Tar Baby

In Tar Baby, many of the characters find themselves on either side of a dichotomy, whether split by racial lines or class lines. At L’Arbe de la Croix, the house is split between the owners, the Streets, and their servants, Ondine and Sydney, with Jadine and Son both being somewhere in the middle, as guests. The house also is divided along racial lines, with the Streets being white and the rest of the household being Black. These factors combine to create hierarchies in the household, in which characters perceive each other and their worth based on their identities. The longstanding relationship between Ondine and Margaret highlights the interaction of these identities when Margaret remembers the early days of their relationship when Valerian scolded her for interacting with Ondine too much: “Valerian put a stop to it saying she should guide the servants, not consort with them” (59). Valerian draws a line between Margaret and Ondine, with Ondine being a servant, and therefore not someone worthy of Margaret’s personal attention and friendship. When Margaret seeks to push back against Valerian, she builds her argument upon Ondine’s race: “And although the theme of her defense in the argument was that Ondine (if not all colored people) was just as good as they were, she didn’t believe it” (59). Both Valerian and Margaret see Ondine as below their rank, because of her racial identity and position as a member of their staff. They believe that they possess a higher status in society and therefore should maintain a clearly defined relationship with Ondine that highlights their own superiority. Yet Margaret admits to herself that she was only friendly with Ondine because she struggled to make friends in Valerian’s world.

When Son is discovered and the house’s balance is overturned, the intersection of social class and race once again features prominently. Son’s arrival angers and scares many household members, but Sydney particularly dislikes him. Sydney perceives himself as relatively high in society, and he views Son from a critical standpoint:

I know you, but you don’t know me. I am a Phil-a-delphia Negro mentioned in the book of the very same name. My people owned drugstores and taught school while yours were still cutting their faces open so as to be able to tell one of you from the other (163).

Sydney sees a hierarchy within his own racial community, in which he, as someone who comes from a city family of business owners and professionals with a position he considers important, sees himself as superior to Son. He sees Son as a criminal and a vagabond who is seeking to benefit from Valerian’s generosity. He recognizes in Son a desire to not work as he does and therefore sees himself as above Son. Sydney refuses the relationship that might be formed by Sydney’s role as butler and Son’s position as guest: “And if you looking to lounge here and live off the fat of the land, and if you think I’m going to wait on you, think twice!” (163). Sydney objects to waiting on and serving someone he sees as lesser than himself, and his position comes largely from how he views Son’s social class. He believes that he does honest work while Son does not, and he resents that Son enjoys the benefits of being Valerian’s guest even though he was found hiding in a closet.

The intersection of social class and race influences different characters’ actions and beliefs throughout the novel and plays a significant role in the dissolution of Jadine and Son’s relationship. Each believes that they are helping the other to escape an undesirable life, with Jadine hoping to elevate Son into a different social class alongside her while Son wants to free Jadine from the influence of white men that he believes is unavoidable as a member of the wealthy class. Throughout the novel, Son is uncomfortable and angry over Jadine’s obeisance and loyalty to Valerian and criticizes her and her family for it:

You have told me that a million times. Why not educate you? You did what you were told, didn’t you? Ondine and Sydney were obedient, weren’t they? White people love obedience—love it! Did he do anything hard for you? Did he give up anything important for you? (263).

Son tries to explain to Jadine that he believes she and her family needlessly obey Valerian and shape their lives around him, despite him sacrificing nothing for them. Jadine expresses a sense of debt to Valerian for helping her to become who she is, but Son sees her as shaping herself for Valerian and what he does for her. Son believes Jadine is choosing Valerian, a white man, over her own family, and judges her behavior. When Jadine criticizes and dismisses Son’s life and community and Eloe, seeing it all as lower class and unrefined, her attitude causes him to argue that her standards are those learned from white men and white society.