The issue of racism and corresponding disparities has persisted in society across decades and centuries. It exhibits its adverse effect on several interrelated tiers, which range from individual communication to systemic inequality with a nationwide impact. This complex problem has been an area of intense interest for researchers across the globe, and especially in the United States. At the same time, prominent cultural and philosophical activists have engaged in the active discussion surrounding the disparities. As such, the misunderstanding of racial identities has been said to be one of the critical factors leading to discrimination. Racialized images used to prevail in the cultural space, in which characters were defined solely by the color of their skin and ethnic background. This judgmental pattern was deeply engraved in the paradigm of social thought, and cultural misrepresentation translated into actual, real-world discrimination. Toni Morrison’s genius has created seminal pieces of literature, which successfully dismantle racial stereotypes, contributing to the elimination of cultural disparities. The purpose of this essay is to review Morrison’s Recitatif in comparison to Django Unchained, Quentin Tarantino’s recent attempt in the same area.
Toni Morrison is one of the most important figures in the history of social struggle against racism and systemic discrimination. Her prominent status was achieved through an effective combination of progressive thinking and exquisite literary talent. Recitatif is a clever attempt at undermining racist ideology through blurring racial identities. The story revolves around two female characters, one of whom is white, and the other one is of African origin, following their lives across several important phases. Both main characters are shown as people with complex personalities and various traits. Through them, Morrison defies racist logic, which ascribes certain features to people with a particular ethnic background. On the contrary, the characters of Recitatif act against all prejudices, which dominated the cultural landscape of the time (Knoflíčková 23). As a result, Morrison’s objective is effectively attained, blurring racial differences and rendering the character true-to-life. Recitatif is a story about people and the way regular human beings act and think. Twyla and Roberta overcome various difficulties, become distant and befriend each other once more, and racial identity is never important within their pure relationship.
Ultimately, Toni Morrison became one of the pioneers of culturally competent, progressive literature. Her courage and social expertise became a source of inspiration for many authors, playwrights, and directors. In the world of modern art, Quentin Tarantino has become one of the most eminent and creative personalities. He is known for his bold approach to storytelling and cinematography, which adds a new dimension to familiar plots. Django Unchained is one of Tarantino’s more recent works, and it deals with the eternal theme of racial discrimination of conflict in the 19th-century United States. The titular character is a former slave who manages to escape and seeks retribution. Tarantino selected an artful approach to storytelling and character-building in Django Unchained. While the very concept of the film is based heavily on racism and ethnic disparities, the main character is not defined by his race. On the contrary, his behavior and attitude are normal for a person who was abused and enslaved for decades. Historical context aside, it is possible to imagine a person of any race and background act similarly in Django’s position.
On the other hand, despite the inherent similarities of theme, the two works of art reveal great differences through a close comparison. First of all, it is vital to acknowledge the differences in the meta-context of the two pieces. Toni Morrison worked in a more complicated environment dominated by prejudices, and deconstructing racialized perceptions of identity was the struggle of her life. Django Unchained was created in a more recent environment characterized by the intensifying movement against inequality. In other words, the modern public is generally more open-minded and ready for courageous artistic decisions. As such, despite the approach and reputation of Quentin Tarantino, Recitatif must have required a larger amount of courage. Next, the two works take opposing routes around the issue of racism and racial identities. More specifically, Django Unchained is a violent story corresponding to the style of its director. The plot of Recitatif explores interpersonal relationships in the context of the race from a different, mundane perspective. Twyla and Roberta are regular women with normal problems, which are familiar to the reader.
Ultimately, Recitatif and Django Unchained belong to the same cultural domain, in which progressive thinkers attempt to tackle the age-old problem of racialized discourse. Toni Morrison does so in a calmer, familiar manner, which serves to reflect the real world in the pages of her Recitatif. Quentin Tarantino presents the matter in his distinct style, which made him famous. Django Unchained is an unusual film full of action and violence, which blurs racial differences in an alternative way, which would barely be accepted at the time of Recitatif. Overall, both works pursue an objective of paramount importance, although in different ways. While the cores of both works’ audiences barely intersect, it is important to appraise both of them critically in order to perceive the evolution of social philosophy across decades.
Works Cited
Django Unchained. Directed by Quentin Tarantino, performance by Jaimie Foxx. The Weinstein Company, 2012.
Knoflíčková, Marie. “Racial Identities Revisited: Toni Morrison’s “Recitatif.” Litteraria Pragensia, vol. 21, no. 41, 2011, pp. 22-33.
Morrison, Toni. Recitatif. Pons y Cia, 2010.