Morrison’s “Recitatif” and Ciscneros’s “Woman Hollering Creek”

Morrison’s “Recitatif” and Ciscneros’s “Woman Hollering Creek”

After reading Morrison and Cisneros, discuss the following:

In “Recitatif,” Morrison intentionally avoids stating which of the main characters is black and which is white.

What is the purpose of keeping this obscure? How would it change the story if we clearly knew the ethnicities of the characters?

What observations does “Recitatif” make about race and the way we define ourselves?

What does the Cisneros story have to say about identity?

What does the ending of Cisneros’s story suggest, the laughter flowing out of Cleofilas’s throat like water?

1 paragraph for each question is fine.

Morrison’s “Recitatif” and Ciscneros’s “Woman Hollering Creek”