Reconciliation of African Heritage and Euro-American Culture
At the core of Tar Baby, much like many of Morrison's works, is the crucial need for African Americans to balance their African roots with their historical involvement in Euro-American culture. The perceived balance between the Streets' economic control and the reduction of the island's black residents to mere economic roles is shaken by the arrival of a mysterious visitor named Son. Son challenges everyone's beliefs about the Streets' economic influence and the compromises made by two couples—Sydney and Ondine, and Therese and Gideon—to gain from the white family's wealth. As in much of her writing, Morrison focuses on themes surrounding the characters' acceptance of their African-American identity and the consequences of distancing themselves from those origins.
Assimilation and Cultural Displacement
At the heart of the novel's exploration of "assimilation" into white culture is the protagonist, Jadine, also known as Jade, Childs. She spends her Christmas holidays with her aunt Ondine and uncle Sydney, who raised her after her mother passed away. Jade, who is exceptionally beautiful and often dismissively called "that yella" or mulatto by Therese, has appeared on the covers of fashion magazines. She has also completed her advanced art history studies in Paris, where she mingles with an international elite. This lifestyle has clearly distanced her from her cultural roots in several ways. As a fashion model, Jade has earned the acceptance of white society, becoming a symbol of classic beauty and an implicit sexual ideal, known as "the Copper Venus." This nickname might be Morrison's nod to "the Black Venus," a title given to jazz icon Josephine Baker by the Parisian audience when she performed provocatively at La Revue Negre as a teenager in 1926. As an orphan, Jade owes her upbringing to Ondine and her education to her aunt's employer, Valerian Street. In the novel's "present" timeline, Jade is spending the holidays with her aunt and uncle, taking a break from her modeling career and pondering her future, which may include marrying Ryk, who is of Scandinavian descent.
Symbolism of the Sealskin Coat
The gift of a lavish sealskin coat from her fiancé vividly symbolizes Jadine's increasing estrangement from her ancestral folk heritage. Its utter impracticality in a tropical environment highlights the unsuitability of her upcoming marriage, which may further distance her from her cultural origins. Throughout Tar Baby, Morrison repeatedly deconstructs the sealskin coat to illustrate human greed toward nature. This theme resonates with Son's portrayal of Euro-centric culture as "defecating" on the world and Street's claims of "ownership" over the island. It serves as a reminder of the many animal lives lost for the sake of this luxurious garment: "the hides of ninety baby seals stitched together so nicely you could not tell what part had sheltered their cute little hearts and which had cushioned their skulls."
Economic Exploitation and Human Sexuality
Jadine's overt sexual display, as she reclines naked on the fur coat amidst the tropical warmth, acts as a powerful emblem of her deep immersion in capitalist values. This scene also highlights the intricate relationship between economic exploitation and human sexuality within colonial societies. After the distressing confrontation at the Christmas dinner and her subsequent trips to New York and Eloe, Florida with Son, Jadine holds onto the coat as she boards a first-class flight back to Paris, seemingly returning to Ryk and the lifestyle he embodies. Despite telling Margaret Street that she does not intend to marry him, her connection to the coat suggests otherwise. This path likely involves continuing to erect barriers between herself and the culture she distances herself from, in her quest for success within a predominantly white, Eurocentric world.
Education and Cultural Obligation
Jadine's experience of cultural displacement, along with her active role...
(This entire section contains 197 words.)
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in it, is mirrored in her educational journey. Her tuition was covered by her aunt's employer, Valerian, which leaves her feeling indebted to him. While this feeling is understandable, by the novel's conclusion, it becomes clear that she does not harbor the same obligation towards her aunt. Her aunt had taken her in, cared for her after she became an orphan, and indirectly enabled the benefits she received from Valerian. For example, Ondine and Sydney "gotten Valerian to pay her tuition while they sent" her living expenses. The term "gotten" implies that Valerian did not willingly offer to fund Jadine's education and may have been subtly pressured. Upon her return to the island from the United States, her aunt delivers a harsh reprimand to Jadine about forsaking both gender and cultural traditions: "if [a woman] never learns how to be a daughter, she can't never learn how to be a woman. I mean a real woman: . . . good enough even for the respect of other women." Having prospered in white society by embracing its values, Jadine finds herself unable to truly love her adoptive family, Sydney and Ondine.
Materialism and Familial Relationships
The superficiality and self-centered nature of Jade's love for Ondine are epitomized by the Christmas gifts she offers her aunt: a pair of high-heeled, jeweled shoes that sharply contrast with Ondine's household duties and, more significantly, disrespect her aunt's painful feet. Ondine wears these shoes only once, during the disastrous Christmas party that serves as the novel's peak moment. Much like the coat Ryk gave to Jade, her gift to her aunt underscores a "generic" aspect in her affection for the woman who has done so much for her. The shoes symbolize the high-fashion world where Jade has achieved success, yet they are almost cruel to her aunt's aching feet, which have been damaged by years of domestic labor—the real reason behind Valerian's kindness in providing her education.
