| The Nobel laureate Toni Morrison’s only short story,“Recitatif,” describes two protagonists from two different races—Twyla and Roberta’s five meetings with each other without revealing their racial identities.Based on a close reading of the text,this thesis uses identity politics as the theoretical framework to illustrate Morrison’s “racespecific,race-free” idea: racial differences are specified,but racial identities are decentralised in the transitions of identity politics.In terms of sisterhood as identity politics,racial differences(races and cultures)separate the girls,while the consciousness of their mutual vulnerability as marginalised people(forced institutionalisation and class oppression)develops their emotional and hierarchical bonds.Additionally,regarding the identity politics of victimhood,race-related concepts(racial identity and racial hatred)complicate the perception of victimhood.But other factors(physical defects and psychological projection)also give rise to victimisation.At last,the traumatic mother-daughter relationship(absent mothering and its trauma)has no necessary connection with race,and de-traumatisation(surrogate mothering and reconciliation)happens through the experience of motherhood.The protagonist’s transitional sisterhood,Maggie’s victimhood,and motherhood illustrate Morrison’s racial view: race plays an indispensable role,yet we should also decentralise racial identities and value other factors in shaping identities as well. |
