While the characters and text of "Recitatif" are attentive to race and other issues of difference, you may be struggling to clearly identify who is "salt" and who is "pepper." Think about the stereotypes we discussed in class: the physical, social, economical judgments we associate with and place on black and white people. Now dissect the story thus far and try to align the stereotypes interwoven by Morrison in her story, with each of the characters.
Who is Roberta Fisk? Is she a white or black woman? Why? What stereotypes are you using to assign her race? Who is Twyla? Is she black or white? Why? How can you tell? If you had to make a bet, what would be your final decision? Back up your reasoning with details from the story and an explanation as to what each "clue" means to you. Remember, we are tracking these women through various time periods and stages in their lives. It is important to include an acknowledgement of setting, environment and decade.
"All generalizations are dangerous, even this one." - Alexandre Dumas (1802 - 1870)
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27 comments:
Throughout the story I have been extremely confused as to which characters are which race. As soon as Twyla told us that her mother said, "they never washed their hair and they smelled funny" I thought that Twyla is white and Roberta is black because of that exact stereotype that black people are dirty. Also, Roberta cannot read at all, which complies with the stereotype that black people are illiterate. Although Twyla shows many things that are stereotypes of black people, one thing that makes me doubt that she is black is because Twyla says, "Everything is so easy for them. They think they own the world," which is only said about white people. This type of statement is never said about black people, especially during the time period the story took place. Because of this I think Twyla is black. She also exposes some things about herself that can fit into the black stereotypes. She was not fed well at home as a child, her mother "dances all night," and lives modestly with her husband and his family.
Most stories that i generally read tell us about the characters in the book before hand. But in this case it is extremely difficult to tell the difference between the two. There are many clues that lead to both of the characters being either races. Roberta was a confused girl that had a very big mother who was a praiser of the lord. She become a druggie with to other boys in search of a very famous black artist Jimmi Hendrix and she has found her way around in the world and married a rich man and has 4 step children. The first two examples lead to the choice of Roberta being black but the last choice is one that I cannnot determine. Usually a white woman would marry a white rich man in ways of looking for a new life.
Twyla is a orphaned child who grew up with Roberta. She had a mother that "Danced all Night" and that she never saw. One of the first times she did see her was when they came to visit there kids. Her mom had a very slutty personality and had a certain italian attitude. She didnt like it when Robertas mom didnt shake her hand and she called her a bitch. As Twyla grows up she gets a job at a hotel in the same city that the orphanage she grew up in was. She got a simple job that would just get her around and she wanted to go to college but could not afford it. Later in life she gets married and has kids of her own. Also in the past she says to Roberta i hated having your hair in my hands and it smells bad. So she cannot be talking about white people hair in that manner. So all of these conclusions lead to that i think Twyla is black.
My conclusions on both Twyla and Roberta is that Roberta is the white one and Twyla is black. I think this because Roberta has been a druggie and fixed her self to become a step mom and wife to a very rich man. All of these signs lead to the conclusion that she is white. Twyla is the black one in the relationship becuase she is scared of change. Her whole life she has stayed in one area. She married her own husband and has two kids of her own. As she said in the past they get everything so easily and they act like they own the place.
Most stories that i generally read tell us about the characters in the book before hand. But in this case it is extremely difficult to tell the difference between the two. There are many clues that lead to both of the characters being either races. Roberta was a confused girl that had a very big mother who was a praiser of the lord. She become a druggie with to other boys in search of a very famous black artist Jimmi Hendrix and she has found her way around in the world and married a rich man and has 4 step children. The first two examples lead to the choice of Roberta being black but the last choice is one that I cannnot determine. Usually a white woman would marry a white rich man in ways of looking for a new life.
Twyla is a orphaned child who grew up with Roberta. She had a mother that "Danced all Night" and that she never saw. One of the first times she did see her was when they came to visit there kids. Her mom had a very slutty personality and had a certain italian attitude. She didnt like it when Robertas mom didnt shake her hand and she called her a bitch. As Twyla grows up she gets a job at a hotel in the same city that the orphanage she grew up in was. She got a simple job that would just get her around and she wanted to go to college but could not afford it. Later in life she gets married and has kids of her own. Also in the past she says to Roberta i hated having your hair in my hands and it smells bad. So she cannot be talking about white people hair in that manner. So all of these conclusions lead to that i think Twyla is black.
