In Recitatif, Toni Morrison uses ambiguity and the absence of explicit racial markers to explore the complexities of identity, memory, and race. Morrison mentions race early in the story between Twyla and Roberta, noting that one girl is black. She does not specify which girl is black and which is white. The two girls come to St. Bonnie’s at the age of eight because of problems with their mothers. Twyla’s mother dances all night and Roberta’s mother is ill.When Toni Morrison wrote about their mothers’ problems, she did not state that a mother who is ill is neither black nor white or a mother who dances is neither black nor white.     

Second, Twyla and Roberta share memories of Maggie. Maggie was a black mute woman in an orphanage. Roberta claims Maggie was black but Twyla has a conflict with Roberta opinion about Maggie. They always made fun of her, mistreated her and now Maggie is their memory.Twyla and Roberta call the race ambiguous when they remember memories about Maggie.  

Lastly , When Twyla and Roberta think about their mothers, Twyla feels uneasy because her mother, Mary, was awkward and not accepted by society. On the other hand, Roberta’s mother was more focused on religion. Both Twyla and Roberta feel sad when they compare their mothers because their mothers’ actions hurt them.Morrison does not explore the race of their mothers. Instead, he writes about their actions and behavior. The feelings and actions of the mothers are not about race but about emotions and the bonds in their relationships.

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