©2007 Caryl Mcfarlane ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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2007 Caryl McFarlane ALL RIGHTS RESERVED “CLAIMING OWNERSHIP OF THAT FREED SELF:” TONI MORRISON’S AMERICAN COUNTER-NARRATIVE by CARYL MCFARLANE A Dissertation submitted to the Graduate School-New Brunswick Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Graduate Program in Literatures in English written under the direction of Professor Abena P.A. Busia and approved by ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ New Brunswick, New Jersey October, 2007 ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION “CLAIMING OWNERSHIP OF THAT FREED SELF:” TONI MORRISON’S AMERICAN COUNTER-NARRATIVE By CARYL MCFARLANE Dissertation Director: Professor Abena P.A. Busia This dissertation lends its voice to the works of those scholars who have used Morrison‟s numerous interviews, essays, and other works of non-fiction to navigate their reading of her prose. Focusing specifically on the similarity of historiographic approaches between The Black Book, Morrison‟s one historical project, and her fiction, I assert that all of Morrison‟s novels can be read as historical texts. The Black Book is comprised of variegated pieces of memorabilia, gathered by the authors from collectors, “people who had the original raw material documenting our life” (“Rediscovering” 15). It is, therefore, a (re)collection of pieces of memory, documented and undocumented. Although Morrison‟s first four novels, do not conform to the traditional definition of the historical novel in “recall[ing] a life which no longer exists,” they are based on the same method of historical (re)collection employed in The Black Book, each incorporating documented and undocumented pieces of memory and memorabilia (Christian 328). Based on the aforementioned methodological similarity, I read Morrison‟s works in historical chronology rather than publication sequence to excavate her multi-layered narrative approach that she lays bare through the process of time. ii While each of the novels discussed are comprised of various layers of interwoven individual narratives they unfold against the backdrop of a larger American narrative, the National Narrative. Reformulating Morrison‟s usage of the event based “national narrative” in her Simpson analysis, I argue that the National Narrative is the cohesion of two constructed narratives, white domination and black subjugation (“Official Story” 16). Although each protagonist, with the exception of Sethe in Beloved, has corporeal freedom, all are spiritually bound by difficult past histories, and by the Narrative impact in their present circumstances. Yet, the narrative of the protagonist‟s life serves as a counter-narrative to the National Narrative‟s constructions as he/she journeys towards spiritual recrudescence. However, none of Morrison‟s novels proceeds or concludes in a linearly definitive manner. Contrary to narratological convention, each novel includes fragmented time sequences and concludes with numerous questions unanswered encouraging the reader to participate in the textual conversation Morrison elicits with each opening sentence. iii Acknowledgments and Dedication The completion of this project would not have been possible without the direction, encouragement, prayers and support of many people. First, I am thankful to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, through Whom all things are possible. Secondly, I thank my advisor, Prof. Busia, who consistently read all of my drafts and proposals over the years, and helped me to develop a much richer final product. Also, I thank the other members of my committee Prof. Bassard, Prof. Brown, and Prof. Wall who each served in different ways to steer my scholarship onto its current pathway. And I thank my Rutgers associates, Dr. Nikol Alexander-Floyd and Dr. Ingrid Reneau- Schofield, for their direction, advice and encouragement. I am also exceedingly grateful for the encouragement and prayer support I received from my church family at Central Baptist Church. Specifically, I thank Dee and Leon Hunt, Beryl and Bob Kutrieb, Becky and Scott Compton and Sheryl and Ted Forst, for the help that they offered through this process. Finally, and most importantly, I thank my wonderfully supportive family. Without the example of fortitude and courage I received, especially from my mother, I never would have persevered to the end. I thank both of my parents, Dr.‟s Roderick and Sylvia Loney, for continuing to believe in me and in the importance of this project when many others had cast me aside. I thank my two wonderful sisters, Dr. Deborah Loney-Brown and Arlene Whiteman, for their assistance, encouragement and tangible help and my two brothers, Kestor and Ronny Loney, for their ideas and cautions. And I thank my amazingly patient, loving and dear spouse, Maurice McFarlane and my two beautiful boys, Timothy and Joseph, whose support and assistance throughout this project has been invaluable. To these last three persons, and to God, I dedicate this dissertation. iv Table of Contents Title Page……………………………………………………..…………………………………….i Abstract of the Dissertation...…………………………..………………………………………….ii Acknowledgments and Dedication ................................................................................................. iv Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter One: Narratives and Counter-narratives ........................................................................... 15 The Conversation ....................................................................................................................... 15 The National Narrative .............................................................................................................. 27 The Counter Narrative ............................................................................................................... 36 Be(ing): Speaking, Shouting, Sharing ....................................................................................... 41 Loving: Learning to be a Daughter ............................................................................................ 47 Sight to Insight: The Three Phases of the Journey ..................................................................... 49 Chapter Two: “Beating back the past:” The Call to Wholeness in Beloved .................................. 57 Cycle One: Phase I ..................................................................................................................... 66 Cycle One: Phase II ................................................................................................................... 70 Cycle One: Phase III .................................................................................................................. 79 Cycle Two: Phases I................................................................................................................... 89 Cycle Two: Phase II ................................................................................................................... 95 Chapter Three: “Inside Nothing:” The National Narrative in Toni Morrison‟s Jazz ................... 100 Morrison‟s Reading of Jazz Music .......................................................................................... 103 The National Narrative ............................................................................................................ 107 The Common Narratives .......................................................................................................... 110 Morrison‟s Counter-Narrative ................................................................................................. 113 Accessing the “Inaccessible” ................................................................................................... 119 Chapter Four: Flying Home: Mercy and Transformation in Toni Morrison‟s Song of Solomon . 138 The Spectacle ........................................................................................................................... 149 The Song of Solomon .............................................................................................................. 151 Jake‟s Narrative ....................................................................................................................... 154 Macon and Pilate‟s Dichotomous Narratives ........................................................................... 160 Mercy ....................................................................................................................................... 168 Milkman‟s Journey .................................................................................................................. 170 Chapter Five: The Dual Faces of Bliss: N(n)arrative impact in Toni Morrison‟s Paradise ........ 185 v Haven ....................................................................................................................................... 188 The Convent ............................................................................................................................. 189 The narrative of Ruby .............................................................................................................. 190 The Convent ............................................................................................................................. 206 Phase I- Revival ......................................................................................................................