Toni Morrison was the first African American woman to win a Nobel prize. (Photo courtesy of The Nation)
Ashley Rose Rivera
Connector Contributor
As summer 2019 comes to a close, as does the life of one of the world’s most renowned authors Toni Morrison. With Aug. 5 marking the day of her passing, many mourned and shared their appreciation for Morrison’s contributions to the world. Dying from complications due to pneumonia, Morrison left behind a legacy that showcases just how much language has the power to shape the world around us.
Her stories brought comfort to many and her eye-opening real, vulnerable narratives shed light not on what does not exist but what can be kept in the dark. Her novels touch upon a wide array of societal issues ranging from ageism to the nuances of racism in America and countless more.
Having been awarded the Nobel prize of literature and other accolades for her novels, Morrison has inarguably had a cultural impact on society with her writing. Inspiring writers and people from all fields of life with her prose, Morrison’s unique writing styles and imagery make it so that her unapologetically honest voice spawn a dialogue, which not only has created past conversations but current ones too.
Dr. Melissa Pennell, an English professor who grew up in the same hometown as Morrison, shared her thoughts on Morrison’s impact and the cultural relevancy of her works.
“Through her fiction, interviews and critical writing, she gave people opportunities to confront the American past and the injustices/challenges that existed then and still continue in our culture,” Pennell said. “And oftentimes she wrestled with the issue of race in American culture and was sensitive to issues around social economic conditions…She invited people to really engage in a conversation about the nature of race in American culture… she had a way of doing it that felt like she was encouraging dialogue.”
Engaging in the task of putting into words ideas that are not always easily formulated into stories, Morrison brought to the floor new ways of going about writing.
“Her writing is beautiful and experimental at times, and she opened up ways of thinking about things that once you read her books her issues stayed with the reader,” Pennell said. “She’s an inspiration to writers because she was willing to confront challenging issues in her work… it’s her own awareness about the way language works, the power that existed behind language… For many people that will be a key part of her legacy, language and its power and the way it is used to bring about change.”
Morrison represents so much more than just an author. In her own right, she became somewhat of a political figure, outspoken and honest about issues people of color face in America. She managed to articulate an experience that may not have been universal, but she did it in a way where anyone and everyone could see her message, even if they had not lived the life that prompted it.
Her words transcended boundaries in a way that high-lighted them and left you pondering their lines. The impact of her works on American culture shaped a new way of considering perspectives and she brought a diverse range of ideas to the forefront of literature. Through her advocacy, her voice was important in the way that it supported the power of activism, the power of recognizing the taboo, and the strength that those who are marginalized have.
“I have found all the Toni Morrison books I’ve read to be engrossing and thought provoking,” said Pennell.
The brilliant ways that Toni Morrison managed to articulate herself is one of the many reasons her work is taught today and analyzed by so many around the world. The depths of her messages and their meanings are subjects of discussion that provoke excellent conversation, and undoubtedly will for many years to come. Toni Morrison’s impact, relevancy and legacy live on through her words, and the people touched by them. The world lost a remarkable author, but with her work gained a permanent inspiration.
