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Overview

Tar Baby, published in 1981, is a novel by Nobel laureate Toni Morrison. The book tells the story of Jadine Childs, a young African American fashion model from Philadelphia, and Son, a mysterious man who is hiding on a Caribbean island owned by a wealthy white family. Tar Baby explores themes of race, class, and gender, and it is often read as a critique of the white gaze (the assumption that the perspective of someone who identifies as white is the default point of view) and the ways in which it shapes and distorts Black identity. 

Explore a plot summary, an in-depth analysis of Jadine Childs, and important quotes.

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