comment on Language and Meaning

Morrison's language is as rich, complex, and improvisational as jazz music itself. It draws the reader into the community with seductive language typical of the time. Each character has a unique vernacular that identifies him or her. Morrison rejects the Eurocentric symbolism of mainstream fiction and instead creates a world where earth represents abundance and fertility, not evil or dirt. Water is pale, colorless and lifeless. In this vein, she describes the huge orange sun over Harlem as "beautiful as an Iroquois."