Flat Character Portrayal In Toni Morrison's Recitatif

Flat Character Portrayal in Recitatif Fictional stories are often composed of various kinds of characters, such as minor and major characters. Major characters are often very complex and can evolve throughout a story. However, minor characters typically are less complex and often one-dimensional, but can still be seen as evolving characters based on the specific plot that they are in. In this case, the portrayal of flat characters varies regarding to fictional stories. An example of characters like these would include Maggie from Toni Morrison’s Recitatif. Maggie’s character in this story portrays the characteristic of a flat character, although she still possess the …show more content…
In addition to this, at this part in the story Maggie as a flat character is being used as a tool to challenge the thoughts and perceptions of the main characters In fact, according to Sandra K. Stanley the author of the article, “Maggie in Toni Morrison’s “Recitatif”: The Africanist Presence and Disability Studies” she suggests that, “Twyla reads Maggie as a metaphor of her own experience, representing an absence rather than a presence: Twyla projects her own feelings of powerlessness stemming from her unresponsive mother, who was deaf and dumb to her cries, upon Maggie” (Stanley 82). Based on this quote Twyla, who found it harder to understand how she was involved in Maggie’s mistreatment, realizes that Maggie is in fact a representation of her mother by possessing similar traits to her. The traits that Maggie possesses even goes back to show how Twyla and Roberta’s mothers were incapable of properly being good parents to the two girls and were “handicapped” by their own problems. Twyla’s mother went to go dancing while Roberta’s mother was too sick to take care of her, therefore the “deafness and dumbness” of Maggie demonstrates just how they both viewed their mothers as useless. Even through the article by Sandra K. Stanley proves that in the Africanist presence disability is seen as …show more content…
A flat character is usually seen as a one-dimensional character that is not as complex or evolved as major characters. On the other hand, not all flat characters are represented the same throughout fiction. Therefore this can cause major characters to be challenged in their thoughts and actions based on the presence of flat characters. Just like in Recitatif Maggie was used as an integral feature to the story even though she was a flat character. She possessed the same qualities as the mothers of Twyla and Roberta who abandoned them at the shelter. Characters like Maggie are examples of flat characters that can grow to become a sensitive and important subject to the main characters. Just like main characters, flat characters can still share the same importance to the plot of a fictional