In Toni Morrison’s “Recitatif,” the lack of clear racial markers helps explore themes like identity, memory, and race. By not telling us whether Twyla and Roberta are black or white, Morrison makes readers confront their own assumptions and biases, showing how our views on race are often subjective.

One way Morrison uses this ambiguity is through Twyla and Roberta’s different memories of Maggie, the mute kitchen worker. Twyla remembers Maggie falling, but Roberta says she was pushed by the other girls and even suggests Maggie might have been black. This difference shows how memory can be shaped by our own identities and perceptions, making us question what’s real.

Morrison also mixes up racial stereotypes by keeping the characters’ economic statuses unclear. For example, Twyla works as a waitress, while Roberta marries a rich man, and their lives go in very different directions—one struggles while the other is well off—but Morrison doesn’t directly connect these differences to race. This makes readers think about their own ideas of race and class and realize that identity is complicated and can’t be put in a box.

Finally, Twyla and Roberta’s interactions during moments of racial tension, like the school busing protests, show how race can affect relationships in unpredictable ways. At one point, Roberta is protesting against busing, and Twyla doesn’t understand why. Their misunderstandings show how society’s views on race can come between people, even those who have a shared past. By not telling us their racial identities, Morrison makes us think about how our own biases affect how we see the characters, showing that racial identity is complex.

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