Women: banded together, or are we?

Susana Morris’ scholastic journal article “Sisters separated for much too long- Women’s Friendship and Power in Toni Morrison’s ‘Recitatif’” presents the argument that while Morrison is trying to use her story as a racial allegory, the critical component of power structures in women’s friendships have been critically left out in other scholarship of Morrison’s story. Throughout Morris’ argument, she assesses how race is ultimately connected through class and gender. She says that it is extremely important to note that in the story Twyla and Roberta’s gender is left out, but for better reason than just to try to make the readers read with out prejudice bias. She states that Morrison leaves their races out because she wants to show the anxiety each girl feels about their friendship due to the power struggle each girl feels about the other. Her argument concludes by saying the point of “Recitatif” is to show how the girls attempt to dismantle gender socialization when they start questioning the concept of power in friendships, and then start to reject those notions. Morris also includes in her argument that she believes Morrison purposely made “Recitatif” a women filled story to show the inner power struggles between women and their interactions with other women, and then threw in gender as an important factor.

I definitely agree with this argument for several reasons. The oppression of women has been there for the very beginning of time, and is still present today. While I do think there is just as much racial oppression, women have been backed into a corner forcing them to turn on each other to somehow get a leg up on their oppression. While I can see why other scholarship about “recitative” focus’s on the race aspect and the interesting question on why Morrison left out the races of Twyla and Roberta, I definitely agree with Susana Morris’ argument that it was because of the bigger reason to show power struggles within their friendship because of their gender.

The journal article makes note that while in St. Bonny’s after the initial rejection of each other; the two girls do in fact bond together for several reasons including their fear of the old girls in the shelter. Then when the story jumps to their future encounters, that is where we start to see the power struggle due to their social classes.

I think it is important to note that while the girls seemingly had similar beginnings in the story, both starting at St. Bonny’s, by the end of the story the two women have reached different outcomes in their lives, and that provides for much of the tension and power struggle between the two. Gender is yet again an important factor in their power struggle, especially when the issue of bussing their children comes up near the end of the story. Twyla and Roberta have different views, and thus that shows their power struggle to be the “right” mother.

Lastly, I want to agree with Morris’ description of Maggie, the disabled older woman who works in the kitchen at the shelter. While I think all the girls in the shelter are seemingly vulnerable and helpless, the power struggle comes when Twyla and Roberta talk about the way they treated Maggie, how was also helpless due to her disability. At the end of the story, they realize Maggie was a link to the two girls’ struggle for power.

 

 

Morris, Susana M. “”Sisters Separated for Much Too Long”: Women’s Friendship and Power in Toni Morrison’s “Recitatif”” Project Muse 32.1 (2013): 159-80. Quick Search. Web. 30 Nov. 2016.

Dying to Live

Isabel Allende’s “And of Clay Are We Created,” tells an unfortunate yet inspiring story of a young girl, Azucena, who dies fighting for her life while stuck in a mud pit that was created from a erupted volcano. In the beginning of the text, it is noted that the village had known this volcano was going to erupt for some time now, but no one took note. A reporter, Rolf Carle, is then introduced and that is where readers begin to see the true purpose in Azucena’s character and what she brings to the reading.

Azucena shows characteristics of innocence and helplessness throughout the story due to her situation she is in. Throughout the story, she is shown clinging to Rolf as he is the one literally closest to her in this tragic time. She goes in and out of weakness and weeping, but Rolf is there, and he in constantly racking his brain on what to do to help this poor girl. Throughout his time of trying to save her and show her love, readers see that it is Rolf who needs saving from his own thoughts of his past.

While Azucena is stuck in the mud for three days, Rolf is able to recount certain chapters in his life that he seemed to have repressed. What first started as “news reporting” became so much more to Rolf, and Azucena seems to serve as the link to help Rolf overcome the pain in his past. He is no longer concerned with the news story, and can be noted as not even looking at the camera’s anymore. We see the notion of helplessness and vulnerability switches from Azucena to Rolf in the instant that he starts to recant his lives past experiences.

