Figurative Language In Recitatif

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Formalist Analysis Essay Toni Morrison was the first African American author to win the Nobel peace prize for literature. Morrison is known to write a lot of text in older times when white and black people still had a lot of growing to do in society together. Her text, “Recitatif”, is a good example of the struggles some people have to accept people of different color. In this story the narrator and main character Twyla gives us an insight on her life experience from the orphanage to her adult years beginning to see the true colors of society. With symbolism and figurative language “Recitatif” helps the reader to identify the racial tension and racial identity struggles that occur in this text. In Morrison’s “Recitatif” the main character …show more content…

Roberta and Twyla’s participation in these protests is a unique symbol because this is where we see Roberta and Twyla speaking up for what they support or believe in as opposed to staying silent like they did in the orphanage. Roberta carries a sign that says “MOTHER HAVE RIGHTS TOO!” (page 211), it is here that we see Roberta’s passion as mother not wanting her child to go to a school that she feels uncomfortable with. Twyla, on the other hand, feels some type of way about Roberta doing this because she's not used to seeing Roberta being this vocal. This motivates Twyla to oppose Roberta and express her thoughts with a sign that says “AND SO DO CHILDREN ****” (page 212). Twyla feels that the children going to a school that may turn out to be better for them isn't bad. One last symbol from the protest is sign that Roberta made addressing Twyla. The sign says “IS YOUR MOTHER WELL” (page 212). This sign is a symbol of Twyla’s emotions towards her mother and her rocky experience at the orphanage. Twyla’s mother was never really there for her. This whole protest situation makes Twyla wonder what her mother would do in the event that there was a protest affecting her future or if she would just be

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