My conclusions on both Twyla and Roberta is that Roberta is the white one and Twyla is black. I think this because Roberta has been a druggie and fixed her self to become a step mom and wife to a very rich man. All of these signs lead to the conclusion that she is white. Twyla is the black one in the relationship becuase she is scared of change. Her whole life she has stayed in one area. She married her own husband and has two kids of her own. As she said in the past they get everything so easily and they act like they own the place.
Oh my, was I confused during this story. As soon as Twyla's mom mentioned that "they never wash their hair and they smell funny" Anyone would think that Twyla was white. As soon as you hear that Roberta's mom carries a big Bible the stereotype of "all black people go to church" comes to mind. Twyla's mother "dances" all the time, (someone thinks prostitution, it can go both ways) she forget a lot, she has short term memory (????) She is not used to eating a lot of food and eats whatever is given to her. (black, poverty) In her future she is a waitress at a hotel, is married and has one son. A decent life.
Roberta "smells funny", she cannot read (another black sterotype) but is a picky eater (Whites, eats whatever, wasteful) In her future, she is rich (White Stereotype) married to a widower of four. She is off to see Jimmy Hendricks, note she has poofy hair (Black Stereotype)and is slightly drunk/on slight dope during her encounter with Twyla.
Based on these details I'm going to have to go with Roberta being black and Twyla being white. Roberta fits more black stereo types but its not just that. I think Roberta may have more education, money and is likely more cared for by her mother than Twyla. Twyla's mom "dances" and seems to spend almost no time with her daughter. Roberta's mom may have done more stuff with her daughter. (She brought her lunch and reads the bible to her on easter) While Twyla's mom was ill-dressed, used foul language and brought nothing.
This was just a thought, did anyone ever think that one was white and one was mixed, but still considered black at the time. Just a thought.
This short story is a perfect example to how people stereotype each other. I really recommend this story to anyone who is interested in racial discrimination studies. It was really interesting on how there are different factors that make Roberta white or black or Twyla black or white. When Roberta and Twyla first meet in St. Bonny's, the author states that Roberta's mom is sick so she can no longer take care of Roberta. This description of her mom can signify many meanings, such as like her mom is sick as in she does many drugs. Twyla's mom is a "dancer" so it seems that Twyla's mom parties all night and does not take parental responsibility towards her daughter. People can interpret this as her mom being white because many single moms at that time would work at stripper clubs. She could also just be enjoying her life while she still can. I have a theory that Mary maybe got pregnant at a young age and Twyla probably interfered with her social life since Mary would have to take care of her as a mom. Readers can also interpret Twyla's mom's "dancing" as to prostitution in order to receive payment or just likes to go to clubs and gorge herself into the dancing atmosphere. When the two mothers arrive to church to unite with their daughters, Twyla's mom, Mary is described to arrive at church dressed rather inappropriately while Roberta's mom wears an enormous cross and holds a huge Bible. To some, this is what a typical black woman would do. If i had to put my money down in a bet to who is white or black, my money would go to Roberta being black and Twyla being white because as Mary said, "they never washed their hair and they smelled funny." It would be a physical characteristic that most black women were identified with at that point of time. Speaking of which, people during that time period were still not used to blacks gaining the same rights as whites.
This story has made me think about the stereotypes people put against others very hard. At the beginning of the story I was so sure that Roberta was black, and Twyla was white, because of the remark Twyla made about Roberta's race smelling funny, and not washing their hair. Like Rachel my theories about who is what color has change. For instance usually if a black person tried to shake a white persons hand I could see the white person ignoring, so that made me think that when they were in church, and Roberta's mother wouldn't shake Twyla's mother's hand it was, because of race. But if that were true my theory about Twyla being white and Roberta being black would be false. Another thing that bought me to think that Roberta is black is that she was going to see Hendrix, and her hair was wild, and she had on big hoop earrings. That stereotype would lead me to think of a black person. And the fact that Twyla doesn't even know Hendrix makes me think she is white. But once again my theory was challenged. In the last time period of the story Roberta is really rich, and has married a man with money. Also she is fighting to not have kids from the other town go to the same school as her kids. To me that sounds like something that would be done by a white person, because they didn't want black kids going to school with their white kids. Also her being rich makes me think she is a white women. When I finally put everything together I think that Twyla is black, and Roberta is white. A lot of the discrepancies I had towards Roberta being white were easily regarded as they could of truly been true for instance a lot of people say whites are dirty and do not was there hair so maybe Twyla was referring to a white person instead of a black person.
