In Toni Morrison's Jazz, one recurring motif is the theme of suffering and the succeeding action of characters attempting to fill the voids in their lives. Characters including Joe Trace, Dorcas, Violet, Golden Gray, and Alice Manfred all suffer from a physical or emotional loss or desire, which they attempt to thwart in different ways. Amid Violet's depression, she eventually sees violence as the answer to her husband's affair; Alice Manfred is overly protective of Dorcas, and in response, Dorcas defies her aunt's beliefs; Joe's affair occurs because of Violet's change in behavior; and Golden Gray wants to fill his void by killing his father. Notably, it's worthy to remember that actions by all four characters stem from the absence of someone
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It's big-eyed noncommittal stare made her smile. (Morrison 19)
Violet's origins of a void in her life derive from the absence of her parents, but more importantly, the void that Violet struggles with the most is that she can't have a baby. She attempts to fill the absence of a baby by actually stealing one from a stroller: "Would a kindhearted innocent woman take a stroll with an infant she was asked to watch . . . " (Morrison 20). Violet's abnormal actions are a result of her voids, but Joe doesn't necessarily comprehend them that way. Joe and Dorcas turn to each other as a result of their voids. Joe, who's marriage with Violet became disconsolate, saw an intimacy with Dorcas as a way to escape Violet's craziness. Alice Manfred is consistently concerned with Dorcas's well being, as she repeatedly reminded Dorcas that jazz, sex, and particular articles of clothing were not acceptable to wear. The narrator …show more content…
It's partially inaccurate to say Dorcas was innocent: she had similar desires as Joe's, "but he [Joe] must have not known about her. How she liked to push people, men" (Morrison 197). Dorcas played as a big of a role as Joe in their affair. Joe, meanwhile, cares more about being loved, than who is lover actually is. "He fell for an eighteen-year-old girl with one of those deep down, spooky loves that made him so sad and happy he shot her just to keep the feeling going" (Morrison 1). It's evident that Joe's void is love--something he no longer received from Violet, and decided to romantically involved with another woman in order to satisfy his desires, as well as
It's big-eyed noncommittal stare made her smile. (Morrison 19)
Violet's origins of a void in her life derive from the absence of her parents, but more importantly, the void that Violet struggles with the most is that she can't have a baby. She attempts to fill the absence of a baby by actually stealing one from a stroller: "Would a kindhearted innocent woman take a stroll with an infant she was asked to watch . . . " (Morrison 20). Violet's abnormal actions are a result of her voids, but Joe doesn't necessarily comprehend them that way. Joe and Dorcas turn to each other as a result of their voids. Joe, who's marriage with Violet became disconsolate, saw an intimacy with Dorcas as a way to escape Violet's craziness. Alice Manfred is consistently concerned with Dorcas's well being, as she repeatedly reminded Dorcas that jazz, sex, and particular articles of clothing were not acceptable to wear. The narrator …show more content…
It's partially inaccurate to say Dorcas was innocent: she had similar desires as Joe's, "but he [Joe] must have not known about her. How she liked to push people, men" (Morrison 197). Dorcas played as a big of a role as Joe in their affair. Joe, meanwhile, cares more about being loved, than who is lover actually is. "He fell for an eighteen-year-old girl with one of those deep down, spooky loves that made him so sad and happy he shot her just to keep the feeling going" (Morrison 1). It's evident that Joe's void is love--something he no longer received from Violet, and decided to romantically involved with another woman in order to satisfy his desires, as well as