| Jazz (novel) |
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"Jazz is the story of a triangle of passion, jealousy, murder and redemption, of sex and spirituality, of slavery and liberation, of country and city, of being male and female, African American, and above all of being human. Like the music of its title, it is a dazzlingly lyric play on elemental themes, as soaring and daring as a Charlie Parker solo, as heartbreakingly powerful as the blues." (Back Cover) Jazz is a novel by Toni Morrison . The majority of the narrative takes place in Harlem during the 1920s , however, as the pasts of the various characters are explored, the narrative extends back to the mid {Link without Title} ] American South . The novel forms the second part of Morrison’s Dantesque trilogy on African American history, beginning with Beloved and ending with Paradise (novel) . One of the themes of the novel is Purgatory and the Cathartic ability of Jazz music. The novel deliberately mirrors the music of its title, with various characters ‘improvising’ solo compositions that fit together to create a whole work. The tone of the novel also shifts with these compositions, from bluesy laments to up beat, sensual ragtime. The novel also utilises the Call And Response style of Jazz music, allowing the characters to explore the same events from different perspectives. The various ‘improvisations’ in the novel are held together by an Omniscient , anonymous narrator. Unusually for this style of narration the narrative voice is in the First Person and not the Third Person . The major characters of the novel are: Joe Trace, a door to door cosmetics salesman and also the murderer of his young lover. Violet Trace, an unlicensed beautician. Violet is married to Joe. She is nicknamed Violent because she assaulted the corpse of Joe’s lover with at the funeral. Dorcas, the young lover of Joe, shot down at a party. Dorcas is inspired by a picture from The Harlem Book Of The Dead . Alice Manfred, Dorcas’ Aunt and guardian. A conservative Christian ashamed by her niece’s behaviour. Alice enters into an unusual friendship with Violet. Felice, a friend of Dorcas’ who helps the Trace’s to understand each other. Golden Gray a Mixed Race man from the 1800s. Golden appears in both Joe and Violet’s histories. |
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