Morrison as a Master in the Portrayal of Women
Toni Morrison, being herself an African-American woman, knows the psyche of the women in general during Harlem Renaissance. Morrison presented an unconventional image of conventional women into her literary writings to highlight the social issues of that time.
Rethinking the traditional perspectives on identity and its relation to culture, [Morrison] eschew binary logic to explore multiple forms and root causes of social marginality. (Ghaly)
In Jazz, the role of female characters is rather individual, spanning from a broader range of character traits, from loving to intoxicating, from exploitation to revenge and as a module to form an identity.
Absence of Motherhood
Mothers usually remain absent from the novel and many characters quest to find about their mothers, so that their unknown identities are made known. Joe Trace is living without a trace because he has no idea about his mother. Somewhat he finds a trace but Wild fails to recognize Joe as her son. Golden Gray's mother is unknown as well. Violet's mother is known but she committed suicide when her husband left her. Is there merely an absence of mothers or something else? To symbolically put, there is no motherly comfort in neither the South nor in the City.
Abundance of Lust
The City provides an abundance of lust, especially in the form of young Dorcas who is "compelled" to show love to the fifty years old Joe. Which ignited the fire of jealousy in Violet as she was not as handsome and youthful as Dorcas was. But why did Dorcas wanted to establish a connection to an old person? The first answer can be alluded to Joe's appropriate stature but the second answer seems to unveil the root cause behind Dorcas' motives as her father was killed while her mother was brutally burnt up in her house during East St. Louis Riots. Dorcas was in search of a home, a shelter for herself to lead a peaceful life. Whenever there is an abundance of lust, there lies a terrible story behind it.
Intrigues and Positivity
The intrigues in Jazz are highlighted through the character of Malvonne. She is depicted as a sharp and clever woman who interferes into the life of her neighbours. It is also important to note that it was Malvonne, who planted the tree of temptation in the heart of Joe for Dorcas. Said she,
No point in picking the apple if you don’t want to see how it tastes.
How does it taste joe?
On the other hand, we have Dorcas. When she is murdered by Joe, she keeps the name of her killer secret because she does not want to put her "lover's" life in danger. Felice has also been portrayed as a positive character who presents the pleasant melody of Jazz music by bringing up the records to make The Couple dance in peace. Finally!
Conclusion
Morrison's female characters can be as stereotype as Alice Manfred, as cunning as Malvonne and as miserable as Dorcas, Violet and her mother. Morrison's drawings of her female characters are realistic and more to life while retaining the musical Blues in the particular novel.
Sources and Suggested Readings
- UKEssays. (November 2018). Female Characters - Toni Morrison. Retrieved from https://www.ukessays.com/essays/english-literature/female-characters-toni-morrison.php?vref=1
- https://aqacademy11.com/the-female-characters-in-toni-morrisons-novel-jazz/
- https://www.shmoop.com/study-guides/literature/jazz-toni-morrison/themes/women-and-femininity
