Jazz by toni morrison the city
For all people in all societies the characteristics of the land are portrayed by the people and those places from which they live. The setting can act as an influence on people and can be just as strong as a parental figure, but this influence is not always positive. It can corrupt, blind and institutionalize all those in its reach. This form of influence is emphasized in the book Jazz, written by Toni Morrison, with the contrast between the city life and it's inhabitants. Before the Harlem Renaissance Joe Trace, the protagonist of the novel, believed that the city was a sanctuary for the New Negro. This is because in the south, "if you was claimed to be coloured, you had to be new and stay the same everyday the sun rose and every night it dropped. And let me tell you baby in those days it was more than a state of mind" (135). Joe believed that the city claimed to offer a better life for southerners with new hopes of opportunity. He believed that the city would offer an age for the New Negro "but he had been a New Negro all his life" (129). Joe also noticed that the city was taking over his primal urges for love since it had already taken it away from his relationship between Violet and himself and given to Dorcas.
'That's the point. If you don't it will change you and it'll be your fault cause you let it. I let it. And it messed up my life' (208). I am already disturbed by the ash falling from the blue distance down on these streets. A sooty film is gathering on the sills, coating the windowpanes: Now she is disturbing me, making me doubt my own self just looking at her sauntering through the sun shafts like that. Climbing the steps now, heading for Violent. (198) 'What's the world for if you can't make it up the way you want it?' 'What's the point? I can't change it.' The above paragraph clearly emphasizes how the city can change the thoughts and feelings of people. Violet's insanity can be related to the City as well, because when the setting takes place in Violet's past, a completely different character is described. It is only when Violet enters the city that her character changes from Violet to "Violent". Violet was born and raised in the South and that Violet did not belong to the City. She knew that she was a country person and that it was the City that was the cause of her recent tragedy between Joe and herself in that "before {she} came north {she} made sense and so did the world" (207). As well, the mood of the City contributed to her transformation from Violet to Violent.
Some common words found in the essay are:
Joe Violet, Dorcas Violet, Joe Trace, Violet Violent, , Violet Dorcas, Joe Violet's, South Violet, Negro Negro, City Dorcas, believed city, character it's, country people, loving city, violet violent, city character,
Approximate Word count = 910
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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