This term paper examines how Morrison exposes the category of "race" to be mere biological fiction but still serves to structure people's expectations towards eachother in everyday interactions. the main questions tackled in the term paper will be the following: What is the understanding of the term race as presented by Morrison in “Recitatif”? What are the interrelations of race and gender with regard to Afro-American women? What are the social facts surrounding certain attributes of “race”?
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
1.1. Race as a Classificatory Category in Science
1.2. Gender in Scientific Discourse
2. Representation of Non-Mainstream Racial Identity
3. Gender in “Recitatif”
4. Social Fact, Biological Fiction – Race in “Recitatif”
5. Summary, Conclusion and Outlook
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper examines how Toni Morrison challenges traditional notions of race and, to a lesser extent, gender in her short story "Recitatif." By analyzing the interactions between the two protagonists, Twyla and Roberta, the research explores how racial codes are constructed and subverted, ultimately aiming to reveal race as a social construct rather than a biological reality.
- The role of "Recitatif" as a literary experiment in removing racial codes.
- Scientific and anthropological perspectives on race as a classification category.
- The intersection of race, gender, and social status in the Afro-American experience.
- The use of cultural memory and historiography in Morrison's narrative.
- The function of the subaltern figure Maggie within the short story's structure.
Excerpt from the Book
Social Fact, Biological Fiction – Race in “Recitatif”
To tell the colors of the two girls’ mothers again is not possible, one is only able to guess. Morrison uses stereotypes connected to certain notions of race to sketch her characters but the continuous attribution of racial codes that would enable the reader to ascribe a definite race to a figure are skillfully avoided.
When Twyla’s and Roberta’s mothers meet for the first and the only time in the story Roberta’s mother is described as being big, huge and as wearing a cross that is as Twyla describes it the biggest she had ever seen. Also, Roberta’s mum carries with her a bible from which she is later going to read to Roberta. This description builds on typical racist representations of Afro-American corporeality. The cliché with regard to Afro-American women is that they are mostly big bordering on being chubby, displaying breasts and posteriors of well above average size. Afro-American males are then most often believed to exhibit a member of tremendous size and to be of an athletic constitution. Both beliefs are most certainly rooted in notions of blacks as being more physical, more driven by instinct and of lesser intellectual capability.
What’s more, Afro-Americans are usually thought of as having a strong religious faith; this might in part be due to their oppressors’ determined attempts to force their own religion upon the abducted Africans but then again certain biblical passages such as the captivity of the Israelites in Egypt and their eventual Exodus presented the slaves with an identificatory potential. The notions of the final deliverance of the Afro-Americans from diaspora has turned into a fixed topos of Afro-American popular culture.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the primary goals of the paper, specifically the exploration of race and gender within Toni Morrison's "Recitatif," and provides a brief scientific context for race as a classificatory category.
2. Representation of Non-Mainstream Racial Identity: This chapter analyzes the position of marginalized individuals through postcolonial theory, specifically discussing the lack of a "subaltern" voice and the historical connection between nationality and language.
3. Gender in “Recitatif”: This chapter examines the roles of gender and the almost complete absence of male protagonists in the story, while discussing the intersectionality of race and gender in the context of Afro-American women.
4. Social Fact, Biological Fiction – Race in “Recitatif”: This chapter investigates how Morrison uses stereotypes to challenge the reader's preconceptions, using the character Maggie and the interactions between the two protagonists to deconstruct the concept of race.
5. Summary, Conclusion and Outlook: This final chapter synthesizes the findings, arguing that race is a supremacist ideology, and suggests directions for future research regarding the role of native Americans in American cultural production.
Keywords
Toni Morrison, Recitatif, race, gender, social construct, Afro-American, subaltern, postcolonial theory, historiography, cultural memory, stereotypes, biological race, identity, literature, ethnic stereotype
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the central focus of this paper?
The paper deals with notions of race and, to a lesser degree, gender, as presented in Toni Morrison's short story "Recitatif," analyzing how the text functions as an experiment to remove racial codes.
What are the primary themes discussed?
The central themes include the social construction of race, the intersectionality of race and gender, the representation of the subaltern, cultural memory, and the role of historiography in American literature.
What is the primary research goal?
The aim is to understand how Morrison presents the term "race" in her work, to explore the interrelations of race and gender for Afro-American women, and to identify the "social facts" that surround racial attributes.
Which scientific methodology is employed?
The paper utilizes a literary-theoretical approach, incorporating postcolonial theory, gender studies, and historical perspectives on the scientific classification of "race" to analyze the narrative text.
What does the main body of the paper cover?
The main body covers the scientific background of race, the representation of marginalized identities, the role of gender in "Recitatif," and a detailed analysis of how the story uses ambiguity and stereotypes to subvert the reader's assumptions.
Which keywords characterize this research?
Key terms include Toni Morrison, "Recitatif," race, gender, social construct, Afro-American, subaltern, and cultural memory.
How does the author interpret the title "Recitatif"?
The author relates the title to the musical operatic style of "recitative," which sits between singing and speaking, using it as a metaphor for oral storytelling and the rhythm of Afro-American traditions.
What is the significance of the character Maggie in the narrative?
Maggie is identified as a central, marginalized figure whose ambiguity allows the author to parenthesize critical elements like racial identity, memory, and speechlessness, thereby forcing the reader to question their own prejudices.
- Quote paper
- Stefan Löchle (Author), 2008, Social Fact, Biological Fiction: The Deconstruction of Race in Toni Morrison’s “Recitatif”, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/133448