In the beginning of "Recitatif," I figured that Roberta was black because of the comment Twyla made about Roberta's hair. Twyla makes a comment about Roberta's hair twice. The first time she said,"they never washed their hair and they smelled funny" and the second time was when they met at the hotel years after. Twyla describes Roberta's hair as big and wild.
As the story went on, I wasn't so sure as to who was which race. Both Roberta and Twyla are described with statements that could go with either race. Roberta had married a rich man and Twyla was living a normal life. Both of their children were being sent to integrated schools, and while Roberta protested the integration, Twyla did not mind it. This lead me to believe that Roberta may be white, because she did not agree with the integration, maybe because she did not want to send her white step children to a school full of black kids.
Although the story could go either way, I have a feeling the writer may have switched the stereotypes and purposely made the white person in the story seem like she was black and vise versa.
It is very difficult to assign a specific race to either Roberta or Twyla. The two girls are not of the same ethnicity, as indicated at the beginning of the story when Twyla states, “it was something else to be stuck in a strange place with a girl from another race.” In general, I think whites complain about having to live or socialize with black people more so than the other way around; yet, it is Roberta’s mom who refuses to shake Mary’s hand. Twyla shows us that she does not mind the type of food served to her, meaning that she could very well be white. White people usually eat various types of food. Twyla’s failing of classes due to forgetfulness could relate indirectly to her background, after all, her mother, Mary, is “simple-minded.” This shows that Twyla is a lazy child, which leads to her later profession as a waitress, as opposed to obtaining a well-paying job and a better car than a station wagon. If she applies herself, Twyla may be able to succeed and to achieve something worthwhile in her life. Because more white stereotypes may be applied, I believe Twyla is a lower middle-class white woman in society.
Roberta, on the other hand, cannot be readily placed into a specific race category. At the beginning of the story, she is referred to as one who “does not wash her hair and smells funny.” Although everyone has his or her own unique scent, black people tend to carry a stronger scent, just because of their skin tone. Black people’s hair requires more attention and time, meaning frequent visits to the hair salon. Twyla mentions that Roberta is a picky eater; a lot of blacks tend to prefer particular foods and to eat only what they recognize. Twyla also informs us that Roberta is illiterate and doesn’t “even listen to the teacher,” which is commonly viewed as a black stereotype. Also, when Roberta’s mother is described, everything about her is big: her person, her cross, and her Bible. In general, most blacks are larger than whites, especially black athletes. I would associate the mom’s height, which may have been passed down to Roberta, as well as a preference for big hoop earrings, as black stereotypes. As the story progresses, Roberta is said to have big and wild hair; I take that to mean an ‘afro’ which is a black ‘do.’ Also, at that time, she is en route to see Jimi Hendrix perform (a famous black musician). When Twyla expresses that she has no clue as to Hendrix’s identity, it leads me to believe that Roberta is a black who idolizes him. A conflicting argument, however, is that Roberta grows up to marry well, has four step kids, a nice car, learns to read, and is content with her achievements. In general, whites apply themselves more at white collar professions like the “smart and rich IBM people,” and this reference could be classified as a white stereotype.
Although we are talking about a different generation, most of the stereotypes between races hold true today. Big hair was popular for both races at the time, not just solely for one race. I am torn as regards to the girls’ ethnicities because of their names. I believe that Roberta is a white name since that is my mom’s name, and I have rarely heard of black Roberta. Twyla’s name has a southern twang to it; the name could be short for a given name. Roberta’s name association, however, could be either white or black, but probably black.
If I had to arrive at a decision based on all of these stereotypes, I would assume that Twyla is WHITE, and that Roberta is BLACK.
I am not surprised to see differing opinions concerning the race of the two girls. I am a little surprised at Vivek’s statement: “Also in the past Twyla says to Roberta I hated having your hair in my hands and it smells bad. So she cannot be talking about white people hair in that manner.” Like many other statements, you cannot assume that this statement applies just to one race. If some whites do not shower and you touch or smell their hair, it probably would not be inviting. I know that when I get out of the swim pool, my hair reeks of chlorine and other chemicals contained in the water. Also, Roberta accuses Twyla of kicking a black lady, (probably of the opposite race), so Twyla calls Roberta a bigot. Beyond that, Twyla and other concerned moms try to tutor and home school their kids when classes are suspended. Whites value education, which leads me to believe that Twyla is white.
