Toni Morrison – Sharing History

February saw the births of many an eloquent writer throughout history, including James Joyce, Sinclair Lewis, Kate Chopin, and Toni Morrison. If you’re looking for a classic to read this month, consider the following options from these February-born literary icons:

Dubliners

James Joyce’s Dubliners is an extremely influential collection of short stories, with its final story, “The Dead,” being one of the most famous short stories in history. The collection, as its name suggests, is united by its setting: Dublin, Ireland. Joyce wrote of his collection: “My intention was to write a chapter of the moral history of my country, and I chose Dublin for the scene because that city seemed to me the centre of paralysis. I have tried to present it to the indifferent public under four of its aspects: childhood, adolescence, maturity, and public life.” The theme of paralysis is central to every story. We watch as characters are blocked by duty, by religious responsibility, and by the burdens of life from obtaining their true desires.

It Can’t Happen Here

The inspiration for Sinclair Lewis’ dystopian novel It Can’t Happen Here came from his wife, journalist Dorothy Thompson’s, interview with Adolf Hitler. As Lewis watched Hitler come to power across the Atlantic, he began to ask himself, “what would happen if a Fascist takeover occurred in the U.S.?” As Lewis writes it, in the 1936 election, populist candidate Berzelius Windrip promises to be the champion of the “Forgotten Men,” or working-class white men (sound familiar?). Upon his election, Windrip seizes control of Congress and the Supreme Court. If you’re looking for a novel to heighten your anxiety in an election year, this is it.

The Awakening

Kate Chopin’s novel The Awakening is an essential text in the study of 19^th-century feminism. It follows a young woman, Edna Pontellier, as she travels with her husband and children for the summer. On her vacation, she meets a host of characters who force her to question her identity as wife and mother. The novel follows Edna’s quest to become free by taking full ownership of her own body and identity.

Sula

Sula is Toni Morrison’s second novel. It is a coming-of-age story that features two girls: Sula, and Nel. The two girls are best friends though their personalities are completely opposite. The reader watches as the girls mature and have experiences with family, tragedy, sexuality, and racism that indelibly change them. As in all of Morrison’s novels, Sula and Nel’s experiences are a portrait of Black Americans trying to find their place in a society that is determined not to make space for them.

Learn more here:

Tag: Toni Morrison

What to Read in February