Comparing Recitatif And Song Of Myself

Recitatif and Song of Myself A common theme in American literature is the concept of identity and sense of self. This theme is explored through many genres by several different authors. Two pieces of American literature which give perspective on this theme are Toni Morrison 's Recitatif and Walt Whitman 's Song of Myself. In Morrison 's writing, one views the ways in which race impacts identity and fosters a common humanity amongst its characters, while in Whitman 's poetry one is able to analyze the ways in which the poet 's American roots and his sense of self form his identity. Through the analysis of these two pieces of literature, one is able to see the ways in which American authors express the theme of identity and sense of self.
While reading this short story, one is inclined to use racial stereotyping in order to determine the race of each character— a tactic which proves to be fruitless as the ethnicity of the characters remains a mystery. However, these racial stereotypes say a lot about how people identify themselves as well as members of other races. When Twyla mentions that her mother would not be pleased with the race of her roommate, one is inclined to believe that Roberta is African American. Many cases of racial tension stemmed from a white person disapproving of relations with a black person, which could be inferred to be the reason Twyla 's mother would be upset about her roommate being of a different race. However, later in the piece the races of Twyla and Roberta are again put into question when they run into each other as adults in a grocery store and Twyla discovers that Roberta is leading a glamorous life while she is in a less luxurious situation. When
In the sixteenth section of the poem, Whitman identifies several aspects of the 'Great Nation ' which he identifies within himself. He views America as a nation made up of myriad types of people, professions, and landscapes which form the diverse 'American Identity '. He also adopts this 'American Identity ' as his own, recognizing that the various aspects which are found in America the country are also found in its inhabitants. This section of the poem acknowledges that without the influence of the "Kentuckians, Louisianans, Georgians, and Yankees", or the "farmers, mechanics, lawyers, priests, and prisoners," he would not be the same person. However, at the same time he recognizes that his identity does not match that of all Americans, he has aspects which are inherently 'Walt Whitman '. He identifies himself in section twenty-four as "Walt Whitman, a kosmos, of Manhattan the son," an identity which he clarifies to be his and his alone. He also emphasizes the importance of self identity in section forty-six when he informs the reader that, "Not I, not anyone else can travel that road for you, you must travel it for yourself". This statement leads one to infer that he means the road to self understanding, or self concept, for one 's concept of self cannot fully be established by another being. This