It´s Hard to be a Saint in the City : Jazz Music and Narrative Form in Toni Morrison´s Jazz

Abstract: This paper deals with the novel Jazz, written by African-American writer Toni Morrison. The paper argues that the novel deconstructs itself. Also, it illustrates how the jazz music in the novel works as a deconstructing force on the characters and the narrative form. The essay begins with a chapter about deconstructive theory.  Next, there is a brief summary of jazz music – its history and features. Then, there is an analysis which focuses on how jazz music affects the characters. Last, the narrative form is investigated, for instance in terms of the narrator’s tendency to shift between various points of view.