I first became acquainted with the work of Toni Morrison in college. Two of her books were required readings in my Honors program, “Sula” and “Beloved.” When her short story “Recitatif” came across my desk, I was pleasantly surprised and knew I should read it in honor of my professors who introduced me to her work. Originally published in 1983, “Recitatif” is now available at the Sterling Public Library.
Unlike Morrison’s other work, “Recitatif” is a short story. Half of the book is actually an introductory essay by Zadie Smith. I highly recommend reading this after reading Morrison’s story. I did not and I feel it altered my perception of the work.
Perception is one of the themes of this story. Twyla and Roberta were eight years old when their mothers released them to the state. They were placed in St. Bonaventure’s, a group home for mostly orphans in New York. All we know about these two girls is that one is black and one is white. Everything Morrison has done within this story challenges society’s perceptions about these two races and their respective histories and how they relate to each other. How they seemingly predict behavior.
No confirmation is given within the story as to which race each of the girls belongs to. Over time, they move on from St. Bonaventure’s and develop into young women, wives, and mothers, separately. Each time they run into each other there is an evident tension between the girls’ past and their present lives. This is eventually exacerbated by the racial tensions in the United States surrounding the desegregation busing of the 1970s.
The reliability of one’s memory is challenged within the story, as both Twyla and Roberta have differing recollections as to certain events that transpired at “St. Bonny’s.” When Roberta’s memory differs from that of Twyla, it throws Twyla into an existential crisis concerning her own relationship with race, whichever one she is.
The masterfulness with which Morrison uses vagueness to throw the reader is something Smith extrapolates in her introduction. Without this introduction, I probably would have made my own assumptions based on my perception of white and black backgrounds, education, culture, etc. to categorize Twyla and Roberta. The challenge to not do this after knowing Morrison’s intention is what makes this story remarkable. This is why I suggest reading the introduction after the story because I am sure it will be an even greater challenge to do so after forming one’s own opinions without prior knowledge of Morrison’s intended outcome.
Jason Huggins is a Library Associate at Sterling Public Library.
