Religiosity, Cosmology and Folklore The African Influence in the Novels of Toni Morrison Studies in African American History and Culture Series

This book presents background information on the beliefs, customs, traditions and cosmologies of several of Africa's foremost peoples, relates these findings to each of Morrison's seven novels by highlighting the connections between the African root and the African-American product, and elucidates how this connection helps to understand and to clarify many of Morrison's allusions to the culture out of which she writes. It presents a new way of reading Morrison's work that has been previously overlooked, and moves beyond just African-American culture, delving into Africa and its people.

INTRODUCTION PART I. GOD, GODS AND SPIRITS IN AFRICAN LIFE: SONG OF SOLOMON, BELOVED, TAR BABY AND JAZZ Chapter 1. Ancient Ancestral Folklore in Song of Solomon Chapter 2. The Influence of African Cosmological Beliefs in Beloved Chapter 3. Tar Baby and the Ancient Folktales of Africa Chapter 4 Jazz and African Ancestral Cultures and Traditions PART II. A CIRCLE OF FRIENDS: COMMUNITIES OF WOMEN IN THE BLUEST EYE, SULA, TAR BABY, BELOVED, JAZZ ANDPARADISE Chapter 5. The Failure of Community in The Bluest Eye Chapter 6. The Rejection of Community in Sula Chapter 7. Ancient Properties and Communal Connection in Tar Baby Chaper 8. The Power of Community in Beloved Chapter 9. Jazz and Community Values Chapter 10. Paradise : The Final Frontier NOTES WORKS CITED

Therese E. Higgins