Allusions to Bob Dylan and the Folk Music Revival in Toni Morrison’s “Recitatif”
One important aspect of Toni Morrison’s “Recitatif” deals with the difficulty that lies in trying to remember history exactly as it happened. Since the story revolves around one event–Maggie’s fall–it makes one question whether her fall may be a symbol of some specific event in our history. Considering the context and setting of Twyla and Roberta’s beginning relationship at St. Bonny’s, Maggie’s physical description, job, name, and fall allude to Bob Dylan and the folk music revival of the early 1960s.
Bob Dylan began his career as a folk singer in New York City in 1960–the same city and approximate time Twyla and Roberta begin their relationship (Shelton 87). The folk music scene in New York brought “hundreds of guitar carrying youths” like Dylan to Greenwich Village (Denisoff and Fandray 31). Many of these young musicians were influenced by folk singers of the Dust Bowl era– especially Dylan, whose admiration of Woody Guthrie often came to the point of mimicry: “Dylan’s appearance and manner, both on stage and off, were vintage Guthrie” (Hajdu 72). Twyla’s description of Maggie is very similar to how one may have described this combination of old and young:
She was old and sandy-colored and she worked in the kitchen. I don’t know if she was nice or not. I just remember her legs like parentheses and how she rocked when she walked . . . She wore this really stupid little hat–a kid’s hat with ear flaps–and she wasn’t much taller than we were. A really awful little hat. Even for a mute, it was dumb–dressing like a kid and never saying anything at all. (Morrison 211)
Maggie’s description creates an awkward ...
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Shelton, Robert. No Direction Home: The Life and Music of Bob Dylan. New York: Beech Tree, 1986.
In Dylan’s Chronicles Volume One, he says, “folk songs are evasive – the truth about life, and life is more or less a lie, but then again that’s exactly the way we want it to be. We wouldn’t be comfortable with it any other way.” He goes on to also confirm the ambiguity of folk music, saying that “[a] folk song has over a thousand faces and you must meet them all if you want to play this stuff. A folk song might vary in meaning and it might not appear the same from one moment to the next. It depends on who’s playing and who’s listening” (71). One of the characteristics that Bob Dylan possesses, and that has helped him be such a successful folk artist, is his ability to recognize this ambiguity. His ears were and still are immune to the literalness of time, and upon hearing something new, he can apply what he does not know to his listening, instead of confining his interpretation to what knowledge he already has. This is the basis for what folk music taught Dylan in some of his most formative years, that “[i]f you told the truth, that was all well and good and if you told the un-truth, well, that’s still well and good” (35). Even old folk legends are unclear in their origin and factuality, such as the widel...
Davis, Cynthia A. "Self, Society, and Myth in Toni Morrison's Fiction." Contemporary Literature 23.3 (1982)
It was in New York that Dylan would record “Song to Woody”. This song was devoted to his Idol, Woody Guthrie. Shortly after the release of “Song to Woody”, 19-year-old Dylan would meet Joan Baez for the first time. Baez, who was already crowned the “Queen of Folk” (Corbett 1) was not amused when she first heard Dylan. However, by 1963, two years later, Baez was blown away. Dylan had matured as a singer and was developing into quite the songwriter. Dylan had evolved as one of the most prominent singers of his time. The most fascinating thing about Dylan and Baez was how close they became. Through their success on stage, they became known by many as the King and Queen of Folk. They grew so close that they were one of the most talked about couples of the 60’s. As I mentioned earlier, Both Baez and Dylan felt it was their duty to sing and song write to reform different aspects of society. The powerhouse duo teamed up around 1964 and performed a duet together of “With God on Our Side”. This once again highlighted what would become one of the most popular partnerships. Putting all of this into context, none of this would have happened if It wasn’t for Baez giving the young Dylan a
Newport Folk Festival, 25th July 1965. It was the first Dylan’s amplified public performance and it was a huge controversial. The performance only lasted for 16 minutes, but remarked as the most memorable and controversial performance in the history of music. On that event, Dylan’s delivered 3 songs with electric guitar, which are Maggie’s Farm, Like a Rolling Stone and Phantom Engineer before he returned for encore with Mr. Tambourine Man and It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue simply with his guitar and an ‘E’ harmonica which he asked from the audience. The reason why the performance was very controversial is the usage of electric guitar, which is quite bizarre for folk culture at that time.
Recitatif is a short story written by Toni Morrison about two girls, one African American and the other Caucasian, and their interactions with each other over the course of their lives. Which girl is which ethnicity is never revealed, but that only makes their interactions more relatable. Roberta and Twyla first meet in an orphanage after they are taken away from their mothers. They become fast friends, but when it comes time to leave the orphanage, the two quickly become distant. Over the years, Twyla and Roberta meet each other again many times, and each time, their relationship changes and they learn something new about each other.
