Jazz Music and Intermedial References in Toni Morrison’s Love

Abstract

This paper proposes an intermedial reading of Toni Morrison’s Love (2003) and applies the concepts of intermediality theory to discuss the jazz narrative strategies used in the novel. In this article, intermediality is on the one hand associated with the musicalization of fiction; on the other hand, it is viewed from the perspective of expanding the representational modes of a given medium. The article explores the links between jazz music and literature, and argues that the structure of Morrison’s Love has a certain similarity to a jazz music composition. We identify in the structure of the novel a number of solos and the polyphonic overlapping of the voices, and we show that the interaction of voices gives the narrative a dialogic character, which results in multiple interpretations of the complex characters and ambiguous situations. Juxtapositions, temporal shifts, syncopation, rhythmically arranged sequences, meaningful chords, improvisation, repetition and variations are explored and interpreted as jazz narrative strategies. The article identifies a double riff based on counterpoint, and its role in harmonizing the sounds of the voices at the end of the novel. The rich imagery contributing to the performative character of the narrative is analysed. We argue that Morrison’s Love serves as a vivid example of the musicalization of fiction, which results in expanding the representational modes of literature.