Comparative Analysis Of Recitatif By Toni Morrison And Deconstruction By Jacques Derrida

A Jacques Derrida’s narrative seems to be hopelessly obscure as it is inevitable that his text cannot easily be summarized or reduced to one liners, just like we are unable to do so in Toni Morrison’s short story, “Recitatif”. Morrison requires his readers to engage with the text by embracing its indeterminacies, whereas Derrida uses the term, “Deconstruction” to form an understanding of what is being said. Literary or philosophical, according to Derrida, deconstruction requires readers to continually modify language to get closer to literal connotation. His theory emphasizes deconstruction as a way of reading texts to reveal hidden paradoxes and contradictions.

The dichotomy between Derrida and Morrison becomes prevalent in multiple aspects of their beliefs and works. Throughout Morrison’s fiction, Twyla and Roberta are caught in the endless flux of “becoming”. On the surface of “Recitatif”, there is no complex view. However, once one unravels cues provided by the author, we can come to an understanding that Morrison depicts the unconscious mind through utilizing a variety of compelling literary devices. On the contrary, Derrida rises questions and concerns to the reader, such as, “What would a text be if it is not written in a book, if it had no historical meaning, and if it were not published?” Moreover, through the text, one can infer that the answer to Derrida’s rhetorical question “What would a mark be that one could not cite?” suggests words themselves do not hold imperative value. Whether they are published, recognized, or hold historic meaning, words truly hold no value. Rather, the significance of words come from the individuals who speak them with intention, raw human emotion, and purpose. Twyla and Roberta illustrated this notion when they would tell themselves that Maggie, “fell” at St. Bonny’s. However, in reality, the pair witnessed the incident and consciously refused to intervene. Despite their initial temptation to partake in brutality, the girls chose not to and simply remained bystanders to Maggie as she was disabled, speechless and powerless. The importance of speech is demonstrated when Roberta confesses, “And it shames me even now to think there was somebody in there after all who heard us call her those names and couldn’t tell on us”.

Morrison portrayed Maggie as the marginalized voice, she was unable to speak or take action, resulting in her incapability to seek out assistance. In contrast to Morrison ideals of speech, one may argue that Derrida’s beliefs are systematic and logical, and that there truly isn’t meaning outside of text. However, all texts have gaps and contradictions. In exploring these contradictions, Derrida aims to broaden our understanding of texts. He elaborates on the complexity that lies behind seemingly simple works, concluding that meaning is not self-contained within text itself. Derrida wants to proves that the written word communicates a fundamental aspect of language that the spoken word cannot. The traditional emphases on speech is a means of transmitting philosophical ideas. Derrida reveals that every “mark” of semi linguistic communication is valid within its content of writing, whether its spoken or written. Derrida allegedly believes that citationality is a precondition to meaning. He believes for marks to “normally function”, they must be duplicated in some manner. He questions if the conditions of a text are every absolutely determinable, leaving the reader to question if what is read can be evidently defined as a linguistic community.

Jacques Derrida writing is opinion based and pessimistic, yet, he reveals it as fact when he speaks it with such importance and fact. Whereas Morrison aims to engage readers emotionally, but her tonality lacks an emotional appeal to her audience because of her blunt and fragmented phrases. Therefore, according to Derrida, there is an essential tension between In my opinion, it is ironic that Derrida comments on “nuclear traits” (Derrida 92) of writing, yet, he presents fatal flaws in his own texts.