Through a comprehensive examination of Morrison’s work, previous chapters explored the lives of women whose only crime is their color, and who must suffer because they are born black in a world where only white is cherished and considered human or worthy of attention. Such women, throughout history and in contemporary society, in life and in literature, have traditionally been overlooked, undermined and stereotyped. They have existed only on the periphery of society - inhabiting marginal worlds, playing servile roles . . .
From her very first book, Morrison’s attempt has been to pull such women out of the anonymity of existence and place them at the nucleus, the throbbing heart, of literature . . . .
Though she writes with the aim of retrieving a rightful place for black American women in literature, Morrison never elevates or glorifies her heroines beyond believability. She does not write about infallible, morally upright, virtuous women who can do no wrong. Her pen rather creates characters who, at their worst, have committed murder and adultery, have lied and cheated when necessary, and have often been uncaring, stubborn or resentful. Morrison creates characters who resemble normal black people, and are as prone to mistakes as the next person. They seldom move along clearly divided “good” or “bad” lines, but rather, by virtue of their very humanness, exhibit shades of gray. What makes these heroines different, however, is the way they face and survive the test of time and circumstances. As these characters tread the paths of life, they find themselves in peculiar situations, but when they emerge from their extraordinary predicaments, they gain a certain startling knowledge either about themselves or about the world around them that somehow ennobles them, and at the same time makes them aware of their weaknesses. Though the doors to acceptance often slam shut in the faces of these women, most of them manage to find their way to respectability and honor. |
