The Cambridge Introduction to Toni Morrison

Description

Toni Morrison has written some of the most significant and demanding fiction of the modern age. Her dazzling depictions of African-American experience are studied in high schools and colleges, debated in the media, and analyzed by scholars at an astounding rate. This Introduction offers readers a guide to the world of Morrison in all its complexity, from her status as a key player on the global intellectual stage, to her unique perspective on American history and her innovative narrative techniques. Covering every novel from The Bluest Eye to A Mercy, Tessa Roynon combines close readings with critical insights into Morrison's other creative work, such as short stories, libretto and song lyrics, and unpublished pieces for performance. Chapters also highlight the significance of Morrison's non-fiction, including her groundbreaking work of literary criticism, Playing in the Dark, as well as her many essays, speeches, and interviews. Lively and accessibly written, Roynon's insightful text is ideal for readers approaching Morrison for the first time as well as those familiar with her work. Cover......Page 1 The Cambridge Introduction to: Toni Morrison......Page 3 Title......Page 5 Copyright......Page 6 Dedication......Page 7 Contents......Page 9 Preface......Page 11 Abbreviations......Page 13 Chapter 1 Life......Page 15 1931–1955......Page 16 1955–1977......Page 18 1977–1993......Page 21 Since 1993......Page 23 Introduction to the Fiction......Page 26 The Bluest Eye (1970)......Page 30 Sula (1973)......Page 36 Song of Solomon (1977)......Page 42 Michigan......Page 43 Pennsylvania......Page 47 Shalimar, Virginia; Back to Michigan; Back to Virginia Again......Page 49 Tar Baby (1981)......Page 51 Beloved (1987)......Page 59 Part I......Page 62 Part II......Page 65 Part III......Page 67 Jazz (1992)......Page 69 The City......Page 72 The Narrator......Page 73 Violet......Page 74 Joe......Page 75 Golden Gray......Page 77 Paradise (1998)......Page 78 The Past......Page 80 The Present......Page 82 The Future......Page 85 Love (2003)......Page 87 A Mercy (2008)......Page 93 “Recitatif” (1983)......Page 100 Dreaming Emmett......Page 101 Margaret Garner......Page 102 Desdemona......Page 103 Books for Children......Page 104 Nonfiction......Page 105 Morrison on Her Own Life and Work......Page 106 Literary Criticism......Page 108 Politics, Society, Language, and Literature......Page 111 Morrison and African-American History and Tradition......Page 113 Slavery, the American Civil War, and Reconstruction......Page 114 Black Migration and Urbanization......Page 116 From the 1950s and 1960s to the Present Day......Page 117 Morrison and Dominant American Culture......Page 118 Morrison and African Cultures and Traditions......Page 121 Morrison, Transnational Perspectives, Modernism, and Postmodernism......Page 125 The 1970s......Page 128 1980s......Page 129 The 1990s......Page 132 Since 2000......Page 136 The Status and Reputation of “Toni Morrison”......Page 139 2 Works......Page 143 4 Reception......Page 145 Guide to Further Reading......Page 147 Index......Page 153