Compare And Contrast Roberta And Twyla

Roberta and Twyla, two young girls from the story Recitatif, written by Toni Morrison, meet for the first time at a state home for orphan and foster children. Early in the story, the narrator, Twyla, tells the reader that Roberta is a different race than she, “it was something else to be stuck in a strange place with a girl from a whole other race.” (201) Twyla’s description of Roberta leads the reader to form a conclusion that one of the girls is black and the other one is white. As the development of each character proceeds, many of the traits the girls have could be either white or black. The real contrast between Twyla and Roberta is their behavior and personalities. The reader will initially probably classify the girls’ race from Twyla’s

thoughts and comments, but later on in the story, the race of Twyla and Roberta will more than likely be based on stereotyped traits from the time period. Additionally, the reader may change their mind, more than once, as to who is black and who is white because of personalities and behaviors that reflect what was happening in society in the 1970’s.
Early in the story, as Twyla meets Roberta, her new roommate, she tells Mrs. Itkin, a lady they called the big Bozo, “My mother won’t like you putting me in here.” (201) Initially, Roberta ignores Twyla, but as she hears Twyla’s comment about her mother’s dislikes, she asks if her mother is also sick, because Roberta’s mother is sick, thus the reason she is there. However, Roberta couldn’t hear Twyla’s thoughts, as Twyla recalled her mother telling her that “they never washed their hair and they smelled funny.” (201) Twyla, as the narrator, tells the reader that she got sick to her stomach the minute she walked in and to get introduced to Roberta. Between the physical description of Roberta being from another race, and the physical description of the girls as salt and pepper and even personal hygiene as to hair care are clues to their race, but they are probably stereotyped traits as to what race Roberta is, and by default, what race Twyla is.
As the story progresses, though, skin color differences diminish for the girls as they become advocates for each other in their predicament. Twyla and Roberta were foster children of the state and not like the other children, “real orphans with beautiful dead parents in the sky.” (201) The girls were ignored by the rest of the residents, consisting of all races, Puerto Rican, Korean, even Indian, and none of the other children would play with them. Twyla described their situation as being dumped. Although they had a lot in common, such as bad grades and learning disabilities, food choices were not one of them. Twyla thought the food at the state home was good, but Roberta did not. Roberta barely eats any of the food, as if she was picky, and Twyla would eat what Roberta did not. Twyla called her mother by her name, Mary, and furnishes the reader with the fact that Mary’s idea of a good supper was popcorn and a can of yoo-hoo. On the day that Roberta’s and Twyla’s mother came to visit, Twyla described Roberta’s mother as “bigger than any man, and on her chest was the biggest cross I had ever seen.” (204) Roberta’s mother carried the biggest Bible ever made, according to Twyla. Roberta’s mother brought lots of food including fried chicken. The description of a large woman preparing a large amount of food including fried chicken may be interpreted by the readers that Roberta’s mother is black, because black Godly women cook good food and like to make sure their family is well fed. Mary’s mother did not bring any food. As a dancer, long late nights doesn’t leave much time for cooking.
Twyla described her mother, Mary, as beautiful, but not beautifully dressed in “ugly green slacks that made her behind stick out.” (204) Regardless, Twyla was glad to see Mary.

Roberta was excited for her mother to meet Twyla, her roommate and Mary, however, Roberta’s mother refused to shake Mary’s hand and looked down her nose at Twyla as she grabbed Roberta by the hand and went to the back of the line. At this point in the story, the racial snub here is a contrasting hint as to which race Twyla and Roberta might be. In the 1960’s and 1970’s, there were still a lot of white people that would usually not socialize with black people or treat black people differently. The reader may change their mind about Roberta’s and Twyla’s

race.
As the girls grew up, they had a chance meeting at a Howard Johnson’s, where Twyla worked as a waitress.

Roberta snubbed Twyla, as her mother did years before, and barely acknowledged her. When Twyla hung around to talk, Roberta was rude to her and called her names. Years later, another chance meeting happened at an upscale grocery store, and they met again. Roberta was much nicer this time and wanted to go for a coffee. Roberta acted as if the past meeting never occurred. She was extra friendly to Twyla and they laughed and giggled. Twyla felt reunited with her old friend, as if in just a pulse beat, twenty years disappeared and all of the memories came rushing back. For a moment, they acted like best friends. At this point in the story, Roberta has two servants and is transported by a limousine. Twyla is driving a station wagon and can’t actually afford the upscale grocery store where she had a chance meeting with Roberta. For a brief moment, Twyla is reminiscing in the visit, but Roberta ends it by telling her that she doesn’t remember all the facts that happened to a mute cook at the state home. Add in the snub she got from Roberta at the Howard Johnson’s and it sours the moment. Yet another place in the story where the reader may change their mind as to who is black and who is white because of the time period and what was going on with Twyla and

Roberta.
“Racial Strife” (210) came that fall. Twyla’s son was on a list to be transferred to a different school, due to desegregation, bussing, that was happening in the 1970’s. Roberta did not approve of bussing, but Twyla did not care, “My boy’s being bussed too, and I don’t mind. Why should you?” (210) Roberta was picketing because she felt she had no choice and did not want her child to go to a different school, so Twyla started a counter picket to Roberta. This part of the story is another conflicting view about which race Twyla and Roberta are because when bussing started, whites protested the order more violently than blacks did.
This story has some controversial questions. Which girl is black? Which girl is white? The author confuses readers throughout the entire story going back and forth inferring Roberta or Twyla is black. We do know one of them is black and one of them is white. Would the confirmation which one is black and which one is white make the story clearer? Or is that the point of the story? Twyla and Roberta differ. Their personalities are different. Their skin colors are different. Twyla worked as a waitress at a restaurant and Roberta acted rude to her. Roberta rode in a limousine and had servants, while Twyla drove a station wagon. Roberta and Twyla differ on desegregation views. Roberta does not want her kids going to a different school and Twyla does not care. This brings up that Roberta might be white because that was the white way back in the 1970’s. However, at the beginning of the story, it is evident that Roberta is of a different race and Twyla says that her mother would not like her being there, inferring being housed in the same room with Roberta because of her skin color.