The Nobel Lecture in Literature Summary

Toni Morrison's Nobel Prize Lecture begins with Morrison speaking in first person about a story from many cultures' folklores about an old, wise woman. Morrison shares that in the version she knows, the story is about an African American woman, the daughter of slaves. Then, she launches straight into the fable, which centers on a conversation between this old woman and a group of children. The youngsters have come to make a mockery of the woman, even though she is well-respected by many for her wisdom. They ask her one question: if the bird they hold in their hands is living or dead. The old woman is blind; she responds with the riddle that either way, it is in their hands. After this, she closes her mouth and launches into a long reverie, which Morrison narrates. She thinks about the bird: a symbol of language. Her thoughts center on the power of language, for good or for bad. Eventually, the children become frustrated with her pithy answer and her long silence, and launch into a soliloquy of their own. They implore the old woman for a narrative to guide them. They, too, know the power of language, illustrating their point with a story about a wagon of slaves. When they finish speaking, the old woman responds that she trusts them at last because now it is clear that they understand the power of language.