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with critical insights into Morrison's other creative work, such as short stories, libretto and song lyrics, and unpublished pieces for performance.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.
Author(s): Tessa Roynon
Series: Cambridge Introductions to Literature
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Year: 2013
Language: English
Pages: 143
City: New York
Tags: Morrison, Toni – Criticism and interpretation
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
