Toni Morrison

The Story Recitatif by Toni Morrison did not really indicate which girl is black and which is white. It gives us examples like “salt and pepper” but, did not tell us which one of the girl is salt or pepper. Another example is “they don’t wash their hair and smell funny” I thought Roberta was black and Twyla white. I was confuse trying to figure out which girl belong to which race. I think the author did not for a reason, she did not what to be racist. I think which the clues that she provided it was up to use to figure it out.

Roberta mother seems like religious woman but, I guess due to the fact because she was sick and, cannot take care of her daughter so, she decides to send her to the orphanage. I think Roberta is form a religious background because her mother attends church and carry her bible around. As for Twyla her mother is a dancer, it can be any kind of a dancer. It doesn’t specified in the story. I am assuming came from a poor white family and her mother dance to earn a living but, cannot afford to take care of her.

Toni Morrison leave us the reader to decide the ethnicity of the girls because every readers thinks different. Some us will think Roberta is black because of the big hair and smell bad.