Morrison's Jazz: Characters' Actions

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the history
that is recounted in this novel is more gossip than fact, it presents a
more accurate story than the one depicted in the “offical story” located at
the beginning of the novel. Toni Morrison attempts, through these three
characters to illustrate how the narrator's perception of each character's
history can alter the reader's understanding of a character's actions.
Through this technique, she is able to demonstrate that circumstances and
events are not always as simple or truthful as they seem.
The first impression of Violet is presented through the
"official story" established at the beginning of the novel. Her character
is seen as the crazy, jealous wife who went to the funeral of her
husband's girlfriend to cut the girl's "dead face" (1). She is depicted as
crazy because she has conversations with Joe's dead girlfriend, Dorcas, in
her head and obsesses over the girl's features (Morrison 15). The narrator,
Morrison, clearly describes Violet, and in doing so ...

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she wake
struggling against the pull of a narrow well. Or watch first light with the
sadness left over from finding Rose Dear in the morning twisted into water
much too small" (104). After this meeting she abandons her family and
"worked at anything to be with Joe whenever she could" (105). Eventually
they are married, moved to the city, and Joe fell out of love, at least
that was how Violet felt. She was always trying to please Joe in the ways
he tried to please Dorcas. It is not until the very end of the story that
their relationship is rekindled and they fall back in love with each other.
After Violet's history is revealed, the reader sympathizes with her and is
more apt to feel ...

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