Analysis Of Tar Baby By Toni Morrison

Tar Baby, the fourth novel of Toni Morrison, is a story about Jadine and Son who are an anti thesis of each other. Jadine – an Art History graduate from Sorbonne and a successful model, moves on to affirm her own female identity and Son – whose mysterious presence initiates the novel, adopts multiple names in the novel and is rooted in his African notions but ironically on the run in the narrative. The novel marks a departure from its preceding list as the story is set on the Caribbean island, Isles de Chevaliers, in the White mansion, L’Arbe de la Croix which is resided by the White couple – Valerian Street and Margaret Street and their black servants – Sydney and Ondine. Thus it is Morrison’s first novel which includes the white characters as important as black characters in its story. The plot has racist overtones but simultaneously it brings to light the aftermath of colonization on the Blacks who idealize such White notions so much so that they fail to associate with other Blacks within their community. This is revealed through Sydney and Ondine, they “identify”, as Doreatha Mbalia remarks, “more with their employers and their employers’ culture than they do with their own people and their own culture” (71). This is witnessed in the way Ondine refers to Margaret’s kitchen as her own and the way they allow Margaret to call them “Kingfish” and “Bueleh” instead of their real names. Gideon and Therese are Yardman and Mary to Sydney and Ondine who in turn are “machete-hair” and bow-tie” to them. Sydney’s proclamation of his origin to Son is another evidence; “I am a Phil-a-delphia Negro mentioned in the book of the very same name. My people owned drugstores and taught school while yours were still cutting their faces open so as...

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