In “Recitatif”, Toni Morrison masterfully uses ambiguity, especially through the deliberate absence of explicit racial markers for her two protagonists, Twyla and Roberta, to delve into themes of identity, memory, and the complexities of race. By withholding racial identifiers, Morrison challenges readers to confront their own assumptions about race and to recognize how societal biases influence perceptions of identity.

To start with, Morrison’s portrayal of Twyla and Roberta’s racial identities invites readers to examine how race can be both central and separate from individual identity. Twyla and Roberta meet as children in an orphanage, where they are united by their shared status as “outsiders.” Twyla mentions that her mother “dances all night” and Roberta’s mother is “sick”, but no racial indicators are given. Morrison intentionally avoids labeling either girl as Black or white, creating a narrative space where readers are forced to question their biases and the assumptions they bring to the story. This highlights the fluidity of racial identity and suggests that racial boundaries, though socially significant, are arbitrary and potentially divisive.

Secondly, Morrison uses ambiguity to explore how memory is both selective and unreliable, especially when shaped by the social significance of race. As Twyla and Roberta encounter each other throughout their lives, they revisit a memory of Maggie, a mute kitchen worker whom the girls once witnessed being harassed. Twyla initially remembers Maggie as simply “bowed down”, but Roberta insists that Maggie was Black, and that Twyla had joined in the mistreatment. This discrepancy in memory introduces a tension between the two women that mirrors societal tensions around race, identity, and guilt. The way Twyla and Roberta each recall Maggie’s race reflects how memory can be influenced by the need to reconcile personal actions with social perceptions of race, ultimately leaving readers uncertain about the “truth” of Maggie’s identity and experience.

Finally, Morrison uses the absence of explicit racial markers to emphasize the social construction of racial conflict and prejudice. At one point, Twyla and Roberta clash during a public protest over school integration, with each woman standing on opposite sides. The story suggests that their disagreement is as much about their personal resentments and misunderstandings as it is about racial tension. This ambiguity underscores how racial divides can be shaped as much by individual histories and subjective interpretations as by societal factors. By refusing to clarify which character belongs to which racial group, Morrison critiques how race is used to justify conflict, encouraging readers to see how identity is shaped through complex, interwoven experiences rather than simplistic labels.

Through these ambiguities, Morrison makes readers confront the fluid and often contradictory nature of race and identity, illustrating how racial dynamics are shaped by memory, perception, and social context, rather than any objective or inherent truth.

This entry is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license.