“Recitatif” by Toni Morrison is about the relationship between two young girls and how they progress through similar situations, but differently. Morrison did not want to expose their racial identities to leave a point standing. The point of this is to show that people will go through similar issues, regardless of gender, race, or social class. She wanted to show that without feeding into the racial stereotypes. Overall, this story does an exceptional job when talking about social categories and racial codes. 

Everything, including the title of this work, alludes to the concept of racial codes within literature. The title of the philosophical brain teaser is “recitative,” referring to the musical declamation of ordinary speech with many words on the same note. The passage talks about how Toni Morrison’s writing uses “ordinary speech” to elevate African American speech patterns, freeing them from the negative influences of mainstream American culture. She deliberately chooses her language to strike a balance between what is considered “black” and “white” American speech. Given the racial issues in the United States, where people can often tell a speaker’s race based on the unique tones and rhythms of their speech, this approach is regarded as delicate and difficult. Smith mentions the strange aspects of tone/rhythm in speech and how each race will speak differently. Smith also mentions that the cultural differences such as what foods people eat or music people listen to are also seen as peculiar. Every race has some form of stereotype about what people think they like, do, eat, etc. In other words, everyone puts people in categories for their race and gender. If they go out of their “boundaries”, they are seen as strange.

The two characters, Twyla and Roberta, are portrayed as either black or white in “Recitatif” because of their shared experiences and culture. These experiences are unique to them, and can range from healthy to harmful. Morrison’s story demonstrates that other categories, such as poverty, gender, and living in a specific Zip Code, can result in shared experiences. The author attempts to sympathize with the characters, but Morrison’s methodical approach prevents it. The story reminds readers that being poor or ignored is not solely a black or white issue. In other words, they are different because of their race and experiences, but they also connect with certain aspects of their race, gender, and experiences.

I believe that she did not want to expose their racial identities to leave a point standing. The point of this is to show that people will go through similar issues, regardless of gender, race, or social class. She wanted to show that without feeding into the racial stereotypes. This story reminds me that everyone has a different life story; no matter the gender, race, or upbringing. A person’s word choice does not define who they are as a person. 

Works Cited : 

Morrison, Toni. “Recitatif.” Norton Introduction to Literature,, edited by Kelly J. Mays, W.W. Norton, 2022, pp. 217-231.

Smith, Zadie. Introduction. Recitatif: A Story, by Toni Morrison, 1983, Alfred P. Knopf, 2022, pp. 7-28.