Dichotomies in Toni Morrisons Recitatif

The short story, Recitatif, by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Toni Morrison appeared in 1983 in Confirmation: An Anthology of African American Women. It is Morrisons only published short story, though excerpts of her novels have sometimes been published as stand-alone pieces in magazines. For instance, Sweetness, was excerpted from her 2015 novel God Help the Child. The two main characters of the story, Twyla, and Roberta, come from different races. One is black, the other white. Morrison allows us to see the intermittent conflicts between them, from the time theyre children to the time theyre adults. Some of those conflicts seem to be influenced by their racial differences, but interestingly, Morrison never identifies which girl is black and which is white. It can be tempting, at first, to read this story as a sort of brain teaser challenging us to determine the secret of each girls race. But to do so is to miss the point and to reduce a complex and powerful story into nothing more than a gimmick. Because if we dont know each characters race, were forced to consider other sources of the conflict between the characters, including, for example, socioeconomic differences and each girls lack of familial support. And to the extent that the conflicts do seem to involve race, they raise questions about how people perceive differences rather than suggesting anything intrinsic about one race or another. A Whole Other Race When she first arrives at the shelter, Twyla is disturbed by being moving to a strange place, but she is more disturbed by being placed with a girl from a whole other race. Her mother has taught her racist ideas, and those ideas seem to loom larger for her than the more serious aspects of her abandonment. But she and Roberta, it turns out, has a lot in common. Neither does well in school. They respect each others privacy and dont pry. Unlike the other state kids in the shelter, they dont have beautiful dead parents in the sky. Instead, theyve been dumped -- Twyla because her mother dances all night and Roberta because her mother is sick. Because of this, they are ostracized by all the other children, regardless of race. Other Sources of Conflict When Twyla sees that her roommate is from a whole other race, she says, My mother wouldnt like you putting me in here. So when Robertas mother refuses to meet Twylas mother, its easy to imagine her reaction as a comment on race as well. But Robertas mother is wearing a cross and carrying a Bible. Twylas mother, in contrast, is wearing tight slacks and an old fur jacket. Robertas mother might very well recognize her as a woman who dances all night. Roberta hates the shelter food, and when we see the generous lunch her mother packs, we can imagine that shes accustomed to better food at home. Twyla, on the other hand, loves the shelter food because her mothers idea of supper was popcorn and a can of Yoo-Hoo. Her mother packs no lunch at all, so they eat jellybeans from Twylas basket. So, while the two mothers may differ in their racial background, we can also conclude that they differ in their religious values, their morals, and their philosophy on parenting. Struggling with an illness, Robertas mother may be particularly appalled that Twylas healthy mother would squander a chance to take care of her daughter. All of these differences are perhaps more salient because Morrison refuses to give the reader any certainty regarding race. As young adults, when Robert and Twyla encounter each other at the Howard Johnsons, Roberta is glamorous in her skimpy make-up, big earrings, and heavy make-up that makes the big girls look like nuns. Twyla, on the other hand, is the opposite in her opaque stockings and shapeless hairnet. Years later, Roberta tries to excuse her behavior by blaming it on race. Oh, Twyla, she says, you know how it was in those days: black-white. You know how everything was. But Twyla remembers blacks and whites mixing freely at the Howard Johnsons during that time period. The real conflict with Roberta seems to come from the contrast between a small-town country waitress and a free spirit on her way to see Hendrix and determined to appear sophisticated. Finally, the gentrification of Newburgh highlights the characters class conflict. Their meeting comes in a new grocery store designed to capitalize on the recent influx of wealthy residents. Twyla is shopping there just to see, but Roberta is clearly part of the stores intended demographic. No Clear Black and White When racial strife comes to Newburgh over proposed bussing, it drives the biggest wedge yet between Twyla and Roberta. Roberta watches, immovable, as the protestors rock Twylas car. Gone are the old days, when Roberta and Twyla would reach for each other, pull each other up, and defend each other from the gar girls in the orchard. But the personal and the political become hopelessly entwined when Twyla insists on making protest posters that depend entirely on Robertas. AND SO DO CHILDREN, she writes, which makes sense only in light of Robertas sign, MOTHERS HAVE RIGHTS TOO! Finally, Twylas protests become painfully cruel and directed solely at Roberta. IS YOUR MOTHER WELL? her sign asks one day. Its a terrible jab at a state kid whose mother never recovered from her illness. Yet its also a reminder of the way Roberta snubbed Twyla at the Howard Johnsons, where Twyla inquired sincerely about Robertas mother, and Roberta cavalierly lied that her mother was fine. Was desegregation about race? Well, obviously. And is this story about race? Id say yes. But with the racial identifiers purposely indeterminate, readers have to reject Robertas oversimplified excuse that thats how everything was and dig a little deeper to the causes of conflict.

