Tar Baby was one of Toni Morrison’s novels that demonstrated how she perceived the African American experience. Right at the start of the novel, the reader is introduced to a yet unnamed man who jumped from the Stor Konigsgaarten, intent on reaching the shore of Queen of France. It was a tough decision for him, as swimming through the current proved to be difficult, such as the instance when he was yanked by the water into an empty tunnel and turned three times when he struggled to rise out of it (Morrison, 4). He found an alternative in anchoring himself in a small craft, instead of forcing himself through the current. He climbed aboard the small craft, and he later concluded, to his relief that there were about two or three women handling the boat and he was the only man aboard.
Unfortunately for him, the boat was not heading towards Queen of France, though, he thought that the women will not go far based from the fact that they have well-polished nails that needed suntan oil (Morrison, 7). The prologue narrated how he helped himself with the food, and in the end suggested how the near shore was once an island that struck slaves blind three hundred years ago.
Chapter one of the Tar Baby starts with a bit of information of Isles de Chevaliers and how it has changed since the arrival of the slaves from 300 years ago. There is the oldest house in the place which was currently owned by Valerian Street, who was all too committed to stay in the island for good. The people he and his wife, Margaret left in Philadelphia suggested that he will be bored on the island, but he intended to stay in the island and has in fact brought some of his important things to the place. The chapter did not only introduce the important characters in the story, but it also showed how there was a tense relationship among them. For instance, Valerian and his wife were often in conflict about Margaret’s tendency to invite many people in the house when she knew that he disapproved of it. In this instance, Margaret expected that their son, Michael will visit on Christmas, though other people in the house thought that he is not likely to visit since he never visited since he was an adult. Consequently, this chapter also showed how Valerian remains to be the master of the house, yet he maintained a friendly stance with the house helps. For instance, there was a part of the chapter where Valerian and Sydney talked casually, signifying the closeness between the two.
Tar Baby and Race Matters
The Tar Baby by Morrison and Race Matters by West are interrelated as both suggest racial connotations. In the prologue of the Tar Baby, there was a reference to the color of one of the main characters in the story when the mysterious man’s skin was described to have “blended well with the dark waters” (Morrison, 3). By examining this part of the novel, the reader comes up with the realization that the man was in a troubled state, because of the need for him to jump off from the ship and longing to be in the Queen of France. This can be interpreted to replicate how the oppression during the time of slavery drove many plantation slaves to run away from their masters. Further, the reader can compare the distinct difference in the lives of the black people from whites, for example, the fugitive was hungry while the other characters as introduced in chapter one have enough or even excessive food on the table. Moreover, the relationship of the characters in Tar Baby showed how each of them dislike each other for one reason or another, yet there is a form of bond that lets them stay and be loyal to each other. For example, while Sydney resented the ungenerousness of his employer, he remained his loyal and trusted friend.
On the other hand, in chapter one of Race Matters, West provided the reader about his insight on the concerning the black community. The author pointed out that the main problem among the black Americans today in the United States is no longer about oppression or the incidences of exploitation. He argued that it is the nihilistic threat that cause much of the problems of the African American community today (West, 19). While there was a call for economic and political support as well as self-help programs, the government tends to neglect the fact that “people, especially degraded and oppressed people, are also hungry for identity, meaning and self-worth” (West, 20).
Both the works of Morrison and West have racial implications. For instance, the cold and rather unsympathetic relationship between Valerian and Margaret in the Tar Baby exemplifies the “detachment from others” pointed out by West (23). He further argued that nihilism brought by racism leads to cold-heartedness and a mean-spirited point of view that can be detrimental to a person and to others as well.
Question on Tar Baby
In the prologue, the mysterious man was relieved in knowing that the boat was handled by women. What do you think would have happened to him had he been found by a man aboard?
Works Cited
Morrison, Toni. Tar Baby. Penguin Group, 1982. Print.
West, Cornel. Race Matters. Beacon Press, 1993. Print.
