Recitatif
Introduction + Context
Plot Summary
Detailed Summary & Analysis
Themes
All Themes Friendship vs. Family Outsiders, Outcasts, and the Unwanted Sickness and Disability Childhood vs. Adulthood Race and Prejudice
Quotes
Characters
All Characters Twyla Roberta Maggie Big Bozo Mary (Twyla’s Mother) Roberta’s Mother The Gar Girls (The Older Girls) Joseph Benson Jimi Hendrix
Symbols
All Symbols Dance The Orchard The Klondike Bars Protest Signs
Literary Devices
All Literary Devices Allusions Foil Foreshadowing Genre Imagery Irony Metaphors Mood Motifs Setting Situational Irony Style Tone
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Recitatif

by Toni Morrison
Upgrade to A+
Introduction Intro
Plot Summary Plot
Summary & Analysis Summary
Themes
  • All Themes
  • Friendship vs. Family Theme Icon
    Friendship vs. Family
  • Outsiders, Outcasts, and the Unwanted Theme Icon
    Outsiders, Outcasts, and the Unwanted
  • Sickness and Disability Theme Icon
    Sickness and Disability
  • Childhood vs. Adulthood Theme Icon
    Childhood vs. Adulthood
  • Race and Prejudice Theme Icon
    Race and Prejudice
Quotes
Characters
  • All Characters
  • Twyla
  • Roberta
  • Maggie
  • Big Bozo
  • Mary (Twyla’s Mother)
  • Roberta’s Mother
  • The Gar Girls (The Older Girls)
  • Joseph Benson
  • Jimi Hendrix
Symbols
  • All Symbols
  • Dance Symbol Icon
    Dance
  • The Orchard Symbol Icon
    The Orchard
  • The Klondike Bars Symbol Icon
    The Klondike Bars
  • Protest Signs Symbol Icon
    Protest Signs
Lit Devices
  • All Literary Devices
  • Allusions
  • Foil
  • Foreshadowing
  • Genre
  • Imagery
  • Irony
  • Metaphors
  • Mood
  • Motifs
  • Setting
  • Situational Irony
  • Style
  • Tone
Theme Wheel Theme Viz
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Recitatif Study Guide

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MLA

Seresin, Indiana. "Recitatif." LitCharts. LitCharts LLC, 5 Dec 2016. Web. 7 Jun 2026.


Chicago

Seresin, Indiana. "Recitatif." LitCharts LLC, December 5, 2016. Retrieved June 7, 2026. https://www.litcharts.com/lit/recitatif.

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