Recitatif

The storyline in Recitatif by Toni Morrison was very interesting to me, so I thought, what can I take from this and incorporate into my own writing. I think one of the most important qualities present in Morrison’s short story is the insight into the character’s psyche. As Twyla reminisces on her past at the orphanage, and even on her run ins later with Roberta, the reader gets a peek into the mind of first a young girl confused about her place in the world, and later a young woman still questioning her place. The entire short story subtly suggests that Twyla is in constant search of an identity, Morrison allows a deep connection between the reader and the character to develop through detailed accounts of the past and descriptive telling of her thoughts. For instance, when Twyla is just a girl, her view of her mother is very naive but typical for a child/parent relationship. Later, as a mother, the incident with picket signs between the two grown women cause the reader to question the thought processes of Twyla. I think it is important to use such methods in my writing that allow the reader to feel a connection to the text.