Generational conflict in Toni Morrison’s novels

Abstract

People conflict for many reasons, such as economic imbalance, racial and caste or class differences, colour background, ideology, etc. When we speak about conflicts, we must not confine ourselves outside the home. Inside any home itself, conflicts arise and they become more powerful than that of the conflicts outside homes. Among the conflicts, the generational gap takes a major role. Age differences between two sets of people are called generation gap and this gap plays the main role for any kinds of conflicts “within” a group where the term “within” could be expanded inside and outside the home. Toni Morrison is an American female novelist who deals with many themes. Her themes include conflicts between Black and White Americans. Among the Black community inside the USA conflicts for many reasons such as economy, ideology, prestige, etc. Further within the Black Community, there are conflicts between the “Blacks” and “Americanized Blacks.” The above conflict could be identified as “ethnic or ethnicity-seeking Blacks” and “Americanized or American-adapted Blacks.” This research brings out one of the major and important themes; generational conflict. Though Morrison is a Black American Female writer, she does not confine herself to Black or American or Feminine, instead, she deals with the theme as universal and makes herself a universal writer.