Recitatif

As I read Recitatif, I could not help but relate with the focalizer. No, I did not experience a childhood anything like Twyla did. However, I felt the relationship these two girls developed over those four months and subsequently a lifetime mirrored relationship experiences in my own life. Morrison did an excellent job of making this friendship substantial and relatable, instead of the BFF scenario we see played out incessantly.

The best example of this for me was the Howard Johnson’s meeting. I have certainly had this experience before, like many have, from both Roberta and Twyla’s point of view. You see the friend; you really don’t want to see the friend. They see you. Crap. Even Morrison’s use of “wow” by Roberta was dead on. I believed right when I read that word that Twyla would be hurt and embarrassed after their encounter. I later found that to be true, especially when Twyla recalls “Howard Johnson’s and looking for a chance to speak only to be greeted with a stingy ‘wow’.” Those were my thoughts exactly.

This story truly resonated with me simply for the realistic view of a childhood-turned-lifelong friendship between two girls. The following quote by Morrison herself is reflected perfectly in Recitatif.

"A sister can be seen as someone who is both ourselves and very much not ourselves, a special kind of double."