This story is very hard and complicated to follow. It gives evidence that could persuade the reader to believe that the girls could be either race. Everyone above me seems to bring up the concept of Roberta's hair smelling bad. One person might say Roberta is black just because they typically affiliate whites with nicer hair. However since both girls are poor that gives me the impression that they may not have bathed as often as needed. Twyla is the character that confuses me the most. Her mom is a "dancer" which could mean prostitution or it could mean theatre dancing. Either way Twyla's mother is doing it to make money to support her daughter as well as herself.
I agree with Lizzy when she says that Roberta is black because she is a picky eater and Twyla is white because she can eat a variety of foods. If Roberta is poor then she is probably used to eating the same foods that are given to her on a daily basis. Twyla to me at this point could be black or white because she is in the same boat as Roberta. It all determines what information and stereotypes you believe in that will persuade you towards one race. There might very possibly be no definite answer but the reader's selections may varry depending on what their beliefs are.
My final decision would be that Twyla is white and Roberta is black. When they meet again at the diner Roberta is sitting with black men which immediately turns the lightbulb on in my head saying Roberta is black. Twyla is white to me because the way she acts I affiliate with whites based on my knowledge of whites and the experience I have had with them.
It is a very confusing story and I can only wonder what the real answer is.
Roberta and Twyla are two characters in "Recitatif" who's paths in life keep crossing. Roberta could not read, she had big and crazy hair, she liked Jimi Hendrix, and she married a very rich man. Twyla, on the other hand, was never fed well at home, her mother was a "dancer" (I interpret this to mean she is a stripper), she hadn't a clue who Jimi Hendrix was, and she married and had a child.
As far as I'm concerned, it doesn't matter which woman is white and which black. I do not believe it has been made clear in any way. One may say that because Twyla describes Roberta's hair as "big and wild" that she is black. However, as Liz said, big hair was very popular for both races in the particular time period. And although Twyla also says "mother wouldn't like you putting me in here" as a child referencing the fact that she is being put into a room with someone who's race her mother would not approve, this does not necessarily mean she is white.
I cannot specifically say, based on stereotypes, which woman is of which ethnicity in this story because so many of them contradict each other. For example, Roberta is said to be illiterate which is general associated with being black, however, later on Twyla says "they act like they own the world," which is something generally said about white people.
However, as I earlier stated, it matters little to me which is black and which is white. They are who they are no matter what their skin color.
"Recitatif" has an ambiguity about it that is just infuriating. The story gives several clues towards Roberta and Twyla's races, yet has not specified who is what. Personally, I believe that Roberta Fisk is a white woman. Rachel's grandmother's friend is white and named Roberta, and since the story takes place around the same time that Rachel's grandmother's friend was born, Roberta could easily be a white name at the time. Right from the beginning, when we read about Roberta's mother, she is said to be very religious and refuses to shake Twyla's mother's hand. White people at the time are known to distance themselves from black people as much as possible. Also, Roberta's mother brings her lots of amazing food, and Roberta is picky, which could be from a privileged background. Roberta's hair probably smells bad, or at least worse than Twyla's, because white people need to wash their hair more often than black people. Later at the diner, Roberta's big hair means nothing because many white people had afros, or poofy hair at the time, and many white people also liked Jimi Hendrix at the time. When she is fully grown, Roberta is rich beyond Twyla's wildest dreams, and Twyla says, "Everything is so easy for them. They think they own the world", which is a typical stereotype about white people.
I believe Twyla is black. Her mother is a stripper, and brings her no food, probably because of a struggle for money, which is a black stereotype. Later at the diner, Twyla is the one working hard to make some money, which she most likely learned the value of at an early age. She later marries and has a small modest family, like many black people at the time would have. It is a big deal for her just to go to the more expensive supermarket. The relative poverty that she lives in is also a black stereotype. Twyla also says that she hated having Roberta's hair in her hands, perhaps from jealously of the straight, white-people hair. Roberta also objects to the integration of the schools, but Twyla doesn't mind. Roberta probably does not want her children going to school with black people. However, despite all the evidence, there is no way to be sure who is which race. Though if I had to place a bet, I would bet that Twyla is black and Roberta is white.
While reading "Recitatif," I also agree with Rachel on how it is very confusing to figure out who is white and who is black. In this short story, there are different time periods that are constantly changing. In the beginning, it seemed as Twyla was white, yet acted black and had a black name stereotypically. She would find two hot dogs considered Thanksgiving for her and would eat Roberta's food. Although Twyla's mother is a "dancer," stereotypically that would be white... But because of the way Twyla acts, "Recitatif" leaves me to believe she is black.
