Co-Authored By:
Maggie can be seen as a symbol representing Roberta and Twyla's mothers. Both are in some way responsible for the girls being brought up in a children's home: Roberta's mom is responsible because she is ill and cannot cope, and Twyla's mom is responsible because she appears to have mental health issues.
Keeping this in view, why is Maggie so important in Recitatif?
Maggie also represents the two main characters mother's. Maggie is also the last person we are left thinking about at the end of the story. She has a connection with all the characters in the story and that is why she is important. Maggie is used to represent Roberta and Twyla's mothers.
Also to know, what is the purpose of Recitatif?
Maggie's purpose in the story "Recitatif" is an external realization of Twyla and Roberta's internal struggles with race, abandonment and maternal figures.
"Recitatif" is the French form of recitative, a style of musical declamation that hovers between song and ordinary speech, particularly used for dialogic and narrative interludes during operas and oratories. "Recitatif" is a story in racial writing, as the race of Twyla and Roberta are debatable.