Final answer:
Twyla and Roberta, from Toni Morrison's 'Recitatif,' initially have an intense friendship at St. Bonny's. Over time, societal norms, personal growth, and life circumstances lead to their evolving and diverging paths, causing their friendship to fade.
Step-by-step explanation:
Twyla and Roberta are characters in Toni Morrison's short story 'Recitatif.' Their relationship serves as a central theme of the narrative. The question as to why Twyla and Roberta do not maintain their friendship over their lifetime highlights the complexities of human relationships that are influenced by societal norms, personal growth, and life circumstances. Their friendship is intense and meaningful during their youth, helping them cope with the challenges at St. Bonny's orphanage. However, as they grow older, their paths diverge and are marked by different socio-economic backgrounds, racial misunderstandings, and experiences, leading to changing dynamics in their friendship. Twyla and Roberta encounter each other sporadically over the years, but the strong emotional bond they once shared fades away into occasional meetings filled with both comfort and confusion. Their intermittent reunions reveal that the memories of childhood remain, but also illustrate the impact of larger societal forces in shaping individual relationships and identities over time.