Reading Notes W16: Morrison & Soyinka, Part A

"Recitatif" - Toni Morrison

• Toni Morrison is female (1172)
• Narrator is named "Twyla" (1173)
• Twyla's mother danced all night whereas Roberta's mother was sick (1174)
• Mary is Twyla's mother (1174)
• Big Bozo = Mrs. Itkin (1174)
• "Just like nobody every said St. Bonaventure." Did I just find a typo on the first page? (1174)
• St. Bonny's (St. Bonaventure's) is a fictional orphanage outside New York City (1174)
• They were going to watch "The Wizard of Oz" (1174)
• Twyla and Roberta were 8 years old at the time and constantly got F's (1174)
• Twyla could never remember what she read or what the teacher said (1174)
• Roberta couldn't read and wouldn't listen to the teacher (1174)
• Twyla and Roberta didn't like each other initially (1174)
• They weren't "real" orphans because they didn't have "beautiful dead parents in the sky" but were just "dumped" (1174)
• Maggie couldn't talk and Twyla felt like she walked in a funny way (1175)
• Roberta tells Twyla that Maggie can cry, but no sound comes out (1175)
• They try calling her by shouting "Dummy" and "Bow legs" but Maggie never responds (1175)
• They had F's in gym class. I don't know how they even managed that. (1176)
• Twyla and Roberta had been at the shelter for 28 days before their mothers decided to come visit them (1176)
• Twyla is left-handed (1176)
• Mary embarrassed Twyla but Twyla couldn't stay mad because she wanted to stay hugging Mary forever (1176)
• Twyla described Roberta's mother as being big (1177)
• Mary tried to shake Roberta's mother's hand but she just walked away. Mary shouts "That bitch!" (1177)
• Twyla has said "I could have killed her" twice now. (1176 & 1177)
• Roberta left in May (1177)
• They meet later when they're older. Twyla has a job now. Both of their mothers are okay. (1178-1179)
• Jimi Hendrix is an asshole, apparently. (1179)
• Bozo was fired (1182)
• Maggie was pushed down by some girls and they tore her clothes (1182)
• Roberta and Twyla speak again. Roberta seemed to be protesting. "It's about our kids" (1183)
• Twyla and Roberta argue. "Maybe I am different now, Twyla. But you're not" (1184)
• Roberta didn't acknowledge Twyla's presence later. (1185)
• They meet again on Christmas Eve and Roberta says she made up her mind that she had to tell Twyla something if they ever met again (1186 & 1187)
• Roberta tells Twyla that they never kicked Maggie. They wanted to, but didn't. (1187)
• They were both lonely, scared eight year olds. (1187)
• Twyla's mom never stopped dancing. Roberta's mom never got well. (1187)
• "Oh shit, Twyla. Shit, shit, shit. What the hell happened to Maggie?" (1187)

"Death and the King's Horseman" - Wole Soyinka

• "Olohun-iyo" means "Sweet voice" which is a nickname for the praise-singer (1052)
• "The hands of women also weaken the unwary" (1052)
• "Elesin's riddles are not merely the nut in the kernel that breaks human teeth; he also buries the kernel in hot embers and dares a man's fingers to draw it out" (1053)
• "Etutu" was a rite of propitiation and it often involved a sacrifice (1054)
• "Not-I" became the name of the restless bird (1055)
• "Esu" is the god of luck (1056)
• Iyaloja and the praise-singer sing with the women (1058)
• "The world I know is good," said Elesin (1058)
• The praise-singer questions Elesin for denying his reputation (1059)
• Oya is a Yoruba goddess said to live in the River Niger (1060)
• "I dare not understand you yet Elesin" said Iyaloja (1061)
• "I dare not refuse" said Iyaloja (1061)
• This became repetitive very fast. Feels like Bartleby all over again with his "prefer not to"
• Pilkings, Jane, and Joseph discuss what will happen (1065)
• The chief (Elesin) "will not kill anybody and no one will kill him. He will simply die" (1065)
• Joseph says Elesin must die to accompany the king, who died last month, to heaven (1066)
• Pilkings doesn't to miss the ball (1068)
• The praise-singer insists to Elesin that their dog will track Elesin down should he get lost (1076)
• Elesin falls into a trance (1076)
• Elesin, handcuffed, collapses at Olunde's feet and says "Oh son, don't let th sight of your father turn you blind!" (1088)
• Olunde replies, "I have no father, eater of left-overs" (1088)
• Elesin tells Pilkings that he destroyed his life (1089)
• Elesin strangles himself with the loop of the chain (1097)
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Morrison, Toni. "Recitatif." The Norton Anthology World Literature, edited by Martin Puchner, Third Edition, vol. F, W. W. Norton 2012, pp. 1172-1187

Soyinka, Wole. "Death and the King's Horseman." The Norton Anthology World Literature, edited by Martin Puchner, Third Edition, vol. F, W. W. Norton 2012, pp. 1049-1098