning
Student's name
Professor's name
Subject title
Date
“Recitatif” by Tony Morrison
In as much as Tony Morrison tries to highlight on complexity of social racism through
fiction story, many races here in the united states continue to fight against it. Recitatif is a
short narration of two abandoned girls who meet in an orphanage rather childrens’ home. The
two girls, Twyla and Roberta, are depicted as people of diffent race who play the role of
expressing the state of racism in social institutions. They are connected by the fact they they
were not real orphans like the rest of the group and they have a shared characteristic of
getting F’s in three subjects including gym. It’s a story that develops in an orphanage where
the authors expresses issues of conflict between the “big” girls with eye pencils and lipsticks
against the two little girls of about eight years. Twyla and Roberta, regardless of them
coming from different races connect well through their coming of age story. Roberta is seen
as an introvert and complex in not only personality but also in eating habits. Contrary, Twyla
is right the opposite with complex empathy and ambiguity about other races. Racism is a
social issue and complex to comprehend the connection between skin tone and the hate that
accompanies it from other races. Racism is socially constructed and Recitatif allows readers
to gain empathy through the perspective of the narrator, racial ambiguity, and stereotypes.
The perspective of the narrator about other races creates a different understanding of
racism to the reader. Twyla is a young girl that seems to be fed with negativity and prejudice
about other races. She uses direct methophor to describes other races by comparing them with
things like salt and pepper. She sees herself and Roberter as dark as salt and pepper because
of their difference in skin stone. “So for the moment it didn't matter that we looked like salt
, Surname 2
and pepper standing there and that's what the other kids called us sometimes” (Morrison, 1) it
is a descriptive perspective that Twyla holds on the blacks and the whites. She sees dark-
toned people as black pepper while the white race is seen white and clean as salt. It’s a
negative perspective that enlightens the reader on the racial segregation of people in social
settings. Additionally, the story outlines the negative perspective some people don’t deserve
good food leave alone good family relationships. During visiting day and the meeting with
their parents at the teachers lounge, Roberter’s mother brought her nice food compared to
Mary who brought Twyla nothing. “Things are not right. The wrong food is always with the
wrong people. Maybe that's why I got into waitress work later-to match up the right people
with the right food” (Morrison, 5). Twylla has a negative perspective about the other racial
community. She sees that “wrong” people don’t deserve such nice food since Roberter barely
touched the chicken legs and ham sandwiches. She argues the need for her race to have better
food than the other due to the wrongful unknown accusations. The author uses her personality
to show how different children are brought up with racial prejudice that dictates their relation
and behavior around others.
There is the aspect of racial ambiguity and uncertainity that is expressed through the
Recitatif story. Ambiguity is the major topic of the narrative, and it is utilized to push readers
to address the issue of racial identities, as well as to support the notion that it is an obvious
feature. The author purposefully avoids discussing the ethnic identity of the two girls. She
just refers to them as "salt and pepper" in the story and never specifies whether they are white
or black which outlines the thematic ambiguity of racism. The basic goal of the essay is to
provide alternative solutions to the author's narrative technique and to make readers examine
their character as well as the confusing nature of racial prejudice. Moreover, the racial
ambigutity is seen in Twyla and Roberta's adulthood encounter that occurs when they wind
themselves protesting on opposing sides of the desegregation busing. Twyla looks stunning
