Origin of Others, The

By Toni Morrison

Book Description

In this profound exploration of human nature and social consciousness, acclaimed novelist Toni Morrison examines the fundamental questions that shape our understanding of identity and belonging. Drawing from her Norton Lectures, she investigates why humans create divisions between "us" and "them," and how fear drives our responses to those we perceive as different.

Morrison weaves together personal reflection, historical analysis, and literary criticism to uncover the roots of racial thinking in America. She examines how literature has both perpetuated and challenged racial narratives, analyzing works by authors including Harriet Beecher Stowe, Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, and Flannery O'Connor. Through this lens, she reveals how storytelling shapes our collective understanding of race and difference.

The author also reflects on her own celebrated novels, including Beloved, Paradise, and A Mercy, offering readers insight into her creative process and thematic concerns. She contrasts romanticized literary portrayals of slavery with harsh historical realities, examining how skin color has been used as a literary device to convey character and advance narratives.

Expanding beyond American borders, Morrison addresses contemporary issues of globalization and mass migration, connecting historical patterns of othering to present-day challenges. This deeply personal work of nonfiction invites readers to examine their own assumptions about identity, belonging, and the human tendency to create boundaries between self and other.

Who Is This For?

📖 Reading Level: Short (< 200 pages) (~3 hours)

📄 Length: 114 pages

What You'll Discover

✓ Explore Race
✓ Explore Morrison, Toni
✓ Explore Race relations in literature
✓ Explore Literature
✓ Explore Speeches, addresses, etc., american
✓ Explore History and criticism
✓ Explore American
✓ Explore Noirs américains dans la littérature

Topics Covered

Race Morrison, Toni Race relations in literature Literature Speeches, addresses, etc., american History and criticism American Noirs américains dans la littérature Race relations Belonging (Social psychology.) Other (Philosophy) in literature Modern Literature Black Authors 18.06 Anglo-American literature LANGUAGE ARTS & DISCIPLINES Population transfers Rhetoric Biography Personnes noires dans la littérature Identity (Psychology) American literature -- African American authors -- History and criticism Globalization Biographies Race in literature Racisme dans la littérature American literature -- History and criticism African American Racism against Black people Racism African American authors Black people in literature Belonging (Social psychology) History Authorship Black Studies (Global) SOCIAL SCIENCE African Americans in literature Race discrimination Racisme Equality Belonging Appartenance (Psychologie sociale) Histoire Identité (Psychologie) Écrivains américains American literature Blacks in literature Écrivains noirs américains LITERARY CRITICISM Racism in literature Relations raciales Écrivains noirs Race dans la littérature Discrimination & Race Relations Speeches, addresses American Authors Racism against Blacks