Obedience and Economic Dependency
During a heated argument with Jade in New York, Son highlights that education often comes with hidden obligations. In his frustration, Son exclaims, "White people love obedience . . . You did what you were told, didn't you?" Although this connection is not overtly stated and Jade does not accept this condition, obedience has subtly underpinned Sydney's and Ondine's roles in the Street household. Despite Valerian's well-meaning educational support, it has inadvertently alienated Jadine from her African and American heritage. She prioritizes European art, deeming it superior to African or African-American art, which she considers derivative and superficial. When remembering Michael, the Streets' son, who questioned her preference for European art over social activism, Jade defensively critiques Afro-centric perspectives: "the American Blacks were at least honestly awful; the black artists in Europe were a scandal. The only thing more pitiful than their talent was their pretensions."
Forsaking Cultural Heritage for Success
Morrison clearly suggests through the character of the "Copper Venus" the risks associated with abandoning one's cultural roots in pursuit of worldly achievements. In various aspects, Jade represents the "tar baby" referenced in the title. Notably, Son, while waiting for her in New York, directly criticizes her as a "tar baby side-of-the-road whore trap," and he shares a distorted version of the tar baby story during their argument after returning from Florida to New York. This folklore, which will be explored in the "Literary Precedents" section, features an artificial figure crafted solely to ensnare a rabbit through deception.
Jade is a product of white culture, evident in her education and her acceptance of success criteria in contemporary America and Europe. As Street's "creation," she is positioned to capture Son's heart, who remains deeply connected to his African heritage.
Sacrificing Heritage for Material Comfort
Jade's story, while notable, is not the only example of individuals abandoning their African-American heritage to find success in America. When her aunt and uncle took her in, they likely taught her the values associated with domestic work. Ondine has kept Margaret's troubling secret—that she abused her son—hidden for years, and it is certainly not out of any fondness for Margaret. In fact, she despises "the Principal Beauty of Maine" and is disgusted by her unhealthy relationship with Michael. However, much like many film caregivers since Hattie McDaniel's "Mammy" character in Gone With the Wind, Ondine has stepped into the role of caretaker when the white mother could not: "I loved that little boy like he was mine," and "I stand on my feet thirty years so [Margaret] wouldn't have to."
Economic Dependency and Lack of Freedom
By the conclusion of the novel, Ondine seems to understand the price of maintaining thirty years of relative stability. She and Sydney possess a modest amount of capital but lack any real estate. As Sydney comes to realize after the Christmas dinner, they have some stock, "but no savings. Just the promise of being taken care of in the will of a man whose wife his own wife had slapped." The problem is that this realization doesn't bring about freedom or change. Now fully aware of their economic dependence, they might regret their past decisions, but they must attempt to negotiate some form of arrangement with the man who still holds complete control over their financial future, especially since they are too old to start anew.
Identity and Economic Dependency
Unlike Ondine, Sydney represents the consequences of prioritizing material comfort over personal sacrifice. He takes pride in being a "genuine Philadelphia Negro," having deliberately moved to the city in his younger years to become "one of those industrious Philadelphia Negroes—the proudest people in the race." Morrison's use of irony is complex. Although Sydney has achieved success through hard work and discipline, he has not gained true freedom. By the end of Tar Baby, both Sydney and Ondine desire to return to Philadelphia, a city they believe represents their higher status, setting them apart from other African Americans. Unfortunately, they cannot convince Valerian to visit Pennsylvania, nor do they have the resources to travel there independently.
Resistance to Cultural Heritage
Sydney's strongest reaction is unsurprisingly sparked by Son's intrusion. Wielding a revolver, he threatens violence and is displeased by Street's unanticipated dinner invitation. To Sydney, Son poses a threat to his identity as a "Philadelphia Negro" and starkly reminds the Streets that he and Ondine, despite their refined and respectful behavior, share the same slave-culture legacy as the disheveled, intimidating figure Margaret discovered in her closet.
Sydney's "victory" in the final greenhouse scene, where he helps himself to Street's wine and insists that Street wear huaraches, must feel unsatisfying. He now manages Valerian's daily activities and enjoys a sip of Chablis—a sad commentary on the value of thirty years of dedicated service and self-sacrifice. Still tied to the nearly helpless Valerian, Sydney remains unfree economically and politically. He cannot depart, assert his independence, and must continue catering to another's needs.