Toni Morrison "The Nobel Lecture in Literature"

         In her acceptance speech for the Nobel Prize in Literature entitled "The Nobel Lecture in Literature," Toni Morrison propounds the vast importance and influence of language. She does this by telling the story of an old, wise woman who is confronted by a few young people trying to prove that she is not all-seeing, comparing language to a helpless bird, explaining that it is the responsibility of humankind to nurture language and ensure that it lives on. Her purpose is to teach the people of the world, young and old, that language is powerful and dangerous, and should be given the utmost care and consideration. Her tone and her descriptions of how language can be used and how it can effect us makes it clear that she loves language and wishes to impart that love onto us.

         Questions:
         1. Morrison clearly loves language. Not even necessarily her own language, just the concept of language itself and how it connects humans seems to be of particular interest to her. Most of her speech is made up of an allegory that demonstrates her own approaches to language based on the characters of the children as well as the wise old woman. She clearly feels a connection to the old woman and the bird, as she explained that she often speculated about what it could mean and thus chose to understand it as an explanation of the importance of language. To her, language is something fragile and beautiful, and not something that should be taken lightly. Morrison explains that language is something that can effect every person and that it is within our power to take control of it and use it to the best of our ability.
       
         2. In the beginning of the story, the desires of the children and the old woman are simple- the children want the old woman to be proven wrong and the old woman wants the children to understand that what they are doing is wrong. However, as the story progresses, their desires become much more complicated. Morrison explains that want the children really desire is answers- they want to understand all of life's questions, and they especially want the old woman to teach them how to appreciate language and appreciate life. The old woman in return wants the children to understand the impact that language can have and the importance of using it well. She wants them to realize that language is the most powerful thing in this world.

         3. Honestly, at the beginning I thought the inclusion of the story was quite odd, but at the end I realized it was perfectly appropriate. What better way to address those who have awarded you with a prize in literature than with a story? Morrison understands that she best gets her ideas across through stories, so she created one to demonstrate how she feels about language. I liked the story because I found it easier to understand and relate to rather than just a simple speech. By attributing the ideas to characters, those ideas become all the more real and much more understandable.