Brown V. Board Of Education In Toni Morrison's Recitatif '

“Recitatif” is Toni Morrison’s, an African American author, first and only published short story. This particular short story was fiction. In 1983, William Morrow Publishing in New York City published and released this short story. Toni Morrison had husband and wife, Imamu Amiri Baraka and Amina Baraka edit and review “Recitatif” before having it published. Morrison was born in 1931, making her 52 years old when “Recitatif” was published. Toni Morrison was a well educated woman who when to two colleges where she attained an English major. Many major historical events occurred during Morrison’s lifetime that played a huge role in her works. The two major events that played a role in the writing of “Recitatif”, was Brown vs Board of Education …show more content…
Bonny’s care. At St. Bonaventure’s Twyla and Roberta were rejected by other children and seen as an outcast because their mothers were not dead. However, both Twyla and Roberta were brought together and became friends because of this similarity. St. Bonny’s was not too bad, but the older girls bullied Roberta and Twyla. They were terrified of the older girls, but acted tough to each other. Maggie, the kitchen lady, was also bullied because of her bowlegs and her muteness. Roberta and Twyla bullied her once, but were so remorseful they never did it again. Both Roberta and Twyla’s mothers visited St. Bonny’s during Easter, but Twyla’s mother was not dressed appropriately and Roberta’s mother greatly disapproved of Twyla’s mother. Soon after, Roberta leaves the shelter and they do not meet again until Twyla is a waitress. Roberta and Twyla converse and it ends with Roberta cursing at Twyla. They separate until they meet in a grocery store. They talk about Maggie again and Twyla asks Roberta if she was on dope when they last conversed. They meet during the integration of the schools and they part on very bad terms. The last time that Roberta and Twyla met was when Twyla went to pick up a tree and Roberta was at a fancy party. Roberta apologizes for the way she treated Twyla and for the lies she told. Roberta never could forgive herself, but Twyla did. The racial tensions prevail throughout this story …show more content…
Toni Morrison uses id-ego-superego not once but multiple times in “Recitatif”. The id is the beginning when they are at St. Bonny’s. They are trying to feel the most pleasure and have the most fun while they are stuck there. The ego part is the whole middle section of the story. It started at Howard Johnson’s with Twyla waitressing. Roberta dismisses everything Twyla says and Roberta also pushes away every attempt from Twyla for having a civil relationship, if not a friendship. The next time id appears is in the grocery store when they meet up again. The id is trying to make positive feelings appear from this chance encounter. However, the anger came back at the snub on Twyla from years ago. The same thing happened with the mothers picketing, the anger persists some more. The id period ends and the superego period begins when Twyla meets Roberta again at the fancy party. They finally reconcile their differences and Roberta apologizes. Roberta confides in Twyla that the reason she has been lashing out is because she could never forgive herself for wanting to hurt Maggie and for bullying her. This superego period persists until the part of the