Published in 1983, Recitatif presents an important issue in society. During this time racial segregation was beginning to demolish. Just 20 years before Recitatif was published, The Civil Rights Act of 1964 ended all state laws regarding racial segregation. Despite this, racial segregation continued in the social aspect. The story begins with two girls named Twyla and Roberta. It is clear that one of them is white while the other is of color. However, it is unclear which girl is of each race. In their young years, these two little girls were put into an orphanage and were somewhat forced to be friends. Twyla and Roberta were examples of friendship after the race war ended. Once they got to know each other and looked over the color of each other’s skin, the friendship became an important personal milestone in each of their lives. With that being said, Twyla and Roberta’s friendship is an indication of the fall of racial discrimination.

In the beginning of the story, both girls are placed into an orphanage and are told they have to share a room. They had to become friends because no one else would play with them. They weren’t actual orphans. Twyla’s mother just liked to go out more than take care of her and Roberta’s mother was very sick and wasn’t capable of taking care of her. They stuck together while the older girls picked on them. They both didn’t tell each other they were scared but they got through it together. They were in a room with four beds so every night they switched which one they slept in. They didn’t like the idea being there permanently and having a permanent bed. They both didn’t do well in school also. Twyla liked Roberta because she didn’t ask questions and always had left over food. Their mothers came to visit them on a Sunday to go to Chapel and bring them lunch. Mary, Twyla’s mother, did not bring anything to eat so they just talked instead. Roberta’s mother, however, brought lunch and Roberta took some food for Twyla to have without her mother knowing.

While in the orphanage, the girls faced many issues. They lost their connection with their mothers so they were emotionally affected. According to the article, Infants and young children in orphanages: One view from pediatrics and child psychiatry, lack of touch from their mother resulted in deficits in interaction with others which caused Twyla and Roberta to not make many friends (Frank and Klass). Along with this, a lack of nutrition and health was also an issue in many orphanages’. In most of the programs, “nutritional depletion led to recurrent illness” meaning, the kids were not getting fed correctly and were always getting sick (Frank and Klass). Once one of them got sick, everyone got the illness because they were in such small places together. These issues impacted them not only the time while they were in the orphanage but also their life once they left the orphanage. 

During the time setting of the story, racism was starting to decline. Schools and other places had recently been unsegregated. Even though places were starting to desegregate, people were still racist and did not agree with the new laws. According to the article Rethinking Racism, “racism is analyzed in a circular manner” which suggests that racism is a behavior that is produced from a belief (Bonilla-Silva). 

As mentioned before, in the story Recitatif, Twyla and Roberta were of different races. Even though it is unclear who is of which race, there are clues within the story that provide evidence to lead to the conclusion. Although there are many another examples throughout the plot, the last encounter the girls had was a busing incident that caused them to react in completely different ways which makes it easier to identify their race. The issue began when each of their children had to be bused away to a new school that was too far for them to travel by anything else. The moms of the town all argued against the bus situation and eventually began to argue with each other. Due to these arguments, Roberta is believed to be white. This is because the white parents were more likely to disagree with the act of busing for desegregation and Roberta was strongly against it. While she was protesting this problem out in front of the school when Twyla drove by. Curious, Twyla pulled over to see what Roberta was doing there. Instead of saying hey, Roberta ignored her. The people protesting began to surround Twyla’s car and rock it back and forth. Their violent actions suggest that Twyla is of color. With this information, racism can be evaluated on a smaller scale. According to Bonilla-Silva, “Racism is ultimately viewed as a psychological phenomenon to be examined at the individual level.” The meaning of this quote is that racism is within one specific person and not a huge social issue. The events in this story go against this statement because Twyla was discriminated against and harassed by a whole group of people, not just an individual. It is important to point this out because if racism was an issue of personal values, it would not be such a terrible, nation-wide problem. 

In the beginning of this story, Twyla and Roberta were exposed to racism at an early age. Even within the orphanage, they experienced things like being picked on and considered inferior to the head of the orphanage for no reason. As they grew up, they both began to realize that they were influenced by racial discrimination which shaped them to act in certain ways. This behavior was based on the beliefs on which they grew up on. Despite this upbringing, they defied the “laws” of racism and resolved their conflicts. Their relationship represents the battle to overcome racism in society. This goes to prove that there is a way to end this serious conflict. It just takes time, understanding, and true friendship. 
