Morrison, Toni: 1931 - 2019

Tar Baby, 1981 - Information about the Book

  • General Information
    • The novel uses the mythic image of the Tar Baby to evoke the flaws of racial stereotyping and to suggest the stickiness of authenticity. The image of the Tar Baby suggests a false front, a substitute for reality that all of the characters either confront or embrace.
    • Information from Wikipedia
  • Facts
  • Articles
    • Tar Tales. "In order to understand the references in Morrison’s Tar Baby, it is necessary to explain briefly the traditional story “Tarbaby.”"
    • The Inauthentic Tar Baby. "Jadine has rejected her heritage and culture. She knows herself to be "inauthentic" and hollow when she sees the woman in yellow with the tar-colored skin." Anniina Jokinen; May 1, 1997