Among many others things, Tar Baby is a novel about how the past always lives on in people's memories and forms a crucial part of their identities as individuals. And we're not just talking about people's individual pasts, but the past that they share with their relatives and ancestors. Ondine, for example, believes that Jade is betraying both her family and her race by choosing to live life only for herself.
Jade doesn't make her decision lightly, as she is constantly plagued by personal memories, both of her mother's funeral and of the day she was insulted by an African woman who disapproved of her "white" way of dressing and acting. Son is also totally obsessed by memories of his hometown of Eloe, which goes to show just how strong an influence memory and the past can have on characters in this book.
Questions About Memory and the Past
- What specific characters in Tar Baby have present-day lives that are deeply affected by their memories of the past? Use specific examples to support your answer.
- How specifically do Valerian's memories of his son hiding in a bathroom cabinet change after he hears Margaret's confession of abuse? Why?
- How does Jade's memory of watching the tall African woman in the supermarket affect her actions in the novel?
Chew on This
In Tar Baby, characters use the fact that the past can't be changed as a way of dodging responsibility for the present.
In Tar Baby, Toni Morrison shows us that all our memories (both good and bad) are simply obstacles that we need to overcome in order to have brighter futures.