Essay on Tar Baby-ly Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

On Tar Baby-ly - Essay Example In the novel, Tar Baby, Toni Morrison highlights patterns of racist socialization and ever present anger using motives and actions of the characters in the story, particularly Jadine and Son. The tensions that the major and minor characters experience in the novel are reflective of PTSS. In particular, Jadine demonstrates racist socialization while Son shows ever present anger. According to DeGruy, racist socialization refers to â€Å"adoption of the slave master’s value system† which â€Å"includes the internalization of the white ideal of beauty† (DeGruy 135). Jadine is very fond of things that are pleasing to the whites. She loves the sealskin coat that her boyfriend Ryk gives her even though it is impractical to wear it in the Caribbean. She also loves cosmopolitan live, thus encourages Son to live in New York. However, she and Son cannot be together for they are far different from each other. She starts to realize this only when Son takes her to Eloe. Although she is black, she cannot appreciate things that Son values such as the wildlife. Opposed to Son, Jadine does not give importance to her race. She embraces European life and leaves her surrogate parents. She does not think of the sacrifices that Sydney and Odine do for her in order to send her to school. Instead, she thinks that Valerian is the only one who fulfills her dream by sending her to study in Paris. She claims, â€Å"the truth is I could not have done that without the help and care of some poor white dude who thought I had brains enough†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Morrison 51). Jadine’s racist socialization leads her to ostracize her aunt and uncle as part of her success. She gives credit only to Valerian, thus leaves her relatives behind to start a new life in New York. Ironically, Son realizes the effort of the two and tells her, â€Å"They are the ones who put you through school, woman†¦not him. They worked