From emotional orphanhood to cultural orphanhoodspiritual death and re-birth in two novels by Toni Morrison

  1. Vega González, Susana
Revista:
Alicante Journal of English Studies / Revista Alicantina de Estudios Ingleses: RAEI

ISSN: 0214-4808 2171-861X

Año de publicación: 1996

Número: 9

Páginas: 143-152

Tipo: Artículo

DOI: 10.14198/RAEI.1996.9.10 DIALNET GOOGLE SCHOLAR lock_openRUA editor

Otras publicaciones en: Alicante Journal of English Studies / Revista Alicantina de Estudios Ingleses: RAEI

Resumen

This paper aims to analyze the process of spiritual death and sometimes ensuing re-birth Morrison's characters undergo in two of her novels: Sula and Tar Baby. Special attention will be paid to the female protagonists, Sula and Jadine, and their emotional and cultural "orphanhood" caused by their detachment from the ancestors and the community. Neither a total detachment nor an unquestioning submission to the establishment within the community is convenient; Morrison's eclectic position in this sense will be explained through this analysis.