Analysis Of Tar Baby By Toni Morrison

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Toni Morrison, the author of the novel titled Tar Baby, illustrates the issues and conflicts that African-Americans go through in society. One of the main characters from the novel named Jadine has no real sense of what it means to be a true authentic black woman. Jadine accepts and embraces the white culture without a question. Jadine feels equipped to deal successfully with the white world. Michael Kiwanuka’s music video titled “A Black Man In a White World” relates to the novel because the message exposes the hardships of being an African-American person in a prejudiced society.The character in the video is unlike Jadine because he understands the struggles of being a person of color in a white cultured society. This video’s title and lyrics …show more content…
She knew her modeling agency would laugh at her because of her appearance. She is dumbfounded that everyone in the store was so mesmerized by her beauty and she could not distinguish why everyone perceived her physique in a positive way. Jadine knows that no way this woman would ever get any photo shoots with a modeling agency. The narrator states that “The woman made her feel lonely in a way. Lonely and inauthentic.” (p.131) Nonetheless, Jadine knows that this woman lacks something physical or outer from her body because she is appalled that she can even be considered beautiful. Jadine thinks to be beautiful, a black woman must embrace with the white social standard of beauty. Jadine thinks in the same way that white people consider what is beauty. As a black woman, she has made herself attractive in the eyes of a white society, because she is tall, thin, and light-skinned. The woman in the yellow dress is the opposite of Jadine and she is not trying to be beautiful in a “white way”. The woman is just beautiful as she is and she is comfortable with that. Jadine is so put off by her because Jadine lacks an authentic black identity and is not comfortable being in touch with her roots. Jadine is only focused on being accepted by the white society …show more content…
The mainstream lifestyle is from white culture. In a different scene, a police vehicle hits another car because the driver forgets to brake at a stop sign. The police officer does not have the audacity to stop and see if the other driver is fine, but instead the officer leaves the scene with no remorse.This particular scene signifies that there is injustice for African-Americans specifically referring it to police brutality. White people dominate and suppress the people of color. This accident represents what happens to people like Son and the dancer who don’t really have access to the streets. They are not allowed to enter into downtown, where the power is. Son is blocked from this power because he is a man of color and he does not have the privilege to walk on the streets. The dancer from the music video also cannot walk the streets but instead he is seen floating over Los Angeles and its skyline.Jafine is the only one who has access to the streets because she has incorporated her lifestyle in the white world. Like Valerian Streets, he is a businessman who created the streets that only few can walk on. Valerian has all the power in the book, he has several black servants who work for him. Valerian’s power is symbolized by his greenhouse and refuses to leave his island. He feels superior and in control of

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