Recitatif By Toni Morrison Character Analysis

In the story “Recitatif” by Toni Morrison, two women have very different memories as to what happened to a lady named Maggie while they were children in a state home. When they were eight years old, Twyla and Roberta were placed in “St Bonny’s” (201) because their mothers could not take care of them. Twyla’s “mother danced all night and Roberta’s was sick” (201). While at the home the two girls were called “salt and pepper” (201) by the other children. Twyla, who tells the story, has not seen her friend since childhood, suggesting she does not know Roberta like she thinks she does. Roberta seems to change the facts of their childhood memory over what happened to Maggie which leads her to blaming Twyla for Maggie’s accident. Later, Roberta …show more content…
When Twyla stops her car to talk to Roberta, their argument turns racial when Twyla states “Just look. Who do they think they are? Swarming all over the place like they own it.” (210). After the police calms down the protesters, Roberta begins to judge Twyla harshly and stated “Maybe I am different now, Twyla. But you’re not. You’re the same little state kid who kicked a poor old black lady when she was down on the ground” (211). This shocks and confuses Twyla, even though she knows the truth that she did not hurt Maggie. The one thing that bothers her the most is she remembers that “Maggie wasn’t black” (211). After they accuse each other of lying, the next day Twyla makes a sign and wants Roberta to see she is there across the street and “began to pace [herself] in the line, jostling people one minute and lagging behind the next, so Roberta and [her] could reach the end of [their] respective lines at the same time” (212). Each day Roberta just ignores her until Twyla raises a sign that says “IS YOUR MOTHER WELL?” (212). Roberta leaves that day and Twyla does not see her again. After her son graduates, Twyla is left thinking about what Roberta had said and “was puzzled by her telling me Maggie was black” (212). Twyla “tries to reassure [herself] about the race thing for a long time” (212). The truth is that even though neither Twyla or Roberta hurt Maggie when they were 8 …show more content…
The whole point of harassing a deaf old woman no matter her race was to make themselves feel better. The truth is that these two eight-year-old girls were desperately wanting to not feel alone, scared, and abandoned. Their memory of the incident may have been cloudy, but their friendship was real. Roberta did the right thing to tell her friend the truth and apologize for what she did wrong. Hopefully, Twyla and Roberta can rekindle what friendship they have left and be honest and truthful to