On the other hand, Roberta was a picky eater whose mother was sick and very religious. I find that Roberta is white because she is a picky eater and didn't really eat the food that was offered to her. Because there are many white girls that are very self-concious about their body, they don't eat... Which leaves me to conclude she's white. Later in the story, when the settings change, Roberta ends up getting married and is very rich.
I cannot make a final decision on who is white or black. The way Toni Morrison wrote this story leaves her readers in suspense on who is actually what race. She describes Twyla and Roberta with characteristics that can go either way, so I'm not sure on who is white or black.
Each day we read more of the story, I become more and more confused. At first I had a very clear mind. I thought that Twyla and her mother were white and Roberta and her mother were black. It seemed so straight forward. Now that we discuss the characteristics and stereotypes more in depth my mind is always changing. My first instinct was that Twyla and her mother, minus their names, were white. I viewed them as white trash. Her mother out all night "dancing" and Twyla being a struggling child. Roberta and her mother seemed to come off as black. Both of them were religious, respectful, judge mental of how Twyla's mother respected herself and others and that they were described by Twyla's mother as "dirty, smelly people" which is a black stereotype.
As we keep reading there are points that set off how the races may change. For instance Roberta ends up wealthy and Twyla lives in more of a run-down small town. Each clue confuses me a little more. I agree with rachel because the stereotypes are very clear, but the people they are being pointed at are not. It has been difficult for me to tell what race either of them are because the stereotypes are being put on one another from each race. I'm excited to see what happens in the end.
In class we have read the short story “Recitatif” by Toni Morrison, about two orphan kids Twala and Roberta growing up together and as time goes by they split apart. When reading this short story we had a huge conflict on figuring out who was salt and pepper. Throughout the story there where many stereotypes leading to my observation that Twala is white and Roberta is black. When Twala responses to Roberta stating “What am I, Swiss cheese,” that lead me to the idea that she is white giving me the clue that she is comparing her skin to Swiss chesses. Another clue from this short story was that Twala married a rich white man with four kids, and white people are more likely to be gold-diggers (white stereotype). Lastly Twala’s mother was a “dancer” and Roberta’s mom was a big woman with a huge cross on her neck and a bible in her hand. Since Twala’s mom was a dancer, a nicer way of saying a stripper I thought she was white (white stereotype) and Roberta is black, because black women are very religious (black stereotype). In the beginning of the story it mentioned that Roberta could not read, so I thought she was black since back then many black people where illiterate (black stereotype). Another clue that leads me to Roberta being black is when the narrator Twala described her as having big earrings the size of bracelets I thought of a black women. I thought of a black person because of the stereotype of black people dressing ghetto, such as big earrings and sneakers. Therefore, my final decision is that Twala is white and Roberta is black.
I really like Charlotte’s response because I agree with her that Twala is white and Roberta is black. She also gives a lot of examples from the short story. I also like how for every example she tells the reader if it is a white or black stereotype. Therefore, I really like Charlotte’s response due to all the examples and how well she made her point.
Over much consideration on the story I have come to the following conclusion that I agree with Sai that Twyla is black and Roberta is white. Her mother works as an exoitic dancer almost every night of the week doing her thing. So without the mother being able to watch Twyla, she has sent her to an orphanage or she lost custody of Twyla. When Twyla's mom arrives at church she is wearing an old fur jacket. I see this as a black characteristic because it seems like she's trying to over conpensate for lacking something like money by looking more assertive and appealing. Along with these traits, she uses fowl language with a strong incentive and I see all of these traits as black because I've seen a lot in black people.
Twyla herself seems black just because of her name, Twyla. It is so special and uncommon that I usually think it comes from a black person because white people have such common names and you always end having those odd ball black parents who want to show pride in their heritage. Twyla focuses on saving money for her future and her family. She drives around with coupons to buy grocery products and acts upon making her family happy. I do not know why, but I have always seen black parents being generally more considerate and in touch with their children. She is complaining most of the time about what she does not have and what everyone else has. An example is while she's working at her fast food joint and sees Roberta having a blast with Roberta's two boy friends.
Roberta's mom is a drug addict that makes her incapacitated to care for Roberta. I associate such dangerous narcoitics with white people because it usually costs more money. She also seems to care about her kid which is why she puts effort in to making her nice sandwichs, but she does not actually know what Roberta enjoys. Again this detatchment is linked to white parents by me. To top it off she goes around wearing a huge cross chain and carries a bible. I only see crazy white people in my head shouting "it is the end of the world, be saved" while holding up a bible when I picture such a religious dominance in a person.
