In Toni Morrison’s Recitatif, the argument that racial division starts with cruelty and dehumanization makes a lot of sense, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. Morrison shows how people can be cruel and treat others as less than human even without knowing their race, like when Twyla and Roberta remember how Maggie, the mute kitchen worker, was mocked and attacked. They both feel guilty about not helping her, and later, they can’t even agree on whether she was Black or not. That shows how racism isn’t just about skin color, it’s also about how people ignore or mistreat others who are vulnerable. But at the same time, the story shows that racism is more than just being mean or cruel. When Roberta joins the protest against school integration, it’s clear that race still matters a lot, even if no one says it out loud. So, while dehumanization might be where racism begins, the story also shows that racism is a bigger problem connected to history, power, and the way society is set up. 

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