Community Othermothering In Toni Morrison's Jazz

Morrison brings in the folk nurturing way of community othermothering in Jazz through the relationship between Violet Trace and Alice Manfred.Stanlie James emphasises the importance of the historic practice of “othermothering and community othermothering have been critical to the survival of Black communities in America”(51). Othermothering is functional in African American life as a survival mechanism to overcome the displacement of families and communities during slavery, migration and racism. Nurturing and care is generally associated with biological mothering, and in such a context every woman has the capacity of nurturance irrespective of her reproductive capability. In Jazz, Morrison employs the othermothering practice of nurturing and healing through the reciprocal mothering …show more content…
Violet reaches out Alice Manfred, the aunt of Dorcas, in an attempt to know the details of her dead rival and instead of being hostile to each other they develops a cordial relationship.While Violet motivates and manoeuvres Alice’s self-interrogation and self-discovery though Dorcas’s memory, Alice recognizes Violet’s broken spirit reflected in her worn clothes. As a professional needle woman, Alice works at putting up things together, stitching the fallen hems and loose seams, “Her stitches were invisible to the eye” (Jazz 111). In mending Violet’s torn sleeve and coat lining, Alice helps to heal violet’s fractured sense of self. Their shared experience sews both their lives together exemplifying the healing effect of motherhood.K Zauditu-Sellasie maintains that Morrison is making use of the African folk idea of collective mothering to bring together two women who are not mothers: “A primary example of healers, motherhood has a valued place in the hierarchy of women’s