"Recitatif" Paragraph Reflections
Student Name: ____________________________________________Date: _____________ Period: _________
Suggestions:
 Make sure your thesis is an __argument__ not a ____________fact____________.
 ____USE_____ words from thesis in your____commentary_______ to ensure that you are proving your
argument.
 Prove all parts of your ______thesis_________.
 2+ ______commentary________ for each piece of _____evidence________.
Nit-Picky Notes:
 ____________citations________ come at the end of the sentence but before the ____period_________.
 Citations are ______page numbers______________ only (unless you are discussing more than one source).
 All papers must be ____________double____ spaced and include the _______MLA__ header and title.
Directions:
 Check for MLA formatting. If formatted incorrectly, take off two points
 Decide if thesis is (A) an argument or (F) a fact.
 Circle words in commentary and draw lines back to words in thesis that they “echo.”
 Circle "grades" and write rationales using the Paragraph Rubric in your Writing Guide. Half grades are possible.
Paragraph I:
MLA Formatting
Thesis: 0 ----- 1 ------ 2 ------ 3
Yes / No (No... -2)
Rationale:
X2=
Evidence: 0 ----- 1 ------ 2 ------ 3
Rationale:
X2 =
Commentary: 0 ----- 1 ------ 2 ------ 3
Rationale:
X2=
Embedded and Cited Evidence: 0 ----- 1 ------ 2 ------ 3
Rationale:
X1=
Add grades together and add 3 = Raw Score = Pre-Score (take off points for MLA if necessary) = Final Score = _________
Paragraph II:
MLA Formatting
Thesis: 0 ----- 1 ------ 2 ------ 3
Yes / No (No... -2)
Rationale:
X2=
Evidence: 0 ----- 1 ------ 2 ------ 3
Rationale:
X2 =
Commentary: 0 ----- 1 ------ 2 ------ 3
Rationale:
X2=
Embedded and Cited Evidence: 0 ----- 1 ------ 2 ------ 3
Rationale:
X1=
Add grades together and add 3 = Raw Score = Pre-Score (take off points for MLA if necessary) = Final Score = _________
Paragraph III:
MLA Formatting
Thesis: 0 ----- 1 ------ 2 ------ 3
Yes / No (No... -2)
Rationale:
X2=
Evidence: 0 ----- 1 ------ 2 ------ 3
Rationale:
X2 =
Commentary: 0 ----- 1 ------ 2 ------ 3
Rationale:
X2=
Embedded and Cited Evidence: 0 ----- 1 ------ 2 ------ 3
Rationale:
X1=
Add grades together and add 3 = Raw Score = Pre-Score (take off points for MLA if necessary) = Final Score = _________
Directions: Now read through your own paragraph and make suggestions to improve your own work.
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Remember the prompt: What is Toni Morrison saying about race in "Recitatif"? How is she conveying this argument
about race? How do you know that is what she is saying?
Paragraph #1:
Student Name
Ms. Tuttle
English 3
7 September 2015
Throughout the short story "Recitatif" by Toni Morrison, race is made important by the use of racial uncertainty,
this causes the reader to use American society stereotypes to try and determine the race of the main characters, coming
to a conclusion causes uneasy feelings because the reader feels guilty about their assumptions. Twyla, Roberta, and
Maggie are all made racially fluid for the purpose of creating confusion and discomfort not only outside the text , but
also between these main characters. The confusion is made clear when Roberta says, "You're the same little state kid
who kicked a poor old black lady when she was down on the ground"; Maggie's skin color was never mentioned (16). In
fact, it was described as "sandy-colored" which is a general description and could mean almost any race (2). Morrison
uses this to point out that even the characters in the story are puzzled. The confusion creates conflict because they are
not in agreement and Maggie's race "she said" terms. If Maggie's race was made obvious there would be no ambiguity;
the racial stereotypes would be pinned on the author, not the reader. These feelings of discomfort and guilt are caused
solely because the reader is responsible for these thoughts because the race of the main characters are never
mentioned. Likewise, when Twyla and Roberta are first introduced Twyla cannot help but make a comment on Roberta's
race; Twyla says, "They never washed their hair and they smelled funny" (2). Which is followed with "My mother won't
like you putting me in here" (2). These racial stereotypes are caused by Twyla's racist mother and thus shows that racism
is taught. Since the reader is not sure as to what race Roberta is the reader is led to try and come to a conclusion which
is decided solely on the long-lived stereotypes that have been passed down for most of America's lifetime. Morrison
uses this to prove how dominant racial stereotype are and probably always will be.
T: 6, E: 6, C: 5, EECE: 3, WR: 3 = 23 = 95-2= 93
Paragraph #2
Student Name
Ms. Tuttle
English III
9/2/15
In the short story, Recitatif, Toni Morrison uses the mystery of Maggie's race to illustrate how race tends to get
people to look at just the situation itself and not why it occurred in the first place. After revisiting the distant memories
of St. Bonny's, Twyla processes the moments of Maggie's torment with the gar girls first with denial, and finally with
discomfort and disbelief. Roberta explains to Twyla that the gar girls "knocked [Maggie] down," and Twyla reassures
herself "that's not what happened" (12). As Twyla processes through these supposedly forgotten moments of Maggie,
she starts to become disturbed by the fact that she was completely unfamiliar with what exactly happened to her at St.
Bonny's. This feeling of uncertainty is caused by Twyla questions what exactly happened to Maggie at St. Bonny's, not
why it happened to her. It is a possibility, though, that Maggie's race might have something to do with why she was
treated poorly. While searching for a christmas tree, Roberta explains to Twyla that she "really did think she was
black...but now [she] can't be sure" (19). Furthermore, without knowing a certain person's ethnicity is , it can be difficult
to pinpoint a reason why such events transpired.
T: 3, E: 6, C: 1, EECE: 3, WR: 3 = 17 = 65-2= 63
Paragraph #3:
StudentName
9/8/2015
P5 English 3
Ambiguity in Recitatif
Toni Morrison use ambiguity surrounding race to show how the audience projects onto the story as well as
causing the reader to reflect on the stereotypes used to justify their ideas. Stereotypes are not specific to America, but a
majority of the ones blurred in the story are particular to that background. For example: Twyla says "my mother won't
like you putting me in here" (1) when she finds out she'll be in the same room as Roberta. This sentence alone isn't
enough to really enough to actually distinguish which of the two is what race, and yet by this point the entire audience
already has a guess. Morrison continues to employ stereotypes by giving each little girl traits from either race. For
example, when lunchtime rolls around Twyla would eat anything whereas Roberta picks and chooses what to eat:
"Roberta hated it and left whole pieces of things on her plate "(2). Given the time period it would make more sense for a
white girl to be pickier about what she eats. On the other hand, Twyla is made to look white by showing her
obliviousness to racial issues. Roberta mentions " you know how it was in those days: black - white" (13). To which she
thinks: "I didn't know. I thought it was just the opposite"(13). By blurring the lines between the girls races Morison
forces the reader to assign a race to each of them. This displays the readers ingrained stereotypes and ideas of a perfect
protagonist.
T: 5, E: 6, C: 5, EECE: 2, WR: 3 = 21 = 85-2= 83