This essay examines Toni Morrison’s "Jazz" and Walter Mosley’s novel "Devil in a Blue Dress" with regard to the significance of place and travel. Many people nowadays deliberately choose their place of residence according to their personal priorities and, as more opportunities and different preferences evolve, may move several times. According to statistics by the UN, more and more people are migrating into urban areas. A city beckons with a broad range of possibilities, anonymity and jobs. On the other hand, ever since bigger cities developed, people have also been idealising the countryside and its picturesque and peaceful quality. This indicates that both cities and rural areas have different effects on people and trigger certain emotions, depending on previous experiences and personal relations. However, not only the choice between towns and countryside, but also the setting on the meso- and micro-level affects people just as much. This includes their actual houses and homes as well as institutions and social structures. Some fiction authors purposely let a certain setting and place shape their characters.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Travel and place in Morrison's Jazz and Mosley's Devil in a Blue Dress
- Harlem as a place of strength and freedom
- The South as a place of remembering
- Los Angeles: A city of opportunities and dangers
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This essay examines the significance of place and travel in Toni Morrison's Jazz and Walter Mosley's Devil in a Blue Dress. It explores how the settings of Harlem and Los Angeles, respectively, shape the lives and experiences of the main characters. The essay also investigates the role of migration narratives in shaping the characters' identities and actions.
- The significance of place in shaping character development
- The influence of migration narratives on individual identity
- The representation of racial tensions and social inequalities
- The interplay of past and present in shaping characters' lives
- The role of urban spaces in providing opportunities and challenges
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- The essay begins by introducing the concepts of place and travel in the context of the novels, highlighting the contrasting experiences of Harlem and Los Angeles as settings for the characters.
- The essay explores the significance of Harlem for the African American characters in Jazz, particularly Joe and Violet. It discusses how Harlem represents a place of strength, freedom, and a new beginning for those who have left the South behind. The essay also highlights the contrasting experiences of the characters, especially their limited living space, and the lingering influence of their past in the South.
- The essay then focuses on the South as a place of memory, both positive and negative, for the characters. It explores the complex relationship between the past and present, as well as the significance of generational connections and the impact of the South on the characters' lives.
- The essay concludes by examining the role of Los Angeles in Devil in a Blue Dress, focusing on the city's depiction as both a place of opportunity and danger for the protagonist, Easy Rawlins. It explores the city's fragmentation and racialized spaces, and the impact of these spaces on Easy's experiences.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This essay focuses on the themes of place, travel, migration, urban space, racial tensions, identity, and memory in the context of Toni Morrison's Jazz and Walter Mosley's Devil in a Blue Dress. Key concepts include Harlem, Los Angeles, the South, assimilation, and the American Dream.
- Quote paper
- Teresa Fischler (Author), 2020, Travel and Place in Toni Morrison’s "Jazz" and Walter Mosley’s "Devil in a Blue Dress", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1119576