Sai already mention how picky an eater Roberta was and touched on the differencing. However, I think the right term for Roberta's behavior is that of an Elitist. One can get away or separate themselves from an other person or group without competition or drawing attention, but an Elitist requires the "higher class" to be compared to another group under them to show their superiority. Plus Roberta comes across as man handling both of her guy friends so looks really bad. So I just link sluts to white girls. Later in the story I see Roberta is getting involved in women's rights. Since I always see white women getting credit for women's right I associate them with it.
"Recitatif," by Toni Morrison, is a very eye-opening text. It shows how sterotypes are still very prevalent and it shows us that just because a person lives in a certain area does not mean they are a certain race. Twyla and Roberta, the main characters, are black and white, but it doesn't clearly state who is what race, so we have to infer their race based on their descriptions given in the story.
I completely agree with what Emma said. It doesn't matter what color their skin is because if their actual races were switched, they would both still go through the same situations in life and would most likely be the same when they grow up.
Twyla says in the beginning that Roberta probably thought that Twyla's mother would be mad that Twyla was in a shelter when she meant that her mother would be mad that she was in a room with Roberta. Since white people were more privileged than black people, this part of the story would lead me to believe that Twyla is white. Also, Twyla mentions that her mother "dances all night" and that's why her mom can't take care of her, is another white characteristic. I consider "dances all night" to mean that shes a stripper, which is also a white characteristic. When they are older, Roberta mentions Jimi Hendrix, and Twyla has no idea who he is. This description of the women doesn't suggest that one is black and the other is white. I like black musicians and I know black people who don't know who certain famous musicians, so by this description, it could be either way. When Twyla gets married, her last name becomes Benson, which is a white name. Later when Roberta sees Twyla, she's married to a very rich man, has a limo driver, is a step mother, is married to Kenneth Norton, and it also says she is wearing a white dress. I seldom see any black person in a white dress or wearing so many diamonds, and a really white last name so I would think that was a white characteristic.
After this, I read more descriptions that contradicted with the stereotypes that I associated with Twyla. When Twyla and Roberta's mothers come to St. Bonny's, she says that the wrong food is always with the wrong people, because Roberta's mom brought her a variety of food, which I associate with black people. Now if the food is with the wrong person that would mean th at Roberta is white and Twyla is black. Later, when Twyla talks about her family, she mentions that James has a big, loud family. This also leads me to believe that Twyla is black.
Like Emma said before and like I stated previously, it doesn't matter one bit who is what race. After all these conclusions and if I had to think that one girl was white, it would be Roberta and I would think Twyla was black.
While reading the story "Recitatif", I wanted to find out what the race the characters actually were. While reading the story, the audience gets confused while trying to match up the race with the character in the story. The setting, or the time, of the story changes; so the opinions of the characters change also.
Roberta Fisk, in my opinion, is a black woman. In the beginning of the story, the narrator, Twyla, says that people of Roberta’s race have stinky hair and that they do not wash it. This stereotype is common among the black race. Because of the texture of their hair, black woman do not was their hair everyday; they instead wash every week to be able to maintain it better. Also in the beginning of the story, Roberta’s mom comes to see her and she brings chicken legs and a ham sandwich. Everybody is familiar with the “fried chicken and collard greens” stereotype for the black race. Another detail causing me to think that Roberta is black is the fact that she cannot read. Most of the illiterate people in America come from the black race. When the times change in the story, Roberta meets Twyla at a diner. Roberta has big hair and hoop earrings. During that time, big hair and hoop earrings was the style for female African Americans. When the setting changes in the story, Roberta now has silky hair. She probably mutilated it to be straight (perm).
Twyla, in my opinion, is a Caucasian woman. Because of the way she lives her life and reacts to situations, I believe that she may be white trash (wigger). In the beginning of the story, it is unclear whether or not she is black because of the fact that her mother dances all night long. This can be interpreted as she is a stripper or that she is an immature parent. In this case, I believe that she is an immature mother who does not want to act her age. An example of her not acting her age would be when she showed up to the visitation with green slacks that showed her buttocks. Another detail that leads me to think that Twyla is white is because she does not know who Jimi Hendrix is. Jimi Hendrix was a black singer/ guitar player that influenced that making of rock and roll.
Although, I may not be right; I believe that Twyla is white and that Roberta Fisk is black.
