Author Study: Toni Morrison A Beginner’s Guide

Biography Born in Lorain, Ohio Real name is Chloe Anthony Wofford Working class family Winner of Pulitzer Prize and Noble Prize for Literature

Why Read Toni Morrison? “A Wonderful Storyteller” Weaves stories which mix both the historical real and the magical, supernatural, and imaginative Writing is lyrical and dramatic Stories are gripping and strongly emotional

Why Read Toni Morrison? “African American History Rediscovered” Lack of African Americans in crucial moments of shared history Her work placed hidden, silenced African American people at its centre Concerned with the individual and the community—specifically African American people Considered a major voice in African American writing

Why Read Toni Morrison? “A Dialogic Process” Dialogic: suggests a dialogue, debated or argument between ideas and points of view Suggests there are no single right answers or interpretations Morrison suggests that we can make meaning Morrison brings a forum to the reader to debate and engage us in issues  to construct a reality

Mature Audience The Bluest Eye does cover some controversial episodes/ideas: Rape Sexual relationships Speak with me after class if you have Qs.

Morrison’s Style Multiple characters tell a story Story told in fragments—they appear and reoccur to build the story Modern way of writing—in fragments Presence of oral traditions—telling stories brings back the memories

Major Themes Recuperating History Racial and Gendered Stereotypes Slavery Racial and Gendered Stereotypes Women’s Lives Motherhood Sisterhood Sexuality and Power The Supernatural, Imaginary and Myth

Bildungsroman Story focusing on the development of an individual, their growth and change as they mature Survive perils and evils Examples The Bluest Eye—Pecola Breedlove Beloved—Denver

The Bluest Eye Looks at the life and identity of a working-class Black girl Focuses on issues of racial inequality Effects of internalization of stereotypes: Negative=Black Positive=White

Book’s Organization The book is organized into four main sections: Autumn Winter Spring Summer Investigate: What could each “season” section signify?

Fun with Dick and Jane By the 1950s, an estimated 80 percent of U.S. first-graders who were learning to read were doing it with Dick and Jane. These books taught an estimated 85 million children from the 1930s through the 1960s how to read.

Prologue One Here is the house. It is green and white. It has a red door. It is very pretty. Here is the family. Here is the house it is green and white it has a red door it is very pretty here is the family Hereisthehouseitisgreenandwhiteithasareddooritisveryprettyhereisthefamily