While the story may at first seem like it meant to be about Azucena, I think the point of this story is to see Rolf’s transformation as a character. In the beginning of the story, he is noted as a familiar reported who has been in on various catastrophes. He was described as “fearless” almost by the narrator. Then after being affected by Azucena, he is able to deal with several instances in his past that he had previously just stored away. It is almost as if the process of Azucena dying had to happen for Rolf to continue to live. Then the narration takes a completely different turn as the end of the story. When Azucena slips into the mud, and ultimately death, Rolf is described differently. He appears to have been changed by this instance. He is then the one that is viewed as helpless and innocent as he tells Azucena how much he loves her and places a gently kiss on her forehead.

Additionally, there is a tone of acceptance when Azucena dies. I think acceptance comes from experiences that truly change and impact you. The last line of the text is the narrator stating, “when you return from your nightmares, we shall again walk hand in hand, as before.” This line shows that Azucena made Rolf come to terms with various things that he hadn’t intended on coming to terms with, and then her death made that impact so much more important. Everyone deals with death in various way’s and the ending is ambiguous to how Rolf deals with it, but still shows the purpose of Azucena’s character. Without her, Rolf would still be living in a sort of denial instead of dealing with his past memories.

Acceptance or Lack Thereof

 

Alice Munro’s “Walker Brothers Cowboy” tells a story of a family who has fallen hard on their luck, and their subsequent actions following. The story begins with the narrator and her father taking a walk, and later reveals the current job change the father is undergoing. The father used to sell silver foxes, but is now a traveling salesman of sorts due to owing everything the family had to the feed company.

The daughter/ narrator seems to still think very highly of her father despite his job downgrade. She is very descriptive in the way she speaks about her father’s new job, which gives off a tone of acceptance. She even makes note of her dad’s song in which he sings while trying to sell certain things. Following her seemingly knowledgeable and accepting tone of her fathers new career, she delves into her mothers side.

The mother’s new life following the father’s career change is very different. This is where readers get the theme of rejection. The mother seems to be stuck in past, which greatly contrasts with her daughter who is very aware of the new circumstance’s the family is in. The mother is very nostalgic, and speaks of the times before even her son was born. She is seen saying, “Do you remember” several times, showing her lack of acceptance for their new life. This portrays the mother in a somewhat immature way, and elevates the narrator to an even more mature persona because of their differences.

The narrator and her brother can then be seen going with their dad while he is working. This seems to isolate their mother even more, along with her aloofness to the family’s situation. The narrator, her brother, and their father all seem to be moving forward together, both literally in their trip with the father to sell his goods, and figuratively in the sense the kids are supportive of their father, unlike the mother.

The later half of the book, however; does show the mother is not the only one clinging to the past. There is the introduction of Nora, who appears to be an old flame of the father’s. She is very opposite of the mother, and brings the father a lot of joy. While he is undergoing all these changes in his life, he too tries to cling to the past of his old love.

The daughter seems to be the only one aware of the present day, and is accepting of it. The ending scene of the family (excluding the mother) in the car on their way back home shows a lot about the daughter and her awareness. She realizes there are things that are not to be said at home, but she also realizes all the things in her dad’s life and does not comment about them in a positive or negative way, more of just an accepting “this is how it is” way.

The parental figures, which typically are shown to be more of a voice of reason, are the backbone for the “lack of acceptance” and nostalgic themes. The daughter portrays clarity, and accepts everything that has happened in her life, with every member of the family. Her observing nature make’s her stand out in this story, and is the backbone for the contrast of acceptance in this short story. Additionally, her perception seem’s to also lead into a tone of isolation in which she feels for being the only one to accept the present.

Works Cited

Munro, Alice. “Walker Brothers Cowboy.” The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Vol. F. New York: Norton, 2002. 913-23. Print.