Why would Morrsion choose this title to reflect her piece?

Toni Morrison's story, "Recitatif," is about two young girls, Roberta and Twyla, who are in an orphanage, despite the fact that their mothers are alive. One girl is white and the other is black and they become unlikely friends. The narrative shows them leaving the home and then running into each other at different stages of their lives. A recurring question that the girls ask each other is a variation of the question, "How's your...

Toni Morrison's story, "Recitatif," is about two young girls, Roberta and Twyla, who are in an orphanage, despite the fact that their mothers are alive. One girl is white and the other is black and they become unlikely friends. The narrative shows them leaving the home and then running into each other at different stages of their lives. A recurring question that the girls ask each other is a variation of the question, "How's your mother?" At times, this question is meant to hurt the other girl, while it's also meant to show concern. 

The question about the girls' mother is repeated throughout the story, almost as a refrain in a song. The word 'recitatif' is a French style of music that is something between song and speech. It is generally used for narrative interludes between parts of an opera. Morrison arranges the story as if it were a song, having verses and refrains. The mother refrain separates the other parts of the story, and gives the entire story a song-like, spoken word feel to it.