Toni Morrison Jazz Essay

Jazz by Toni Morrison is set during the Harlem Renaissance, an era in which music, specifically Jazz music, was generating popularity, as well as controversy. Morrison incorporates the importance of music throughout the book in many ways, including, the style in which the narrator tells the story, for example, how characters were introduced and the way certain scenes were explained, as well as the language used. Although the structure of the novel is significant in understanding the role of jazz music in the novel, it is also important to understand the role that jazz had in the characters’ lives. Jazz music is defined as a type of music originating from traditional black Americans that is characterized by improvisation, syncopation, and a …show more content…
Jazz begins with a fundamental form as the structure of the music. However, other variations are then added on to this original form. The structure of jazz is parallel to the structure of the novel, Jazz by Toni Morrison. The narrator is the backbone of the novel, however, other characters are introduced throughout the novel that retell the story and add their own twist, which is similar to the variations in jazz music as I mentioned before. The basic premise of Jazz is the love story between Joe and Violet, Joe’s love affair with Dorcas ending in her murder, as well as Violet’s aggressive outburst on Dorcas’ corpse. The fundamental plot line is explaining those three stories, while other characters are constantly being introduced to add different perspectives and transfer the story between different characters, similarly to the variations added in jazz music. The narrator in Jazz is not only telling the story, but they are expressing feelings that they have to events in the story. The narrator in Jazz attempts to transcend what a typical narrator is like, which is seen through the closing remarks of the novel when the narrators attempts to not be limited to the