The Power of Wealth In the story “Recitatif” by Toni Morrison there is a constant theme of race, discovery and social class differentiation. The characters in Morrison’s story, Twyla and Roberta, are of different races but are more evidently separated by class based on their wealth. Wealth is one of the most important defining elements of personal identity and class differentiation.
The wealth of a person will determine what products and services they will consume, what subcultures they will associate with, and their everyday code of conduct.Twyla and Roberta met after being dumped in a shelter as little girls by their mothers and spent some time together as roommates. Eventually they went their separate ways and occasionally ran into each other throughout their lives. In each of Roberta and Twyla’s encounters Toni Morrison develops a distinct lifestyle that emphasizes their class position. The theme of “Barbie-Q” by Sandra Cisneros compliments the argument that Toni Morrison makes in “Recitatif” which is that class relationships in America are based on an individual’s ability to consume, association with subcultures, and everyday code of conduct.
The social class of the characters in “Recitatif” and “Barbie-Q” are evaluated by their possessions. In “Recitatif” Roberta and Twyla’s class differences begin to more evidently unravel in their third encounter when Twyla and Roberta run into each other at Food Emporium, a gourmet food market. This encounter was important in determining their social class difference because up until then it was unknown what turn their financial life had taken. Although they were both shopping at a gourmet food store, they were not in the same wealth status.Twyla was only in there only out of curiosity after receiving a brochure in the mail. It only became clearer that Roberta is of a higher social class when Twyla asks, “You married a Chinaman? .
.. Servants and all? ” (Morrison 9-10). It was not until Twyla was shocked to see Roberta had a driver and servants that the reader begins to separate the two into different social classes based on what they possessed. Similarly, In “Barbie-Q” the possessions or lack of possessions, determines the narrator’s social class.The narrator is explaining how she plays with her Barbies and says, “Only Ken’s invisible, right? Because we don’t have money for a stupid-looking boy doll when we’d both rather ask for a new Barbie outfit next Christmas” (Cisneros).
Cisneros uses this line to articulate the narrator’s minimal purchasing power. She develops this gist of minimal purchasing power in various other lines such as when she mention’s the narrator’s Barbie sock dress. Both authors distinguish their characters by their ability to consume.Roberta has a driver, a servant, and regularly shops at a gourmet food store therefore is of a higher social class than Twyla, whereas in Cisneros’s piece, the narrator is unable to purchase beautiful Barbies and the companions and accessories due to lack of funds.
A person’s purchasing power is imperative in the classification of class because it not only determines what goods and services an individual will consume but where these goods are purchased and even more importantly where the individual will choose to live and whom they will associate with.Cisneros and Morrison use the environment of their characters to show subculture association, which is an important element in characterizing social class in America. One subculture individuals are part of is their neighborhood. One of the biggest differences between the characters of Morrison’s story is where they live. Twyla lives in a section of low social class.
This is understood when Twyla says, “Half the population of Newburgh is on welfare now” (Morrison, 7). When Morrison mentions welfare she undoubtedly portrays poverty or low income.Twyla lives in an area of low income, making her of a lower social class as compared to Roberta’s. The difference of their subculture association is reflected on when Twyla comments on the neighborhood Roberta lives in. After discovering the neighborhood in which Roberta lives, Twyla says, “Annandale, a neighborhood full of doctors and IBM executives” (Morrison, 8).
When an area is known to reside doctors and executives it is understood that it is an area of affluence. The income of those who reside in such areas are much larger compared to those who live in an area where welfare is the primary income of a household.This dissimilarity in residential area of the characters develops a greater gap between their social classes. Cisneros uses similar context clues in her piece. Subcultures can be developed in various places.
Cisneros uses the place where her narrator shops to show the environment of her subculture association. This is first seen when the narrator of “Barbie-Q” mentions where she will buy her Barbies. After she states the current conditions of her Barbies she talks about her day shopping for new ones and says, “Until next Sunday when we are walking through the flea market on Market Street… How much?Please, please, please, please, please, please, please, until they say okay” (Cisneros). A flea market is a place to buy things of lower value, which shows the minimal purchasing power of the narrator and those whom she associates with in this place. Cisneros compliments the argument that things sold at flea markets are of low value when she mentions what kind of Barbies are being offered.
The narrator says, “Everybody today selling toys, all of them damaged with water and smelling of smoke” (Cisneros).This sentence shows the inferiority of the goods being offered for sale at the flea market. People who are part of a lower social class live in an area of less value and shop for inferior goods. Although the authors use different contexts clues to evaluate the subcultures of their characters, they both argue that those of a lower social class settle for things of less value.
Subcultures may determine where individuals choose to reside or frequent but it furthermore helps define individuals they associate with, which will in return determine an individual’s behaviors.The characters of “Recitatif” as well as those in “Barbie-Q” have different codes of conducts that assist in separating them into different social classes. A person’s code of conduct is his/her life style. It is responsibilities or proper practices that are expected of them by society. Code of conduct includes but is not limited to how a person carries themselves, their behavior, appearance, education, leisure, and many other things that play a role in determining their social classification.Morrison uses many different conducts to differentiate between her characters.
One of which stands out is Morrison’s emphasis on Roberta’s elegance. The first time Twyla runs into Roberta she says, “Shoes, dress, everything lovely and summery and rich” (Morrison, 8). As Twyla says this she gives an impression of astonishment. This is Morrison’s way of stressing how a woman of a higher social class is expected to appear or behave.
The last time Twyla runs into Morrison she describes her as, “There she was. In a silvery evening gown and dark fur coat” (Morrison, 16).In both instances Morrison emphasizing only Roberta’s elegance and carriage, which leaves room for deducing that Twyla, did not have the same code of conduct. Similarly, Cisneros uses the physical appearance of the Barbies to tell the difference between social classes.
The narrator of “Barbie-Q” uses her Barbie’s outfits to show its inferiority compared to others. She makes remarks such as “Yours, Red Flair, sophisticated A-line coatdress with a Jackie Kennedy pillbox hat… Mine, solo in the Spotlight, evening elegance in black glitter strapless gown… the black glitter wears off where her titties stick out” (Cisneros).The description that Cisneros makes of each Barbie is used to differentiate the code of conduct of different social classes. Just as more accessories to a Barbie means higher class, so does more elegance and posture of Morrison’s characters. A person’s power of consumption will establish where they reside or frequent, which will in return determine the type of people they associate with, and overall influence how they carry themselves, all of which are key elements in determining which social class they belong to.
The excerpt “Barbie-Q” by Sandra Cisneros serves great purpose in complimenting Toni Morrison’s argument in “Recitatif” that social relation in America is determined by three elements: ability of consumption, subculture associations, and code of conduct. The three elements are all interrelated because they are all influenced by the individual’s wealth status. Wealth is one of the most significant defining elements of personal identity and social class status. The wealth of an individual will determines their power of consumption, association with subcultures, and their everyday code of conduct.
