Black Matters Toni Morrison is a novel that explores the lives of black Americans. It tells the story of their struggles and their triumphs. The novel is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the Black experience in America. Toni Morrison is a renowned author who has won numerous awards for her work. Her novels are always insightful and thought-provoking. Black Matters Toni Morrison is no exception. It is a powerful tribute to the Black community and their resilience in the face of adversity.
In Black Matters, Toni Morrison discusses “knowledge” and how it seems to take on a Eurocentric standpoint. The “knowledge” she discusses is the traditional literature that is “unshaped by the four-hundred-year-old presence of the first Africans and then African-Americans in the United States” (Morrison 310).
Morrison also addresses the treatment of African Americans in current society dealing with “racial discourse” (311), in addition, to ignoring matters of race. Morrison strongly argues that the traditional canon, taught and respected by much of society, ignores black’s contribution to society.
In Morrison’s Black Matters, she proposes the idea that there is a lack of knowledge when it comes to black people and their culture. When discussing “knowledge”, Morrison criticizes how it takes on a Eurocentric standpoint. The traditional literature that is taught in schools is unshaped by the four-hundred-year-old presence of the first Africans and then African-Americans in the United States (Morrison 310).
In other words, the knowledge that is passed down does not include or consider the contributions of black people. Furthermore, Morrison states that this knowledge reinforces “white supremacy” because it only focuses on one perspective (310).
Consequently, this creates a power dynamic where white people are on top and black people are on the bottom. Morrison also argues that this perspective of knowledge is dangerous because it allows society to ignore matters of race (311). By doing this, society can continue to maintain the status quo and its power dynamics.
Morrison’s Black Matters is significant because it proposes the idea that there is a lack of knowledge when it comes to black people and their culture. The book addresses the importance of including black voices in the traditional canon and how this would create a more inclusive society.
Morrison provides examples of how literature has been shaped by Eurocentric views, which have contributed to white supremacy. Her book is important because it challenges readers to question the knowledge they have been taught and consider other perspectives. Black Matters is essential reading for anyone who wants to learn more about the Black experience and the importance of inclusion.
In his essay “Homage to the American Dream,” Morrison compliments Thomas Paine and George Orwell’s powerful immigrant narratives. He believes that it is our duty as writers to choose subjects who have been silenced by prejudice and ignorance. She argues that America has never fully represented Africa in its literature, and what exists in American literature is an “invented Africa.” Morrison claims, “American literature has long been the exclusive preserve of white males’ views, genius, and power; those views, genius,
Even though Morrison uses the term “invented Africa,” it is important to note that there is no single story or experience of being black. In her book Black Matters, Toni Morrison explores what it means to be black in America.
Morrison is critical of the way that black people have been portrayed in American literature. She argues that the portrayal of black people is often limited to stereotypes and that their experiences are not accurately represented. Morrison is also concerned with the lack of true African representation within the American canon, and says that what is within our American literature is an “invented Africa”.
Morrison states, “American literature has been clearly the preserve of white male views, genius, and power, those views, genius, and power are removed from and without relationship to the presence of black people in the United States” (310). I agree with Morrison, these inequalities do ignore the importance of black experience. Even though Morrison uses the term “invented Africa,” it is important to note that there is no single story or experience of being black.
Morrison’s Black Matters is an important book because it challenges the dominant narrative of what it means to be black in America. She provides a much needed perspective on the experiences of black people in America.
Why doesn’t the majority of instructors (K-12) just focus on African American literature in February? Is it because February is Black History month? As a kid, I recall learning and reading about the black experience at home or only during the month of February. As a result, I always considered whites to be the standard for curriculum literature in schools. Morrison also demonstrates that American literature depicts the black experience as unimportant and unworthy of study.
Morrison believes that the only way to fix this misrepresentation is to create our own narratives and tell our own stories. Morrison’s novel Black matters because it gives a voice to the black experience and validates it as being just as important as the white experience. It also allows readers to see that the black experience is just as complex and rich as the white experience.
In her novel Black matters, Toni Morrison explores what it means to be black in America. She does this by telling the story of two young African American boys who are killed by the police. The boys’ deaths are a microcosm for the larger issue of police brutality against blacks in America. Through their story, Morrison highlights the injustice and inequality that blacks face in America. She also shows the resilience and strength of the black community in the face of adversity.
Black matters is an important novel because it gives voice to the black experience in America. It shows that the black experience is just as complex and rich as the white experience. And it reminds us that Black lives matter.