Study Questions
What effect does the narrative voice that Morrison employs in "Jazz" have on our reading of the novel? Why would she have chosen a narrator that is neither a character nor wholly omniscient and detached?
Does Morrison suggest a moral in her story?
Describe the role of the city landscape as a character in the novel. Why does the narrator talk so much about the cityscape and how does it relate to the lives of the other characters?
Suggested Essay Topics
Why does Dorcas choose to die and what does her death symbolize?
Does Violet's forgiveness and acceptance of Joe's infidelity undermine a possible feminist reading of the text? Is Violet weak for doing so?
How can the narrative structure of the novel be compared to a jazz piece? What does jazz music have in common with the stories of many African-Americans in the early twentieth century?
To whom does the narrator address herself at the end of the novel? Are the narrator and Toni Morrison indivisible?
Examining the theme of sisterhood and the different female relationships described in the book, discuss why Morrison shows the disruption of so many woman-to-woman bonds.