Michael Gray’s analysis of Dylan’s lyrics being a contrast between hackneyed expressions and “beautifully done” are exemplified in the song “Just Like a Woman.” Dylan’s lyrics “she aches just like a woman but she breaks just like a little girl” is given the harsh description of “maudlin platitude” and deemed to be a “non-statement.” If Dylan’s lyrics cannot uphold against meaningful music of the same category, how can they be expected to stand against literature written for a different field. John Lennon had his own critiques of Dylan’s works, calling out how the abstract nature of his lyrics, having loose definition, never achieved an actual point. Lennon’s definition of “poetry” referred to “stick[ing] a few images together” and “thread[ing] them” in order to create something meaningful. It once again boils down to the fact that Dylan’s music that was written and intended to be received as a live performance. The acknowledgement that “…you have to hear Dylan doing it” is a recognition of his composition’s failure to come across as a normal literary work. It’s all part of a “good game.” This in itself should disqualify Dylan as a possible candidate for the Nobel Prize.
Kahn, Ed. “The Carter Family on Border Radio.” American Music 14, no. 2 (Summer 1996): 206-217.
In the story, “Recitatif,” Toni Morrison uses vague signs and traits to create Roberta and Twyla’s racial identity to show how the characters relationship is shaped by their racial difference. Morrison wants the reader’s to face their racial preconceptions and stereotypical assumptions. Racial identity in “Recitatif,” is most clear through the author’s use of traits that are linked to vague stereotypes, views on racial tension, intelligence, or ones physical appearance. Toni Morrison provides specific social and historical descriptions of the two girls to make readers question the way that stereotypes affect our understanding of a character. The uncertainties about racial identity of the characters causes the reader to become pre-occupied with assigning a race to a specific character based merely upon the associations and stereotypes that the reader creates based on the clues given by Morrison throughout the story. Morrison accomplishes this through the relationship between Twyla and Roberta, the role of Maggie, and questioning race and racial stereotypes of the characters. Throughout the story, Roberta and Twyla meet throughout five distinct moments that shapes their friendship by racial differences.
As a child Dylan was comfortable being the center of attention, often writing creative poetry for his mother and on occasion singing. Dylan had no formal music lessons, but none the less he began to compose. Later at age 14, he took up the guitar and shortly after formed a band, one of many he played the guitar in. Always plunging ahead, performing to his up most potentional, Dylan absorbed his surroundings as a source of inspiration. Even during his early efforts Dylan responded very positivly to mainstream musicians, such as country star Hank Williams. Yet, he responded especially well to early rock stars such as Little Richard, Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis. In the summer of 1959, after graduation Dylan began to work at a cafe, where he began to pay increasing attention to folksingers such as Judy Collins and Jesse Fuller. Finding an instant connection with their songs, songs relevant to social issues. Dylan was drawn into both the musical style and the social message of these indivisuals.
For the purpose of this chapter, these words by Stephen Vincent Benet in his foreword to Margaret Walker’s first volume of poetry, For My People (1942) are really important. They give an idea about the richness of the literary heritage from which Walker started to write and to which she later added. This chapter is up to explore those “anonymous voices” in Walker’s poetry, the cultural and literary heritages that influenced her writings. Margaret Walker’s cultural heritage, like her biological inheritance, extends back to her ancestors in Africa and the Caribbean. It is quite genetic, something she got by birth; which is quite there just by being African American. Echoes of ancient myths, lost history, mixed bloods, and complex identities are brought about along with the skin colour and the racial origins.
Again and again, Sethe’s character seeks to bury her memories of enslavement, loss and anguish. However, no matter how hard she tries, they resurface. Just as those past events are inescapable pieces of her that cannot be extinguished or erased, so too is the collective memory that records the unfortunate existence and despicable actualities of American captivity. As a result, Toni Morrison’s creative conception of the process of rememory, not only articulates the severe psychological effects of trauma and suffering, but also a profound hope to heal the aftermaths of slavery, establish a communal consciousness, and challenge the official historical narratives in order to revitalize black identity.
Bob Dylan was the first musician to receive a Nobel Prize in Literature. He was able to blur the line between music and literature, proving that a work could be identified as both ("Bob Dylan."). To do this, he had to discard the “formula of music.” In his works, Dylan expressed his true emotions, including anger and confusion. He posed questions about life, about morality, and about love. Throughout all this he remained authentic and true to himself, breaking categorical stereotypes, and encouraging future artists to follow in his footsteps (Scott).
In the book “To Everything There is a Season”: Pete Seeger and the Power of Song,
American Pie” is an impressionistic ballad by Don Mclean which features unique and intriguing lyrics. It has imaginative changes in tempo, vocal delivery and instrumentation, and imparts a wide range of emotions ranging from pure joy, to melancholy and despair. The song takes the listener on an autobiographical journey through the turbulent 1960’s with references to the events that shaped the era. Don Mclean was enshrined in the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame in 2004 for his work on “American Pie” (Don McLean: Songwriters Hall of Fame Inauguration). With its use of formal structure, allusions, and figurative language, the song, “American Pie”, has many poetic qualities.
Pratt, R., 1990. Rhythm and resistance: the political uses of American popular music. Washington and London: Smithsonian Institution Press