Toni Morrison and bell hooks

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Toni Morrison and bell hooks

Toni Morrison and bell hooks are both known to be critical theorists. They believe that the dominant views in society are not the only views to perceive. "The Nobel Lecture," a speech Toni Morrison given Stockholm, and "Sorrowful Black Death is Not a Hot Ticket," by bell hooks, are two different pieces by these powerful women, that have their own views about issues in the world. Toni Morrison tells a story about a wise, old, blind woman, that is teaching two young people a lesson in life how language effects the actions that others take. Some of the actions are violent and some are not. bell hooks reviews the movie "Crooklyn", relating it to racism. She also ties in racism that is shown in movies today. There is a connection between Toni Morrison and bell hooks because they both are very clear on the choice of life and discrimination and that it is in our hands.

Toni Morrison shared a story in her speech about an old, blind woman who was very wise. Two young people came to visit her and prove that the woman was not as wise as they heard she was. They pretended to hold a bird and asked her if it was dead or alive. " 'I don't know,' she says, 'I don't know whether the bird you are holding is dead or alive, but what I do know is that it is in your hands. It is in your hands.'" Life is about decisions. The young children chose to put the old woman in an uncomfortable situation. The woman's response was perfect for the children. Her language was strong enough for them to learn how to control their obnoxious behavior. Morrison connects the bird and woman together in an interesting way. She states, "So I choose to read the bird as language and the woman as a p...

... middle of paper ...

...he discrimination and violence that is in the world. Language is not always verbal; it can also be picked up by actions.

Works Cited

hooks, bell. Sorrowful Black Death is Not a Hot Ticket Ed. Beth Alvarado and Barbara Cully. Needham Heights: Simon and Schuster

Morrison, Toni. "Nobel Lecture 1993." World Literature Today Winter 1994: 5-8

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