Essay about Toni Morrisons Literary Achievements - 693 Words

Toni Morrisons Literary Achievements In 1993 Toni Morrison joined the illustrious ranks of the Nobel Prize for Literature laureates as the ninetieth recipient, twentieth English-language author, eighth American, eighth woman, third black, and first African-American 1. Her mid-century predecessor William Faulkner (1897-1962) had just received the award in 1950 when Morrison (b. 1931) began writing her Master of Arts thesis on his work.2 Aside from both being Nobel laureates, this unlikely pair has, at first glance, little in common: Morrison, the college-educated daughter of a black Ohio shipyard welder, a key figure in the publishing and academic world; Faulkner, Southern son of aristocratic background, autodidact, reclusive†¦show more content†¦She is as great and as innovative as Faulkner and Garcia Marquez and Woolf. He also pointed to the particularity of her achievement as an African-American: Just two centuries ago the African-American literary tradition was born in slave narratives. Now our greatest writ er has won the Nobel Prize.6 No doubt Morrison was particularly pleased by the joy of the African-American women; in her acceptance speech she quotes a message on her answering machine from an artist friend: My dear sister, the prize that is yours is also ours and could not have been placed in better hands.7 The literary critic Barbara Christian, one of the first academics to write seriously about Morrisons work in the 1970s, extols her liberating sound: How fortunate to have lived at a time when we can dwell in, and heal, through her language! [...] to the African-American women, Toni Morrison had long since won a Nobel Prize.8 Toni MorrisonsShow MoreRelatedstudy on toni morrison Essay2402 Words   |  10 Pagesï » ¿A Study On Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye Ying-Hua,Liao Introduction Toni Morrison was the winner of the 1993 Nobel Prize for Literature. She is a prominent contemporary American writer devoted to the black literary and cultural movement. Her achievements and dedication to the promotion of black culture have established her distinguished status in American literature. Many critics applaud Toni Morrison’s artistic talent and contribution to American literature. Darwin T. Turner, for exampleRead MoreWell-known American Author Toni Morrison1182 Words   |  5 PagesToni Morrison (named Chloe Anthony Wofford at birth) was born in Lorain, Ohio, on February 18, in 1931, to Ramah (nà ©e Willis) and George Wofford. She is the second child of four in a middle-class family. As a child, Morrison read frequently; her favorite authors were Jane Austen and Leo Tolstoy. Morrisons father told her many folktales of the black community (something that would later be apart of Morrisons works). Morrison is a well known American author, editor, and professor who won the NobelRead MoreReview Of Khaled Hosseini s Kite Runner Essay1386 Words   |  6 Pagesother and violence that the author imposes on his characters. Violent clashes between characters, such as stabbings or shootings can illuminate issues between characters regarding love, ideology, money, or race among other things. Foster uses Toni Morrison’s Beloved as an example of violence that a character imposes on another, because in this work, an escaped slave kills her own daughter out of desperation to protect her from slavery. This act taken literally appears villainous and unbelievable,Read MoreElements of Postmodernism in Ishmael Reeds Mumbo Jumbo, Don Delillos White Noise, Toni Morrisons Beloved and Thomas Pynchons the Crying of Lot 496348 Words   |  26 Pagesconcepts and ideas. Perhaps the central achievement of postmodernism is the consideration of difference, an insistent attention to the local cultures and undervalued constituencies that modernisms exaltation of unity and grand narrative often obscured, which can easily be observed by reading and analyzing some of the most important works of American postmodern fiction . Works such as Ishmael Reeds Mumbo Jumbo, Don DeLillos White Noise, Toni Morrisons Beloved and Thomas Pynchons The CryingRead MoreMargaret Atwood Spotty Handed Villainesses1879 Words   |  8 PagesMARGARET ATWOOD: â€Å"SPOTTY-HANDED VILLIANESSES: PROBLEMS OF FEMALE BAD BEHAVIOUR IN THE CREATION OF LITERATURE† BUI CONTEXT Margaret Atwood is once of Canada’s best known literary composers. She is best known for her ability as an author of novels such as Alias Grace, Bodily Harm, Hairball, Rape Fantasies, and the highly acclaimed The Handmaid’s Tale, which was later made into a movie. These works establish her as a feminist writer, raising issues of women in literature, the difficulties associatedRead MoreReview Of Charlotte Bronte s Jane Eyre 10879 Words   |  44 Pagesas Bronte also struggled to come to terms with balancing her feelings and freedom. It has also been pointed out that Bertha Mason is Charlotte Bronte. Both did not get to go out, failed to find love, and expressed themselves in unorthodox ways. Literary Period: Victorian Produced: October 16, 1847 Published: Smith, Elder, and Co., Cornhill Country where written: England Setting Location: Gateshead, Lowood School, Thornfield, Moor House, and Ferndean Time Period: Early 1900s Weather if relevant TheRead MoreEudora Welty a Worn Path12166 Words   |  49 Pagesan appropriate setting for Weltys story of Phoenix Jackson? Find out about race relations in the United States, especially in Mississippi, during the early 1940s. Are these the same attitudes Welty depicts in A Worn Path? The journey has been a literary device since ancient Greek times when Homer wrote The Odyssey, How is Phoenix Jacksons walk through the woods similar to Odysseuss seven−year journey home after the Trojan War?  » Back to Table of Contents Media Adaptations A Worn Path wasRead MoreEudora Welty a Worn Path12173 Words   |  49 Pagesan appropriate setting for Weltys story of Phoenix Jackson? Find out about race relations in the United States, especially in Mississippi, during the early 1940s. Are these the same attitudes Welty depicts in A Worn Path? The journey has been a literary device since ancient Greek times when Homer wrote The Odyssey, How is Phoenix Jacksons walk through the woods similar to Odysseuss seven−year journey home after the Trojan War?  » Back to Table of Contents Media Adaptations A Worn Path was adapted