Study Questions & Essay Topics
Study Questions
1. Although some important parts of the
novel take place in the city or inside of L'Arbe de la Croix, Morrison
also sets many scenes outdoors, and she frequently describes different
aspects of nature. How do you think the natural world affects the
characters in the novel?
2. At the end of the novel, Son has a
choice between two possible courses of action. He can either join
the wild horsemen of Isle des Chevaliers or follow Jadine to Paris.
Why do you think he pursues the wild horsemen?
3. Who do you think the most sympathetic
character in the book is, and why?
Suggested Essay Topics
1. What is the function of myth in the novel? Can the
tar baby story be considered a myth? Or does it seem like a different kind
of narrative?
2. ichael never appears in the novel. Why do you think
it is important that he fails to show up?
3. There are three major black female characters in
the novel: Ondine, Jadine, and Thérèse. How would you compare and contrast
them? Does Morrison seem to think one of them best exemplifies what
a black woman should be?
4. Jadine wrestles with both her sense of racial identity
and with her sense of what being a woman means. Do you think she feels
more constrained or threatened by her race or by her gender?
5. Many of the characters in the novel commit acts of
violence, whether of a verbal or a physical kind. Do you think any
of these acts are excusable? Or is violence always wrong?
6. At the end of the novel Margaret changes both physically
and in terms of how much power she has over Valerian. What do you
think we are supposed to feel about her by the close of the book?
