Abstract
I here use Toni Morrison’s short story Recitatif as an entry point to elucidate Badiou’s theory of justice. In short, Recitatif tells a story about two girls of different races, but we never get to know who is black and who is white. Reading the short story, I was at first intrigued by the narrative on the two girls’ friendship and next captivated by Toni Morrison’s technique of playing with, and thereby teasing and enchanting, annoying and fascinating the reader. Third, I came to realize – because of my long-lasting and in-depth engagement with Alain Badiou’s philosophical texts – how this short story acted on my mind, and thereby interested, disturbed, challenged, and transformed my idea of what educative justice may look like. Following the itinerary of my reading, I open this chapter by introducing Badiou’s theory of justice. Next, I present the narrative of the two girls before commenting on Toni Morrison’s style of writing and method of suspending the finitude of identity politics. Third, through the lens of Badiou’s philosophical system, I explore how this short story acts on our minds and thereby promotes encounters with justice. In summing up, I respond to the question: What might educative justice look like?
What Does Educative Justice Look Like? Or: What Happened as I Read Toni Morrison’s 'Recitatif'