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Mary is Twyla’s mother, who is introduced in the first sentence of the story when Twyla explains she is in St. Bonny’s because “my mother danced all night.” Throughout the story, Twyla uses this same phrase—childlike in its vague simplicity—to describe the reason why Mary can’t take care of her. Its true meaning remains unclear; it is possible that Mary simply does not want to be a mother, but it’s also plausible that she is a sex worker. Mary’s name is ironic, as she is the opposite of the pure, self-sacrificing, morally perfect figure based on the mother of Jesus. Instead, she neglects Twyla, who at one point mentions that “Mary’s idea of supper was popcorn and a can of Yoo-Hoo,” and fidgets throughout the church service when she comes to visit St. Bonny’s. The fact that Twyla calls her mother “Mary” as opposed to something like “Mom” indicates the skewed nature of their relationship. Even at eight, Twyla is arguably more responsible than her mother, a fact revealed when Mary visits and “smiled and waved like she was the little girl looking for her mother, not me.” Twyla’s feelings about her mother are decidedly mixed; she is ashamed and resentful of Mary’s inappropriate outfit and the fact that she didn’t bring her any food, but experiences a moment of bliss when Mary embraces her. In the latter part of the story, Twyla repeats the refrain that Mary “never did stop dancing,” even as Twyla became a decidedly serious and responsible wife and mother herself.
Mary (Twyla’s Mother) Quotes in Recitatif
The Recitatif quotes below are all either spoken by Mary (Twyla’s Mother) or refer to Mary (Twyla’s Mother). For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
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My mother danced all night and Roberta’s was sick. That’s why we were taken to St. Bonny’s.
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I thought if my dancing mother met her sick mother it might be good for her. And Roberta thought her sick mother would get a big bang out of a dancing one. We got excited about it and curled each other's hair.
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I saw Mary right away. She had on those green slacks I hated and hated even more now because didn't she know we were going to chapel? And that fur jacket with the pocket linings so ripped she had to pull to get her hands out of them. But her face was pretty––like always––and she smiled and waved like she was the little girl looking for her mother, not me.
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"Did I tell you? My mother, she never did stop dancing."
"Yes. You told me. And mine, she never got well." Roberta lifted her hands from the tabletop and covered her face with her palms. When she took them away she really was crying. "Oh, shit, Twyla. Shit, shit, shit. What the hell happened to Maggie?"
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Mary (Twyla’s Mother) Quotes in Recitatif
The Recitatif quotes below are all either spoken by Mary (Twyla’s Mother) or refer to Mary (Twyla’s Mother). For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Recitatif
Quotes
My mother danced all night and Roberta’s was sick. That’s why we were taken to St. Bonny’s.
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Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
I thought if my dancing mother met her sick mother it might be good for her. And Roberta thought her sick mother would get a big bang out of a dancing one. We got excited about it and curled each other's hair.
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Explanation and Analysis:
I saw Mary right away. She had on those green slacks I hated and hated even more now because didn't she know we were going to chapel? And that fur jacket with the pocket linings so ripped she had to pull to get her hands out of them. But her face was pretty––like always––and she smiled and waved like she was the little girl looking for her mother, not me.
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"Did I tell you? My mother, she never did stop dancing."
"Yes. You told me. And mine, she never got well." Roberta lifted her hands from the tabletop and covered her face with her palms. When she took them away she really was crying. "Oh, shit, Twyla. Shit, shit, shit. What the hell happened to Maggie?"
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