Essay on Ayer, A.J. Freedom and Necessity. - 972 Words

Philosophy 1301. 1002 Ayer, A.J. â€Å"Freedom and Necessity.† In the following paper I will talk about A.J. Ayer’s â€Å"Freedom and Necessity,† and I will explain the dilemma of determinism and Ayer’s compatibilist solution to it. I will explain some of the examples Ayer uses to explain the difference between cause and being constrained, and how both affect one’s free will. I will also discuss on why Ayer’s compatibilism solution to the dilemma is the best solution so far. According to A.J. Ayer, the problem of free will is the result from the conflict of two different assumptions, which are men acting freely while being morally responsible for their actions, and that human behavior comes from causal laws. Ayer begins by attacking the†¦show more content†¦No longer is this freedom vs. cause, but instead it is now viewed as caused vs. constrained. Caused is certain conditions obtain and something happens. Constrained is certain conditions obtain and something is compelled or forced to happen. Ayer us es an example of a common thief and a kleptomaniac to illustrate his point. He states that a thief makes his own decisions when stealing. The thief can stop himself from doing such crime and choose not to steal. The thief is then faced to be dealing with cause where freewill and moral responsibility apply. While a kleptomaniac suffers from such disease in which he has no choice when it comes to stealing. He is then faced to deal with constrained where freewill and moral responsibility do not apply. Both of these take place while containing determinism. So cause is part of freewill and not the opposite. There are objections that arrises to Ayer’s compatibilist solution. One is the invisible chains of causation objection. It states that all of our actions are constrained by causal laws. Ayer’s response to it is that the causes in both cases of the thief and the kleptomaniac are different. One is constrained while the other is entirely based on caused. Another objection is the all causes necessitate equally objection. It states: â€Å"For why should we distinguish, with regard to a persons freedom, between the operations of one sort of cause and those of another? Do not all causes equallyShow MoreRelated Free Will and Determinism of Ayer and Holbach Essay1811 Words   |  8 PagesDeterminism of Ayer and Holbach In respect to the arguments of Ayer and Holbach, the dilemma of determinism and its compatibility with that of free will are found to be in question. Holbach makes a strong case for hard determinism in his System of Nature, in which he defines determinism to be a doctrine that everything and most importantly human actions are caused, and it follows that we are not free and therefore haven’t any moral responsibility in regard to our actions. For Ayer, a compatibilistRead MoreCausal Determinism Threatens This Principal904 Words   |  4 Pagescausally determined, and although one thought one was acting out of free will, one is not. There is no definite proof to show that one’s choices are made freely. As A.J. Ayer stated in his essay, Freedom and Necessity, â€Å"†¦but from the fact that a man is unaware of the causes of his action, it does not follow that no such causes exist† (Ayer 272). Since there is no way of knowing if one exercises free will, d eterminism poses a serious threat to the concept of free thinking and free acting human beingsRead MoreChisholm and Free Will Essay1290 Words   |  6 PagesBefore I begin it is pertinent to note the disparate positions on the problem of human freedom. In Human Freedom and the Self, Roderick M. Chisholm takes the libertarian stance which is contiguous with the doctrine of incompatibility. Libertarians believe in free will and recognize that freedom and determinism are incompatible. The determinist also follow the doctrine of incompatibility, and according to Chisholms formulation, their view is that every event involved in an act is caused byRead MoreCultural Identity in Education1811 Words   |  8 Pagese. it is acquired in the result of social relationships of an individual with other people. In stark contrast, to this position, there is an ultimately opposite view on cultural identity as the product of human nature. To put it more precisely, A.J. Ayer insists that â€Å"t he general criteria of personal identity may be solely physical in nature that means that the idnividual’s identity is based on his/her physical identity† . Nowadays, such a view is widely criticized, and Baum for instance, underlinesRead More The Explanatory Gap: The Responses of Horgan and Papineau Essay2940 Words   |  12 Pagesliquid and wet is apparent when it is water before us. Furthermore, changes to the environment predictably change the behavior of water, and these states are also explainable with regard to molecular relations. The complication here of the relative freedom and interactions of the molecules to one another when lowering or raising the temperature of the substance is not harmful, in fact it only serves to richen our scientific explanation. No Gap persists for why water is wet. It would be non-sensicalRead MoreSources of Ethics20199 Words   |  81 Pagespronouncement. Reason might be of service in giving us the relevant data, but, in Hume’s words, â€Å"reason is, and ought to be, the slave of the passions.† Inspired by Hume’s anti-rationalist views, some 20th century philosophers, most notably A.J. Ayer, similarly denied that moral assessments are factual descriptions. For example, although the statement â€Å"it is good to donate to charity† may on the surface look as though it is a factual description about charity, it is not. Instead, a moral utterance

Huckleberry Finn Persuasive Essay Free Essays

Dominique Garcia English 3 Honors Ms. Boden February 21, 2012 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is a short novel that has been around for more than 100 years. Through the characters Huck and Jim, Twain demonstrates the importance of friendship and humanity in society. We will write a custom essay sample on Huckleberry Finn Persuasive Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now This novel is not for the ignorant or uneducated. The novel uses diction to emphasize how the past should not be repeated. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should belong in the American Canon because it demonstrates how society contributes to our opinions, morals, and attitude. Many students and adults can relate to Huck’s struggle to become free. Most students who read this novel are between the ages of 15-17. Adolescence is a point in a persons life when they do not know who they are. The book explains the struggle most of us go through. Also, the novel shows the importance of friendship. Through the novel, the students learn that it is right to stand up for a cause. For example, in the novel Huck stands up to racism. This can be applied to someone standing up for someone who is being bullied. Also, the novel contains many historical background of the U. S. A. Through this book we can learn what not to do. Twain emphasizes how evil slavery is and how is should not be done again. Most readers are able to understand this through the choice of words he uses. The novel also shows how ignorant and evil society can be. It lets students open their minds to not judge everyone by society’s standards. However, people complain that Twains diction in the novel is derogatory. African Americans argue that there freedom was hard earned and that the word â€Å"nigger† only emphasizes the negative . Some feel that the word is used in wrong connotation and that the book should be banned. They believe that if the youth read the book than it will only influence the use of the word and racism might begin as a problem again. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is a novel that has withstand 100 years. People still read it and make connections to the novel thru the themes of freedom, friendship, and society’s standards. However, other people see the novel as derogatory, unsuccessful, and improper. How to cite Huckleberry Finn Persuasive Essay, Essays