The Narrator of Jazz

Jazz and its ambiguous narrator
The question of who is the narrator in Toni Morrison’s Jazz is interesting. The narrator does not introduce themselves under a given name, nor do they assume a gender. They perhaps intentionally, leave out their identity because it is not important, or they do not want the reader to know. The first section of Jazz centers around the introduction of conflict between two of the main characters, told from the perspective of the unidentified narrator. The narrator establishes that they know two of the main characters, Violet and Joe Trace. It can be assumed that they live in close proximity to these two characters or at the very least, within the same community. Evidence pointing to this can be found early on with the narrator stating, “I’m crazy about this City. Daylight slants like a razor cutting the buildings in half. In the top half I see looking faces and it’s not easy to tell which are people, which the work of stonemasons… A city like this one makes me dream tall and feel in on things.” (Morrison 7).  This quote clues the reader in on two important points of identification: that the narrator lives and loves the city of New York, and that they like to feel “in” on things. It can be concluded then that through the narrator’s love of the city, they insist that they know everything about events that transpire within. The narrator must logically then be a part of the same community that Joe and Violet are from, and this is why they are able to relay the story to the reader.
Concerning the narrator, a few characteristics arise from the manner that they deliver their story that warrants noting. They speak from a first person perspective that borders on omniscience. That is, they are not truly omniscient, but speak about past events and people as if they were. On a cursory glance, the narrator would appear to know everything that goes on between Violet and Joe’s failing marriage as if they were there to experience it all. Instead what actually is happening is the narrator projecting themself by slyly inserting their own opinions throughout the first section. An example of the narrator inserting their own personal opinions into their retelling begins with their description of Violet, “She is awfully skinn, Violet; fifty, but still good looking when she broke up the funeral. You’d think that being thrown out the church would be the end of it-the same and all-but it wasn’t. Violet is mean enough and good looking enough to think that even without hips or youth she could punish Joe…” (4). One possibility as to why the reader would talk like this is that they are engaging in gossip with a fellow community member. The opening sentence of the novel begins with the narrator’s assertion “Sth, I know that woman.” and “Know her husband, too” (1). They talk as if they are addressing another person’s inquiry. The hint of absoluteness that the narrator uses when they talk about Violet and her ordeals leads to the conclusion that they are reliable. The recollective process is not in question, as it is made apparent that the events of the novel thus far are immediate and or recent.
These characteristics that the narrator exhibits have a notable effect on how the reader absorbs the information that is presented. The most significant effect being that the reader is forced to comprehend the story from the warped and biased perspective of the narrator. As stated before, the reader often claims subjectivity with an air of objectivity. Consequently the reader gets both facts and opinions mixed together and must sort out which is which. In reading the story, the reader gets to hear the narrator recount past events such as the funeral, as well as Joe and Violet’s home life, mixed in with their own personal opinions and snide remarks. It becomes hard at times not to outright agree with what the narrator has to say, since there is little time to come up with an opinion for oneself. This is not to say that the narrator is entirely biased to the point of unreliability. Throughout the story, the narrator expresses their own sympathy. They are able to thoroughly analyze the situation from multiple perspectives, a symptom of them watching “everything and everyone” in order to “try to figure out their plans, their reasonings, long before they do.” (8).
Thus the reader must take the narrator as they are. The choice to give the reader an identity albeit a limited one, is interesting. Often, narrators that are omniscient and without personality lead to bland and dull storytelling. The humanizing characteristics of the narrator make the subject matter of Jazz all the more enthralling.