Tar Baby Family Quotes

Michael is everything in the world to Margaret Street, but Valerian doesn't think that Michael even likes them (his parents) all that much. As we find out later in the book, this might be connected to the fact that Margaret stick pins in Michael when he was a baby. You know, just maybe that would breed resentment.

Margaret and Valerian aren't your average married couple. Sure, they bicker like your stereotypical old married couple. The main difference, though, is that unlike most married couples, they spend most of their time in a gigantic vacation house that Valerian has built in the Caribbean. Margaret hates living there, though, because all Valerian does is ignore her and there is nobody for her to talk to. In this quote, Margaret not-so-subtly tells Valerian that he's selfish for making her live in the vacation home all year round. We wish we could relate to this distinctly First World Problem.

Margaret and Valerian have this adorable little habit of counting the calories in one another's food. As you can imagine, it's not the most productive way of building a loving, mutually supportive relationship.

Deep down, Ondine knows a little something about why Michael might not want to be around his mother. We don't know it yet, but Ondine is aware that Margaret hurt Michael intentionally when he was a baby. That's why she thinks that Margaret is "not natural," since mothers are supposed to naturally want to protect their babies from harm… at least according to Ondine.

Margaret had a tough time as a young mother. She was overwhelmed and lonely. But that still doesn't excuse her habit of hurting her son Michael because she hated how dependent he was on her. Sure he demanded that she always be at her best and always be available to him. Then again, he was a baby. That's kind of what babies do.

In short, Margaret felt like she had to hurt her son Michael when he was a baby. He made her feel like she was in prison. Hmm, we still can't muster that much pity for Margaret. Sure, Valerian was off at work all the time, but Margaret's only job was to take care of the baby. Parenting is tough stuff, but Margaret totally has servants to help her out. Sorry, Marg. We're not going to cut you slack on this one.

After finding out about how Margaret abused Michael when he was a baby, Valerian is shattered. He can only wonder how he went so long without realizing what was happening. He remembers coming home and finding Michael hiding in a bathroom cabinet, but never truly understood what it was all about. Now that he can see the truth in retrospect, he feels guilty.

Ondine tries to explain to her niece Jade that a girl cannot become a proper woman until she learns to accept her duty to her family and to those who are older than her. Jade is not Ondine's daughter, but Ondine has raised her as if she were. Jade wants to abandon Ondine in order to pursue her own dreams, and Ondine assures Jade that she'll never make a good mother if she can't learn to fulfill family duties.

Jade can only shake her head at her aging aunt and uncle's request. They have sacrificed everything so she can pursue her dreams. But now they want her to stop everything in order to take care of them in their old age. It's a tough situation, and Jade ultimately chooses herself over her family.

Ondine and Sydney have sacrificed everything so that their niece Jade can have all the things in life they never had. But when Jade deserts them in their old age to go pursue her personal ambitions, they both feel let down. For Sydney, it's totally reasonable to want something back when you help somebody, especially when that somebody is family.