Recitatif

Part 1

Twyla and Roberta, the two main characters in Toni Morrison's short story, "Recitatif," meet at the Saint Bonaventure orphanage (St. Bonny's) as 8-year-old girls. When Twyla first arrives at the shelter and sees Roberta, who is another race (the reader is not told which girl is white and which girl is black), Twyla immediately tells the staff, "My mother won't like you putting me in here" (243). Twyla's mother has warned Twyla about people who are of Roberta's race. Despite this rocky beginning, Twyla and Roberta soon become close friends, especially as they are the only girls sharing their room. They discover their similarities, such as both of their mothers are still alive, compared to the other girls, whose parents are dead. Twyla and Roberta both do poorly in school, especially Roberta, who can't read. And they both must deal with the bullying from the mean, older girls at the shelter. When both of their mothers happen to visit them on the same day, both of the girls eagerly anticipate their arrival. However, when Roberta's mother snubs Twyla's mother, refusing to shake hands with her, Twyla's mother,

Unlock all 47 pages of this Study Guide

Plus, gain access to 8,850+ more expert-written Study Guides.

Including features:

+ Mobile App

+ Printable PDF

+ Literary AI Tools

Unlock Full Library