Over the past 400 years, white people have denigrated black people as being somehow more primitive or less advanced. This belief is reflected in the racial slurs that compare black people to animals, and we see several examples of this in Tar Baby. In many cases, it's not only white people using these slurs, but black people (like Jade) using them on other black people. Of course, the idea that any race is more primitive or animal-like than any other is totally ridiculous, but it still holds a lot of sway with many lazy thinkers. That's why Morrison thinks it's worthwhile to talk about this theme out in the open so that readers can see its damaging effects firsthand.
Questions About Primitivity
- Who is victimized most by being called "primitive" in this book and why? Use specific examples from the text to support your answer.
- What is Jade's reaction when she hears a white person (Margaret) refer to Son as a "gorilla"? Why does it bother her so much when she herself called Son a baboon to his face?
- Does the book actually reinforce the idea that any particular character is more "primitive" than others? Who and why?
Chew on This
In Tar Baby, Toni Morrison shows us that thinking of certain people or races as primitive is just something lazy people do when they want the world to seem simple.
In Tar Baby, we find that the term primitive can actually be a positive thing, since it can involve a deeper connection to nature and to people's true motives.