Abstract
Toni Morrison has borrowed from her African heritage to criticize
the Afro- Americans acculturation to the WASP (white, Anglo-
Saxon, and Protestant) culture. Morrison’s novel addresses blacks
and whites. The prologue harangues a message that everyone has
a certain position to occupy and a specific function to achieve, and
that nobody is better than the others. Weak things are found to produce
mighty things, and base things are found to bring glory to the
world. Hence, blacks are not lesser than whites.
The novel is based on a legend about animal characters in a fable
tale, Brer Fox and Brer Rabbit. The term «Tar Baby» is used as a
derogatory term for black people in the US, but Morrison gives the
term a positive connotation.
The characters waver between assimilating to the white dominant
culture and preserving one’s African cultural heritage,i.e, Jadine
is a «race traitor» who is acculturated to the materialistic values of
the white culture. She willingly embraces the white culture, attempting
to stripe her African identity off racial and national titles, simply
showing off her naked self. Son makes Jadine feel that her denial of
black heritage and her family is disgusting. He wants to rescue her
from the white world and brings her back to the Eloe.
The novel highlights the dangers of assimilation and acculturation.
Toni Morrison wants to tell the readers that women cannot be
feminine without appreciating their African heritage first, and that
the dominant white culture destroys African Americans’ self-image.
The novelist highlights the importance of adhering to her African
roots and renounces the idea of uprooting African heritage through
superabundant assimilation or acculturation to the white culture.
the Afro- Americans acculturation to the WASP (white, Anglo-
Saxon, and Protestant) culture. Morrison’s novel addresses blacks
and whites. The prologue harangues a message that everyone has
a certain position to occupy and a specific function to achieve, and
that nobody is better than the others. Weak things are found to produce
mighty things, and base things are found to bring glory to the
world. Hence, blacks are not lesser than whites.
The novel is based on a legend about animal characters in a fable
tale, Brer Fox and Brer Rabbit. The term «Tar Baby» is used as a
derogatory term for black people in the US, but Morrison gives the
term a positive connotation.
The characters waver between assimilating to the white dominant
culture and preserving one’s African cultural heritage,i.e, Jadine
is a «race traitor» who is acculturated to the materialistic values of
the white culture. She willingly embraces the white culture, attempting
to stripe her African identity off racial and national titles, simply
showing off her naked self. Son makes Jadine feel that her denial of
black heritage and her family is disgusting. He wants to rescue her
from the white world and brings her back to the Eloe.
The novel highlights the dangers of assimilation and acculturation.
Toni Morrison wants to tell the readers that women cannot be
feminine without appreciating their African heritage first, and that
the dominant white culture destroys African Americans’ self-image.
The novelist highlights the importance of adhering to her African
roots and renounces the idea of uprooting African heritage through
superabundant assimilation or acculturation to the white culture.
Keywords
Toni Morrison
Abstract
استعارت توني مورسن من تراثها الأفريقي لتوجيه النقد للنظرة السائدة
الامريكية الافريقية من الثقافة البروستانتية والانكلوسكسون البيضاء.
وروايتها )الاخ فوكس والاخ رابت( تخاطب السود والبيض على حد سواء.
وتصدر مقدمتها أنينا دافئا على ان كل شخص لديه موقعاً يحتفظ به او عملاً معيناً
يقوم على انجازه حيث لا احد افضل من الاخر.
الأشياء الواهنة يمكن ان تنجز اشياءاً جبارة وكذلك الاشياء المتدنية يمكن ان
تلبسنا أكاليل المجد في العالم. من هنا فأن السود ليس اقل شأناً من البيض.
تمحورت الرواية حول اسطورة بشخصيات حيوانية داخل حكاية خرافية:
الاخ فوكس والاخ رابت. استخدم مصطلح )صبي القار( كمصطلح تصغير
للناس السود في امريكا لكن مورسن اعطته هذا المصطلح معنة ايجابياً.
الامريكية الافريقية من الثقافة البروستانتية والانكلوسكسون البيضاء.
وروايتها )الاخ فوكس والاخ رابت( تخاطب السود والبيض على حد سواء.
وتصدر مقدمتها أنينا دافئا على ان كل شخص لديه موقعاً يحتفظ به او عملاً معيناً
يقوم على انجازه حيث لا احد افضل من الاخر.
الأشياء الواهنة يمكن ان تنجز اشياءاً جبارة وكذلك الاشياء المتدنية يمكن ان
تلبسنا أكاليل المجد في العالم. من هنا فأن السود ليس اقل شأناً من البيض.
تمحورت الرواية حول اسطورة بشخصيات حيوانية داخل حكاية خرافية:
الاخ فوكس والاخ رابت. استخدم مصطلح )صبي القار( كمصطلح تصغير
للناس السود في امريكا لكن مورسن اعطته هذا المصطلح معنة ايجابياً.
Keywords
توني مورسن
صبي القار