Why does Toni Morrison refuse to reveal the races of her main characters in “Recitatif”? Who (if anyone) hurt Maggie? What does it imply that Roberta and Twyla can’t remember the incident by the end of the story?
I believe Toni Morrison refuses to reveal the races of her main characters in “Recitatif” because she wants the reader to look past their race. Morrison might also be trying to prove the point that people have a tendency to categorize people immediately. It goes to show that by Morrison not revealing the race of the two girls, race doesn’t matter. Morrison wanted the characters to be viewed as normal people, not a black or a white person. Maggie was an older woman, who was mute. She worked in the kitchen of the orphanage where the girls lived. The older girls at the orphanage hurt Maggie by causing her emotional pain. The older girls and Roberta and Twyla made fun of Maggie. One day when Maggie fell the older girls laughed at her and Roberta and Twyla just called her names instead of helping her. I think that Roberta and Twyla don’t remember the incident because they just blocked it out of their minds. I believe they ‘forgot’ about it because they are mad at themselves for the way they acted back thenWhy does Toni Morrison refuse to reveal the races of her main characters in “Recitatif”? Who (if anyone) hurt Maggie? What does it imply that Roberta and Twyla can’t remember the incident by the end of the story?
I believe Toni Morrison refuses to reveal the races of her main characters in “Recitatif” because she wants the reader to look past their race. Morrison might also be trying to prove the point that people have a tendency to categorize people immediately. It goes to show that by Morrison not revealing the race of the two girls, race doesn’t matter. Morrison wanted the characters to be viewed as normal people, not a black or a white person. Maggie was an older woman, who was mute. She worked in the kitchen of the orphanage where the girls lived....