“On Morrison” by Namwali Serpell: Preliminary Dissociative Clues

I have just begun reading this book about Nobel Prize-winning novelist Toni Morrison by the eminent Harvard English professor, Namwali Serpell (2), whose own novels I have ordered, but not yet received.

My own past posts have suggested that Toni Morrison had the novelist’s normal, creative version of multiple personality (a.k.a.”dissociative identity”) which I call “multiple personality trait,” a creative asset. There are three possible clues to this at the beginning of Serpell’s book.

Three Possible Clues to Morrison’s Creative Trait

1.“The two Pecolas discuss... in a mono-dia-logue...” (1, p. 43).

2. On what psychological basis does Serpell interpret a character’s “shadow self” as “black humor” instead of an alternate personality (1, p. 43)?

3.“In this way it produces the effect of a particular feature of this character’s consciousness: a repeated dissociative forgetfulness, or fugue state, during which she loses her grasp on the names and uses of things" (1, p. 109).

Comment: To read past posts on “Toni Morrison,” search her in this blog.

1. Namwali Serpell: On Morrison. New York, Hogarth, 2026.

2. Wikipedia. “Namwali Serpell.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Namwali_Serpell 

“The Valley of Vengeful Ghosts” by Kim Fu: Adult Protagonist Confesses Multiple Personality (a.k.a. Dissociative Identity”), Probably Reflecting Author

“I just wish she [my late mother] was still here, to tell me what to do. I constantly wish I could ask her advice. I feel like a child, in the worst possible way. Like I’m five years old and she abandoned me in a parking lot. Sometimes I’ll be talking to someone, a bank teller or a waiter or a canvasser on the street, and I’ll have this moment of genuine dissociation and confusion, like, why are they talking to me like this? Can’t they see I’m only a child?” (1, p. 25).

Child and infant personalities are found in virtually every MPD patient’s system of alter (alternate) personalities (2, p.107).

Comment: I suspect the author's protagonist has multple personality because the author has the creative version discussed in this blog: "multiple personality trait."

1. Kim Fu. The Valley of Vengeful Ghosts. New York, Tin House, Zando, 2026.

2. Frank W. Putnam. MD. Diagnosis and Treatment of Multiple Personality Disorder. New York, The Guilford Press,1989. 

“Graphology Signatures: A Comprehensive Book on Signature Analysis” by Varun L. Rupani: A Possible Application to President Trump

“Cursive with Angular Pattern:" (1, p. 286 ) 

The above signature is NOT President Trump’s, but strikes me as similar to his presidential signature, so the author’s graphological interpretation of its author’s character might approximate his graphological interpretation of Trump. Anyway, Graphology, like Psychiatry, is not an exact science.

Thus, the following interpretation should be taken with many grains of salt. But some readers may find the graphology intriguing.

“A signature characterized by angular formations, particularly sharp-angled strokes connecting letters, unveils significant traits of the writer’s personality and approach to life. Angularity in a signature reflects a writer who is principled, opinionated, and exhibits a militant stance toward their beliefs and decisions. This sharpness in form suggests a mental sharpness in thought and discrimination, showcasing an individual who is analytical, investigative, and strategic. Such a writer approaches life with a keen eye, evaluating situations and people with a critical mindset, rarely giving in to blind faith or unexamined beliefs.

However, this pronounced angularity also hints at a lack of softness or flexibility…Their actions are driven more by principle than by feeling…”(1, pp. 286-287).

Comment: I haven’t seen President Trump’s signature outside of his role as president (for example, in his personal life or as a creative businessman). If his other signatures were significantly different than his presidential signature, there might be multiple sides to his personality, a creative issue that interests me.

1. Varun L. Rupani. Graphology Signatures: A Comprehensive Book on Signature Analysis. Notion Press. India, Singapore, Malaysia, 2024. 

“Darkness Visible, A Memoir of Madness” by novelist William Styron: His "Second Self,” and “Double”

“A phenomenon that a number of people have noted while in deep depression is the sense of being accompanied by a second self—a wraithlike observer who, not sharing the dementia of his double, is able to watch with dispassionate curiosity as his companion struggles against the oncoming disaster [suicide], or decides to embrace it” (1, p. 64).

Comment: Another novelist with multiple personality trait.

1.William Styron. Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness. New York, Vintage Books, 1992.

2. Wikipedia. William Styron. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Styron 

“Why I am NOT an ATHEIST (The Confessions of a Skeptical Believer)" by Christopher Beha

Comment: Honest self-contradiction suggests multiple personality trait.

1. Christopher Beha. Why I Am Not an Atheist. New York, Penguin Press, 2026.