Racial Dynamic in Recitafif Anonymous College

In Recitatif by Toni Morrison, the theme of racism is addressed extensively which is rather common in American literature during the late twentieth century. However, Morrison’s approach is fairly different from other literature that tackles the subject of racial prejudice. Recitatif is a short story about two girls who are raised in a children’s home called St. Bonaventure, but referred simply as St. Bonny’s, after their mothers are incapable of nurturing them. The story scales from past to the present lives of the two girls named Twyla and Roberta, who develop a friendship despite their hatred of each other at first due to their different ethnic backgrounds. The story addresses their struggle with racial prejudice even though Morrison does not overtly state their respective race, which leaves the reader to identify each character's race personally. After the two leave the home and meet later in life, they find out how they have changed due to their different sentiments and outlook on past and current happenings. Morrison’s works are popular for addressing issues and struggles of African American people in the United States. In Recitatif, she addresses the association of certain characteristics with a particular race and the...