Ambiguity In Toni Morrison's Recitatif '

Race is intended to be ambiguous in Toni Morrison’s “Recitatif” despite the cultural turmoil taking evident within the story’s time period between the 50s and 80s; this intent is much more than mere negligence. Rather than depicting race as an unimportant concern, she brings about a more inclusive affair. Through the racial vagueness of the narrator, Toni Morrison accentuates how people should be treated, portraying this as an issue that should garner more prominence than the racial strife pervasive during the context of the story. Racial difference is something that can be overcome through shared experiences and an accepting nature; as such, building relationships and having experiences with others overcomes racial division, demonstrating

Having befriended Roberta simply for her quick understanding, Twyla comments, “So for the moment it didn't matter that we looked like salt and pepper standing there and that's what the other kids called us sometimes” (1). Twyla’s characterization of her friendship with Roberta as “like salt and pepper” clearly describes their different races, and like the tastes of salt and pepper, she also describes how they are different people with different personalities. Despite the age of their companions within the orphanage, Twyla recalls being verbally offended by other kids. Because she says, “for the moment”, their surviving friendship can be attributed to their circumstances within the orphanage as outcasts with failing grades and parents who are still alive. In turn, their bond created by focusing on what they have in common, rather than what makes them different, endures derogatory comments to the point where “it didn’t matter”. Regardless of who was black or white, they were still different and overcame this difference along with its hardships. Their childlike innocence and willingness to find a friend were also factors in overcoming racial boundaries, but these

Maggie is a presumably disabled woman who is older than Twyla and Roberta. During their stay at the orphanage, they were fascinated with Maggie’s disability as a mute and proceeded to call her names. In hindsight, Twyla criticizes their actions saying, “And it shames me even now to think there was somebody in there after all who heard us call her those names and couldn't tell on us”(3). She certainly sees the fault in her demeaning behavior and is ashamed of it. Now that she’s mature, she understands that what she did with Roberta was wrong, but she did not realize this at the time; it would take decades before she would. This willingness to accept the guilt and responsibility for her treatment of another, particularly the disabled Maggie, develops over her chance meetings with Roberta. For instance, during Twyla and Roberta’s first encounter with each other after leaving the orphanage, they do not talk about this situation at all despite a decade having passed since then. During their second encounter, Roberta claims that “‘Those girls pushed her down and tore her clothes’” and Twyla responds saying, “‘ I don't remember any of that”’ (12). At least Roberta is able to recall some specifics about the situation compared to Twyla, but both of