Against the standard focus on the questions of race in Tony Morrison's "Recitatif", this paper analyses how the short story features the four levels of memory as defined by Aleida Assmann: individual, social, political, and cultural. African American author Toni Morrison mentions memory as a central theme of her work. While Morrison's novels have been approached from this angle, her only short story "Recitatif" has mostly been read as a comment on race relations and stereotypes. This paper shifts focus from race towards individual and collective memory as vital elements of this story. Still, the issue of race can be integrated in the larger concept of collective memory.
At a glance
- Grade: 1.0 (1.0 is the best grade)
- Applies Aleida Assmann’s four formats of memory to “Recitatif”
- 25 sources in the bibliography
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Theoretical Framework
2.1 Individual versus Collective Memory
2.2 Four Formats of Memory: Individual, Social, Political, Cultural
2.3 Memory in the work of Toni Morrison
3 Text Analysis
3.1 Individual Memory in “Recitatif”: Mothers and, “What the hell happened to Maggie?”
3.2 Social Memory in “Recitatif”: James, Joseph and “Jimi Hendrix, asshole.”
3.3 Political Memory in “Recitatif”: The Big Bozo and “The Brady Bunch”
3.4 Cultural Memory in “Recitatif”: Race and Reader’s Response
3.5 Memories Meet: The Title “Recitatif“
4 Conclusion
Objectives and Themes
This paper explores how individual and collective memory shape Toni Morrison’s short story “Recitatif.” Using concepts from memory studies, it asks how different forms of remembering and forgetting operate in the characters’ relationships, their social world and readers’ responses to racial ambiguity.
- Individual memory, identity and the unreliability of recollection
- Aleida Assmann’s individual, social, political and cultural formats of memory
- Shared memories and relationships between Twyla and Roberta
- Education, media and collective identity
- Racial stereotypes and readers’ interpretations
- The significance of the story’s musical title
Excerpt from the Book
Four Formats of Memory: Individual, Social, Political, Cultural
Aleida Assmann in “Memory, Individual and Collective“ (in Goodin/Telly 2006: 210-24) argues that the simple distinction between individual and collective memory is too vague. Individuals are members of different collectives such as friends, family and neighborhood on the one hand, and a generation, society and culture on the other. The individual combines and contributes to various dimensions of memory by interacting and identifying on these levels. Assmann thus suggests four “formats of memory”, which will be introduced subsequently: individual memory, social memory, political memory and cultural memory. Although crucial distinctions can be made, these categories are not clear-cut but intersect and mutually inform each other.
On the level of individual memory, autobiographical subjective experiences are ‘emplotted’ in a life story that construct the image of one’s unique identity. Fragmentary and isolated episodes are joined retrospectively into a larger narrative. A large proportion of one’s memory is dormant; some memories may surface through arbitrary external triggers while a large portion remains inaccessible or repressed, especially those of traumatic events. Individual memory is selective; awakened memories may or may not be used for further processing, and the criteria of relevance change with age and living conditions. Fragmentation and selection makes individual memory unreliable. Social interactions within a larger network of other people’s memories lead to readjustment: one’s own memories are confirmed or corrected, “thus they do not only acquire coherence and consistency, but also create social bonds” (ibid. 213). Individual memory as a basis for social identity cannot successfully develop in isolation but is necessarily shaped by exchange.
Shared individual experiences within a family or neighborhood can be recycled beyond the life span of the individual through stories and anecdotes, i.e. in oral form. Communities share social memory within a cycle of usually three generations. Social memory does not only occur in a surrounding of close proximity; contemporaries that never meet still partake in a common set of memories that can be distinguished from the memories of previous and succeeding generations. Social memory provides a stable profile for the identity within a generation. This becomes apparent when shifts happen and a new generation enters the public sphere. Symbols and rituals can extend the social memory beyond the succeeding two generations.
Chapter Summaries
1 Introduction: The paper situates its inquiry within memory studies and explains its shift in focus from race to individual and collective memory in “Recitatif.”
2 Theoretical Framework: This chapter introduces individual and collective memory, outlines Assmann’s four formats of memory and considers memory’s place in Morrison’s work.
3 Text Analysis: The analysis applies the four formats to the story’s characters, relationships, media environment and readers’ responses. It also considers how the title “Recitatif” brings the levels of memory together.
4 Conclusion: The conclusion brings the analysis together and considers the relationship between race and collective memory in American public life, including Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign.
Keywords
Toni Morrison, Recitatif, memory studies, individual memory, collective memory, social memory, political memory, cultural memory, racial identity, racial stereotypes, reader response, Aleida Assmann, narrative analysis
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this paper about?
It examines memory in Toni Morrison’s short story “Recitatif,” with attention to how personal recollections and collective forms of memory interact.
What are its central themes?
The paper addresses memory, identity, relationships, race, media, education and the role of readers in interpreting the story.
What is the paper’s main objective?
Its main objective is to interpret “Recitatif” through individual and collective memory while placing the issue of race within that broader framework.
What method does the author use?
The author uses a literary text analysis informed by memory studies, applying Aleida Assmann’s four formats of memory to the story.
What does the main analysis cover?
It considers the characters’ recollections, family and generational ties, education and media, racial ambiguity, reader response and the meaning of the title.
Which keywords characterize the paper?
Key terms include individual memory, collective memory, cultural memory, racial identity, reader response and narrative analysis.
How does the paper approach Twyla and Roberta’s memories?
It examines their shared and conflicting recollections, especially those concerning their mothers and Maggie, as part of their changing relationship.
Why does the title “Recitatif” matter to the analysis?
The paper considers the title’s musical and performative associations as a way to connect individual expression with collective and cultural memory.
How does Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign enter the discussion?
The conclusion uses the campaign and its public reception to consider the relationship between race relations and collective memory in the United States.
- Quote paper
- Rüdiger Thomsen (Author), 2014, Race and Memory in Tony Morrison's "Recitatif", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1153718
