The History about Toni Morrisons Life - Research Paper Example

Toni Morrison Introduction Toni Morrison is one of the black female artists that continue to leave a big impact in the American literature. Born in February 18th in 1931 the novelist, professor, and editor has written some of the best novels in American literature (Kottiswara 30). Her works have not been left unnoticed and in 2012 she received the presidential Medal of Freedom. She is also amongst the few black women who have received the Nobel Prize for literature. She won this prize in 1993. It had been very difficult for the blacks to make it through the elites in America without education. Most of the blacks in America came in as slaves and lacked education. The last 3 centuries have been dominated by whites in the literature industry. When Toni was born in 1930, she experienced racism and decided to create an impact in black society in America (Fultz 78). This paper is going to make an inquiry about Toni Morrison’s life and how she had influenced American culture especially for the Blacks. The paper seek to find out her early life and the challenges she had go through to end up as a well-recognized icon in the field of literature in the US and her impact on black culture. Toni fought the notion that the Negros is not intellectual and for this she was awarded with Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts on human rights activism. Biography Morrison was born in Ohio in 1931. She became a catholic at age 12 and she adapted her writing skills from the story telling character that she acquired from his father who told many stories about the black community. This is where Toni found her point her career for fighting for the Negros human rights. As a catholic she acquired the name Anthony which was later nicknamed Toni a name she is famously known for. She graduated from Howard University in 1953 with an Bachelor of Art in English. Her interest in writing career made her pursue her second degree which she acquired in 1955 from Cornell University. According to Toni, only education and knowledge would break the chains of racism and discrimination the blacks suffered in America hence her reasons for further studies. 3 years from her Masters graduation Toni was married to Harold Morrison whom they both gave birth to 2 children. Their marriage only lasted 6 years after which Toni divorced her architectural husband she met in Howard University. After this divorce, Toni was forced to move to New York where she landed a job as a book editor. This job inspired Toni to be a good writer and her efforts led to the exposure of black literature works into the mainstream. She edited works Henry Dumas, Toni Cade Bambara, Angel Davis, and Gayl Jones. Since this time Toni has been able to remain a great feature in the field of literature. She composed so many books which were embraced by many black communities and acted as a symbol of motivation to overcome racism. Her great works acquired the attention of the international world and she was awarded with the Nobel Prize for literature in 1993. Besides this she had earlier won Pulitzer Prize in 1988 and consequently she won the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012 (Asante 25). Toni influences in American Literature Toni continues to live an indelible mark in American literature especially when she decided to dispel the notion that Negros cannot follow their intellectual pursuits. Most of her writings dwelt on African- American women in the US. When she wrote the Bluest Eyes the author had intention of showing that a black woman is beautiful. In this novel she describes a lonely girl who attempts to find some sense of love and identity in the family and community. The author of this book in this case is famously remembered for the slogan, Black is beautiful”. Toni had the intention of clearing out the negative impression in the African Americans whose self-esteem was damaged by the fact that they were not beautiful especially the black African American women (Duvall 90). From the Novel Bluest Eye the author describes Freida and Pecola young African American girls who must be defined by the white image and standards of beauty. This makes Pecola to believe that blue eyes are the basis of beauty. For this reason, she prays so hard to have blue eyes which she believes is the basis of beauty. However, the writer later writes how Pecola is taught to accept her own black culture. The author illustrates how African American is blinded with the white culture. In addition to this, the author also illustrates how loss of identity leads to chaos from family to friends (Morrison 102). Pecola could not believe what people would tell her she was instead she believed that when she developed blue eyes everybody would see her different and accept her as beautiful. From this book we learn Toni’s intention of empowering the African American society. It is also important to notice that Toni’s literal work faced a lot of criticism. When she wrote her novel Beloved she was excluded from the National Book Awards in addition to National Book Circle awards despite the novel Beloved being named the best American novel in the last 25 years. This prompted 48 African American artists to protest why she was omitted from the list of awards. From this scenario it was evident that American Literature was still facing racial discrimination. The novel Beloved earned Toni the Noble Prize in 1993 after its production. This novel court the attention of the international community after it was rejected on grounds of racial criticism and discrimination in the US. She dedicated this book to the slaves. In this book she writes about a man who kills her daughter because he could not allow her child to be captured. The author is still dwelling about women and her aim is to show how vulnerable they are in the society filed with racism and discrimination (Toni Morrison 67). In the Song of Solomon the author narrates the experience of African American who flew from Africa to America. The author gives an encounter of four generations and their experience with slavery. In this book the author also highlight the Great Migration which saw most African Americans moving from the south to other parts of the country (Toni 35). The author has managed to show how women play a key role in shaping and maintaining the society. The author talks of Pilate who raises her family by taking care of her sisters and children. Toni also describes the effects of slavery. In this novel he writes how a young man Milkman is afflicted by a genetic malady disease which traces its origins from the oppressions their forefathers endured in the past generations. The author brings out clearly how African Americans suffered in the hands of the whites. For example in this novel she writes about how Macon is killed brutally in the presence of his two children while defending his land. The author also successfully builds up the culture and ancestry of African Americans. This is revealed when the Milkman comes across stones and bones of his forefather Macon Dead I. From this we can learn that despite the suffering and tribulations the African Americans endured the author still reminded them that they have their past which was important for them. This has played a big role in ensuring that African American respect their culture and traditions. This is seen by the kind of literature they produce. The discovery of their forefathers made African America happy. For this they decided to live as responsible people. They developed love and compassion. For this reason, Toni is remembered for cultivating the sense of love and compassion in the lives of the African Americans despite their suffering. In addition to this, it was important that they come together in order to for them to fight together and overcome racism. Conclusion This paper has managed to explore the artistic works of Toni Morrison an African American woman that continues to leave a mark in American Literature. Her works majorly dwelt with African American women who were most vulnerable to cases of racism, slavery and discrimination (Mbalia). The author uses her writing skills something that she borrowed from her father’s story telling techniques. Toni also realized at an early age that lack of education and knowledge was the reason why most of the African Americans suffered discrimination and slavery. For this reason, she endures the pains of education and this later earns her an international award being the second black woman to win the Nobel Prize. The author manages to impress her audience by her sensational stories of the black history. This is mostly captured in Song of Solomon. In her book Bluest Eyes the author writes about young African American girls who must compare themselves to the whites in order to be considered beautiful (Singh). The author uses her writing skills to teach the young people in the African American society that they are beautiful and must learn to accept themselves and their identity. This leads to the common slogan, “Black is beuatiful” (Gilyard 321). Works cited Asante, Molefi Kete. 100 Greatest African Americans: A Biographical Encyclopedia. Amherst, New York: Prometheus Books, 2002. Duvall, John N. "The IdIdentifying Fictions of Toni Morrison: Modernist Authenticity and Postmodern Blackness." Palgrave Macmillan. (2000): 38. Fultz, Lucille P. Toni Morrison: Playing with Difference. New York: Library of Congress, 2003. Gilyard, K., and Wardi. African American Literature. New York: Penguin, 2004. Kottiswara, W.S. Postmodern Feminist Writers. New Dehli: Sarup & Sons. , 2008. Mbalia, Doreatha D. Toni Morrisons Developing Class Consciousness. New Jersey: Associated University Press, 2010. Morrison, Toni. The Bluest Eye. New York: Knopf Doubleday Publishing, 2007. Singh, MG. Toni Morrisons contribution to American literature: A show Case of a Black Writer. 29 October 2013. 28 April 2014 . Toni Morrison. Beloved. Broomall: Chelsea House Publishers, 2004. Toni, Morrison. Song of Solomon. New York: Oxford University Press, 1977. Read More