study on toni morrison Essay - 2402 Words

A Study On Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye Ying-Hua,Liao Introduction Toni Morrison was the winner of the 1993 Nobel Prize for Literature. She is a prominent contemporary American writer devoted to the black literary and cultural movement. Her achievements and dedication to the promotion of black culture have established her distinguished status in American literature. Many critics applaud Toni Morrison’s artistic talent and contribution to American literature. Darwin T. Turner, for example, has thus commented: â€Å"Morrison has already achieved status as a major novelist--an artful creator of grotesques destined to live in worlds where seeds of love seldom blossom.† Linda W. Wagner approves Morrison’s artistic genius in her mastery of†¦show more content†¦. . . The contemplation of this black presence is central to any understanding of our national literature and should not be permitted to hover at the margins of the literary imagination.6 Toni Morrison perceives a vacuum in American white male dominated literary discourse which excludes black presence. â€Å"Black people have a story, and that story has to be heard.†7 Therefore, she endeavors to break the silence by telling the black people’s story, and bridge the gap between white male-centered literature and black subjugated culture. Morrison intends to reconstruct the black image in a way she knows. Her writing effort to illustrate the richness of black culture includes black language, music, myths and rituals. Above all, she includes â€Å"the traditional Black female activities of rootworking, herbal medicine, conjure, and midwifery into the fabric of [her] stories†8 to reveal the black woman’s cultural experiences. The unique experiences of blacks, specifically those of black women, are treated with a distinctive voice in Morrison’s works. They are brought from the margin to the reconstructed center. Through her novels, the sil ence of black people is broken; the void in white-male centered literature is filled. Morrison has incorporated black culture into the national cultural narrative. Her writings also refract the author’s dialogue with her times and culturalShow MoreRelatedThe Effects Of Black Culture On American Literature1205 Words   |  5 PagesNicole Paul WRIT303 Toni Morrison: Playing in the Dark In Toni Morrison’s article Playing in the Dark, she is discussing how racism effects American literature. To Morrison, black culture is a tiny speck in American literature and she wants to expand it. Before Morrison could even think about doing this, she had to change her perspective and imagine what it is like to be in someone else’s shoes. Morrison states that, â€Å"My work requires me to think about how â€Å"free† I can be as an African-AmericanRead MoreRecitatif: Toni Morrison Essay935 Words   |  4 PagesIn 1983, Toni Morrison published the only short story she would ever create. The controversial story conveys an important idea of what race is and if it really matter in the scheme of life. This story takes place during the time period of the Civil Rights Movement. The idea of civil rights was encouraged by the government but not enforced by the states, leaving many black Americans suffering every day. In Morrison’s short story Recitatif, Morri son manipulates the story’s diction to describe the twoRead MoreEssay about Toni Morrisons Literary Achievements693 Words   |  3 PagesToni Morrisons Literary Achievements In 1993 Toni Morrison joined the illustrious ranks of the Nobel Prize for Literature laureates as the ninetieth recipient, twentieth English-language author, eighth American, eighth woman, third black, and first African-American 1. Her mid-century predecessor William Faulkner (1897-1962) had just received the award in 1950 when Morrison (b. 1931) began writing her Master of Arts thesis on his work.2 Aside from both being Nobel laureates, this unlikelyRead MoreRacism By Toni Morrison Analysis982 Words   |  4 PagesThe noble laureate winning author Toni Morrison comments that â€Å"racism hurts in a very personal way† (Bouson 103). This might be a hint towards the long term generational consequences that racism causes. Having the entire future generation jeopardized by the concept of racism is indeed a pain that will hurt anyone who has love for his/her community. Morrison believes that the lives and relationships of people are affected by racism as she remarks â€Å"Because of it, people do all sorts of things in theirRead MoreBiography of Toni Morrison1620 Words   |  7 PagesToni Morrison Born on February 18, 1931, in Lorain, Ohio, Toni Morrison is a Nobel Prize- and Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist, editor and professor. Her novels are known for their epic themes, vivid dialogue and richly detailed black characters. Among her best known novels are The Bluest Eye, Song of Solomon and Beloved. Morrison has won nearly every book prize possible. She has also been awarded honorary degrees. Early Career Born Chloe Anthony Wofford on February 18, 1931, in LorainRead More Essay on Toni Morrisons Beloved - Sethes Act of Filicide1653 Words   |  7 PagesSethes Act of Filicide in Beloved      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Shortly after the publication of Beloved, Toni Morrison commented in an interview that Sethes murder of Beloved was the right thing to do, but she had no right to do it.... It was the only thing to do, but it was the wrong thing to do.1[1]   Does this remark prove the moral ambiguity of the infanticide, as Terry Otten argues?2[2]   Yes, it was right but wrong, and wrong but right.   However, the most important thing is that It was the only thing toRead MoreBlack Music in Toni Morrisons Jazz Essay1728 Words   |  7 Pageswriting of Jazz, Morrison takes on new tasks and new risks. Jazz, for example, doesn’t fit the classic novel format in terms of design, sentence structure, or narration. Just like the music this novel is named after, the work is improvisational.† -www.enotes.com/jazz/ â€Å"As rich in themes and poetic images as her Pulitzer Prize- winning Beloved†¦. Morrison conjures up hand of slavery on Harlem’s jazz generation. The more you listen, the more you crave to hear.†-Glamour Toni Morrison’s Jazz isRead More Morrisons Bluest Eye Essay: The American Way1698 Words   |  7 PagesThe Bluest Eye: The American Way  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   Ownership, class structures, and consumerism go hand in hand. Morrison illustrates this throughout the novel and in the characters identities. Many of the characters identify themselves based on material possessions: the simple ownership of a car, the use of consumer products, and property ownership. Although African Americans may take these things for granted now, in the early 1900s this would be considered a major accomplishment. There isRead MoreRacism In Ralph Ellison1659 Words   |  7 Pages Racism in Toni Morrison’s and Ralph Ellison’s Works As generations have passed, society has become less and less racist. From a young age, many children are taught to celebrate diversity. This instills a sense of being able to love everyone, regardless of skin color or race. But a little over half a century ago, it was a completely different story. There was segregation present in buses, water fountains, and even bathrooms; this was all due to assumptions people made, just based on someone else’sRead MoreThe Significance of the Character Shadrack in the Novel Sula by Toni Morrison1556 Words   |  7 PagesThe Significance of The Character Shadrack in The Novel Sula By Toni Morrison The book Sula by Toni Morrison is regarded as one of Morrison’s best work because of the content and structure of the book. Shadrack is an important character in the novel although his appearance in the plot is fairly brief. His significance in the novel stems from the fact that he represents one of the recurring themes of the novel, which is the need for order. Since the need to order and focus experience is an important