It is very difficult to tell who is white or black in this story. In the beginning of the story, it seemed very obvious that Roberta was black and Twyla was white. Twyla's mother tells her that the other race doesn't clean their hair and that they were dirty. Roberta also is illiterate which made me believe that she is black. However, when Twyla and Roberta's parents meet, Roberta's mother is the person who doesn't want to shake Twyla's mother's hand. Then, Twyla says "The wrong food is always with the wrong people". After these two events took place, I started to become confused with who is which race.
Even though Twyla and Roberta both have characteristics that would lead you to believe that either one is black, I think that Twyla is black. Later on when Roberta and Twyla meet in the diner, Roberta is very cold towards Twyla. Her reason for this is because of the way times were at the time. Twyla also says they think they own the world. During that time, a black person would have thought this about a white person. Roberta ends up marrying a man with a lot of money while Twyla ends up in a neighborhood that isn't as nice. This is a stereotype where black people usually don't live in a nice neighborhood. After the racial strife begins, Roberta is protesting to keep her children in her neighborhood. She could be a white mother trying to stop her children from intergrating with blacks. All of these events have lead me to believe that Twyla is black.
I completely agree with Emma when she said that race does not matter. If Ms. Depalo never told us to watch out for details that would cause us to try to accurately predict the races of the characters; it would not have mattered to me. I would see this story as two characters that go through life during the changes of the U.S government and have different views on how the system should work.
I also agree with Lizzie and everybody else who stated that it is hard to tell the specific race of the characters. The characters in the story both have characteristics that oppose the race that we think they are. For example, Twyla’ her name is deemed simply as “ghetto” to me, while her ignorance of the musical world and the fashions of that time makes me think that she is white.
I think its our job, and our own opinions to who is which race is the story. On one hand like Rachel Cooper said, when Twyla’s mother says “They never washed their hair and they smelled funny,” I automatically thought she is white. Although white people could have these same characteristics, white people are the ones to say this, not black people. Her husband Mr. Benson sounds white, and his job as a fireman could be either but I think white. Twyala is not used to being fed well, could just be because her mom “dances all night” and does not feed her well, not because she’s black or white. On the other side, Roberta cannot read, she’s illiterate, so I think black, although a picky eater, which I think white to. She married a rich guy, she’s a gold digger, I think black. When I imagine Roberta’s mother as described in the story, being big and wearing a big cross holding a bible I think of a black lady. Although when Twyla tries to talk to her at the restaurant with those guys, she blows Twyla off. That could be either race, just not wanting to be seen talking with the other race, since there was much secration when this story was written. Also when Roberta's mother will not shake Mary's hand I don't think that has anything to do with race, that is because mary is inappropriately dressed for church, and Roberta's mother being so religious cannot bring herslelf to shake Mary's hand. Also, this story, because of all the sterotypes given to each of the girls about both races, it's that much harder to figure out who is what race. Although, ultimately I think Twyla is white and Roberta is black.
In general ,it is difficult for me to assign a certain race to a person only through indirect descriptions. All the descriptions that were given in the story could be put in one way or another. I believe that Roberta may be black because she is described as never washing her hair and smelling funny. Also later she is said to have her hair looking crazy and wild. But then after years of not seeing eachother, Roberta is said to have her hair sleek and well done. When I first heard this I thought in my mind that she was black and that she had gotten a perm. African American women normally get straight perms, while spanish and white women get curly perms.Also specifically for her name, I immediately thought that Roberta was black because I have never seen a white Roberta.But then I changed my mind about Roberta's race when Twyla states that she had married a rich man and now she has stepchildren. Roberta does not want her stepchildren to go to an integrated school. This gives me the clues that she may be white.
On the other hand, when I first heard about Twyla, I figured that she may be black for the same reason Efe thought she was black. This reason was due to her name. Twyla's name comes off to me as a "ghetto"name, such as Shaniqua, Shanainai, Bonquiqui, and many more. Some people may laugh when they see these names, but it is true that women of African American decent, are given these names. I never would think that a white women would be named Twyla. Also Twyla describes her mom as having a big butt. This may mean that Twyla herself also has a big butt, making Twyla possiblly also have a big butt. Normally I connect women with big butts, as African American women.I agree with Efe when she says that it is difficult to match up one of the females to a race because all of the stereotypes can be mismatched making it hard for the readers to successfully match of the women and a race. If i had to make a bet on which woman was white and which woman was black. But I would make an educated guess and i would say that Roberta is black and Twyla is white because looking back at the descriptions, Roberta has more reasons as to why she could be black and not white.
