Race, Memory and Identity: Unveiling Black Presence in Toni Morrison’s Fiction
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Abstract
Toni Morrison’s fiction constitutes a powerful literary response to the historical erasure and marginalization of African American experience in American literature. Writing from a distinctly Black cultural and historical consciousness, Morrison foregrounds race, memory, and identity as central forces shaping Black existence. This research article examines how Morrison unveils Black presence by reclaiming suppressed histories, interrogating internalized racism, and constructing complex models of Black identity. Through a detailed analysis of selected novels - The Bluest Eye, Song of Solomon, Beloved, and Jazz the study explores Morrison’s narrative strategies and thematic concerns. Drawing upon African American literary criticism, cultural memory theory, and intersectional frameworks, the article argues that Morrison transforms memory into a site of resistance and healing. Her fiction not only challenges Eurocentric historiography but also redefines American literature by centering Black voices, communal histories, and embodied experiences.
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