In Tar Baby, Toni Morrison calls into question a lot of things we might take for granted. One of these things is the cohensiveness of the family unit. For many of us, it's natural for parents and children to love one another. But that's definitely not the case with the Street family. Valerian and Margaret's son Michael wants nothing to do with them, and it probably has something to do with the fact that Margaret stuck pins into him when he was a baby. Yeah, you read that right. She also stubbed out her cigarettes on his tender baby skin. It makes us cringe just to think of it. Margaret is not going to win a Mother of The Year award any time soon.
Questions About Family
- Was Michael old enough to be traumatized by what Margaret did to him as a baby? Use specific evidence from the text to support your answer.
- Do you agree with Valerian's plan for keeping Margaret away from Michael, or is he just being spiteful toward his wife?
- Is Jade being irresponsible by not taking care of Ondine and Sydney in their old age? Why or why not?
Chew on This
In Tar Baby, Morrison shows us that there's no such thing as natural love when it comes to parents and children. If anything, parents and children tend to resent one another.
In Tar Baby, Morrison shows us that family isn't about blood as much as it's about duty. Human beings have a responsibility to one another that they can't neglect.