In the story, decifering the race of either girl is very difficult. They both display certain stereotypes of certain races which would lead you to believe something, but then they show a stereotype of the other race. I believe Twyla to be black. I think this because she displays typical "black" characteristics like how she did not know who Jimi Hendrix was. Rock and roll was typically viewed as a "white" thing so this led me to believe that she was black. Her name also convinced me that she was black, because Twyla isn't your typical white name. This led me to believe that Roberta was the white one between them. Roberta's mom could afford to bring her a lunch while she was in the orphanage, which made me think that she had money and was white. Roberta married a rich white man who was a computer whiz. I see this as white stereotype as well as the fact that she regularly shopped at the expensive store.
Even though I think that Twyla is black and Roberta is white, some details given about them try to steer me in a different direction then what I am ready thinking. Twyla's mom said that the other race did not wash their hair which makes me think about a black stereotype. But even though the identity of both girls is unknown, I don't think that it really impacts the story too much whether one is black or white.
Throughtout the story, there are many clues that might steer one's thinking about the race of Twlya and Roberta. Twyla could be thought as, as white because she said "they never washed their hair and they smelled funny" indicating that black people have nasty hair. But at the same time she could be considered black becasue her mother could be considered a stripper, and Twyla does not eat much, which displays poverty. Roberta can be considered black because of her mother because she is big, has a big Bible and a cross. I agree with a Sabrina when she says that white girls are quite self conscience about their bodies, and Roberta is a very a picky eater. But personally i feel as Twyla is white, and Roberta is black because it seems as if there are more cases of Twyla acting white and Roberta acting black. But in the end, it is quite difficult to match a certain woman with a certain race due to the different types of descriptions that are given to each woman
In this story trying to find out the race of both of the girls turns out to be a very challenging feat. Unlike other stories which outline your characters for you so that you know who everyone is, this story gives little clues to the race of either girl. Based on little clues in the story I feel that i can say that a conjecture may be concluded about the race of these girls. Roberta Fisk in the story is outlined to be the girl with the "wild hair", and the big mother who carries a bible with a big cross. There is a stereotype that black women all have afro poofs that are uncombed, and that they are all very religious. Which leads me to believe that Roberta is a black female.
However Twyla on the other hand I at first I could have sworn on my life this girl is black. First of all her name is "Twyla", who names their child Twyla? I agree with Nancy and Efe when they say that the name Twyla comes off as a ghetto name, so automatically i thought shes black. There was a point in the story where we find out that Twyla's mom is a "dancer". Immediately in my head i took that to mean that her mom was a stripper. Also Dappo pointed out in class that black women dont try to show their big butts, but it was obvious that the tightness of the dress Twyla's mom was wearing entailed she was "trying to make her butt look big". Even with all these clues that are given in the story im still not completely sure of which girl is which race.
The story "Recitatif" has been confusing me a lot in class. Every day that we read this story, the possibility of a character being a different race becomes higher. I do not really know for sure what race each character is but I have a good idea based on their actions. I thought that Roberta was black because Roberta sounds like a black name but on the other hand, Twyla also sounds like a ghetto name. Neither of the names sound really white which is why I thought that they might both be black. Then, I thought about the two girls eating habits and Roberta hated the food which included chicken and the stereotype that black people like chicken apply to this. As to Twyla, who loved the food and would eat Roberta's. I'm not going to lie, i'm still not %100 sure who is what but I cannot wait to find out.
ps: sorry for the late post ms.depalo, my computer wasnt working so i had to go to my cuzins house on the other side of town to do it cuz i realized at 11:30
Throughout the story I was constantly wondering "why doesn't the author just tell us which girl is which race"? I soon toward the ending of the story realized that the author wasn't going to tell us, therefore I connect how the author wanted us to interpret, and they wasn't any "right" anwser. Although according to my chart I would have thought of Roberta as being white. For reason such as she's a picky eater, wears diamonds, marries an rich widower. There aren't many black rich men, compared to white rich men, and black men are known for being dead beats thus I didn't associate being married with black men. Also the fact that Roberta had big hair at the girl second encounter led me to believe she was white because black women with big hair is sometimes a associated with an afro. I believe that Twyla is black. For reason such as her saying to Roberta that she would have beaten her up at their first encounter in the orphange. I associated this sterotype with blacks because black are known for fighting and causing trouble(or so the media portrays). Also because her husband has a loud family(whihc was mentioned), I figured that Twyla married which in her race, and because black families are sterotyped for being loud(tyler perry's plays) I associated that trait with black.
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