”...who in novels characterized by visionary force and poetic import, gives life to an essential aspect of American reality”.
This statement by the Swedish Academy seems an appropriate description of Nobel Prize laureate Toni Morrison. Her novel Jazz, which was first published in 1992, is set in the Harlem of the 1920s and re-creates an "essential aspect" of African-American history - the Harlem Renaissance.
[...] In this project on the subject of 'African America in the Historical Novel', I want to examine Morrison's fictional representation of the afrorementioned era in relation to nonfictional depictions provided by significant writers of this epoch who explored the implications of jazz (and the development of African-American culture) during the actual historical period in which Morrison's novel is set. Therefore, her own narrative approach to history will be compared to the views Harlem Renaissance contemporaries such as Alain Locke and F. Scott Fitzgerald articulated in their assessments of this particular epoch of (African-) American experience. Selected parts of the Survey Graphic's issue Harlem: Mecca of the New Negro edited by Alain Locke and foundation for his groundbreaking anthology The New Negro as well as Fitzgerald's notable essay Echoes of the Jazz Age2 will be taken into consideration when evaluating Morrison's historical reconstruction of how the Harlem Renaissance, or how Fitzgerald calls it, the "Jazz Age", shaped and expressed African-American identity.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Historical Reality
3. Morrison's Reconstruction
3.1. "The City"
3.2. All That Jazz
4. Conclusion
5. Bibliography
Research Objectives and Themes
This project examines Toni Morrison's fictional representation of the Harlem Renaissance era in her 1992 novel "Jazz" by comparing her narrative reconstruction against historical, nonfictional accounts from contemporary writers of the period, such as Alain Locke and F. Scott Fitzgerald.
- The role of "The City" (Harlem) as a symbol for African-American emancipation.
- The function of jazz music as both a cultural metaphor and a narrative structure.
- Comparative analysis of fictional narratives versus historical essays from the 1920s.
- The representation of the "New Negro" movement in literature.
- The interpretation of historical accuracy in modern historical fiction.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1. "The City"
A vital part of Morrison's historical reconstruction in Jazz is taken up by the depiction of Harlem symbolising a "City of Refuge" or even "The Promised Land". Although she never explicitly mentions its name and only refers to it as "the City", there is no doubt about the setting because of the description of streets and avenues, such as 125th Street and Lenox Avenue, or the names of squares. Toni Morrison does this for a reason, as Dorothea Löbbermann puts it: "Dem Mythos des Stadtteils wird gerade durch seine Nichtnennung Rechnung getragen."
The novel opens in 1926, during a time when Harlem seems to be the center of a new historical era and the narrator expresses the mood and feelings, generated with the approach of this new era by her strong fascination for the city, which she emphasizes with the capital ‘C’: “I’m crazy about this City.” Then she goes on and illustrates the city's influence with a tone of enthusiasm:
I'm crazy about this City. [...] A city like this one makes me dream tall and feel in on things. Hep. It's the bright steel rocking above the shade below that does it. When I look over strips of green grass lining the river, at church steeples and into the cream-and-copper appartment buildings, I'm strong. Alone, yes, but top-notch and indestructable-like the City in 1926 when all the wars are over and there will never be another one. [...] At last, everything's ahead. The smart ones say so and people listening to them and reading what they write down agree: Here comes the new. Look out. There goes the sad stuff. The bad stuff. [...] History is over, you all, and everything's ahead at last. (Jazz 7)
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Introduces Toni Morrison's novel Jazz and outlines the project's goal to compare the novel's depiction of the Harlem Renaissance with contemporary nonfictional writings of that era.
2. Historical Reality: Examines essential essays and reports from the 1920s, specifically those by J.A. Rogers, Alain Locke, and F. Scott Fitzgerald, to establish the historical backdrop against which the novel is analyzed.
3. Morrison's Reconstruction: Analyzes how Morrison interprets the historical environment of Harlem and the cultural impact of jazz to build her fictional world.
3.1. "The City": Focuses on the role of Harlem as a symbolic "Promised Land" and a destination for African-Americans during the Great Migration.
3.2. All That Jazz: Explores how jazz music functions as a narrative device and a thematic element that mirrors the nonfictional discourse of the time.
4. Conclusion: Summarizes the findings and evaluates how Morrison’s narrative approach effectively captures the spirit of the Harlem Renaissance through a fictional lens.
5. Bibliography: Lists the primary and secondary sources used for the research and analysis.
Keywords
Toni Morrison, Jazz, Harlem Renaissance, Historical Fiction, The City, New Negro, Great Migration, African-American identity, Alain Locke, F. Scott Fitzgerald, J.A. Rogers, Narrative Reconstruction, Cultural History, Harlem, Jazz Age
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research paper?
The paper explores how Toni Morrison’s novel "Jazz" represents the historical Harlem Renaissance by contrasting her fictional narrative with actual accounts from the 1920s.
What are the key thematic pillars discussed?
The study centers on the transformation of Harlem into a symbolic urban space, the socio-cultural significance of jazz music, and the shifting identity of African-Americans during this historical period.
What is the core research objective?
The goal is to determine how Morrison reconstructs history in her novel and whether her narrative approach aligns with or diverges from the contemporary nonfictional depictions of the era.
Which academic methodology is employed?
The author uses a comparative analytical method, juxtaposing excerpts from the novel with historical texts, essays, and critiques from authors like Alain Locke and F. Scott Fitzgerald.
What content is covered in the main body?
The main body investigates the portrayal of Harlem as an urban landscape, the socio-economic conditions of the Great Migration, and the use of musical metaphors to structure the narrative.
Which terminology is central to understanding the paper?
Key terms include the "New Negro," the "Great Migration," "Jazz Age," and "nonfictional accounts," which serve to contextualize Morrison's literary choices.
Why does Morrison refer to Harlem only as "the City"?
By not naming the city explicitly, Morrison elevates Harlem to a mythological status, allowing it to represent any urban center of hope or refuge for African-Americans at that time.
How does the novel mirror jazz as an art form?
The novel adopts a non-linear narrative structure similar to a jazz performance, utilizing techniques like call-and-response and improvisation to reflect the musical essence of the era.
What role do the "nonfictional accounts" play in the analysis?
They serve as a historical foil, providing the necessary context to evaluate how accurately or symbolically Morrison captures the mood, values, and tensions of the 1920s.
What conclusion does the author reach regarding historical accuracy?
The author concludes that while Morrison captures the spirit and atmosphere of the era, her primary focus remains on the psychological and moral realities of her characters rather than strict historical documentation.
- Quote paper
- Florian König (Author), 2009, Toni Morrison's Jazz: Historical Fiction in Relation to Nonfictional Accounts of the Harlem Renaissance, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/137979
