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NISHIMITSU Kisho
Department Hiroshima shudo University The Faculty of Humanities and Human Sciences Position Associate Professor |
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| Language | Japanese |
| Publication Date | 2021/09 |
| Type | Articles |
| Title | The Pain of the Voiceless Baby: The Strategic Absence in Tar Baby |
| Contribution Type | Single-Authored Publication |
| Journal | Studies in The Humanities and Sciences |
| Journal Type | Japan |
| Volume, Issue, Pages | 25-39頁 |
| Number of pages | 14 |
| Details | This paper, focusing on Michael Street, who has not received much critical attention, aims to bring his story out of the shadows and to make a contribution to the reevaluation of Tar Baby (1981), Toni Morrison’s fourth novel. Morrison depicts the painful lives of African Americans. This is a given when reading her novels. Interestingly, however, Morrison gives a significant role to white characters, to Michael in particular. He does not play a central role in the story, but he haunts it. His absence is a palpable presence. This essay tries to reconstruct his story to fill in this absence. It also illustrates how Tar Baby is unique among Morrison’s novels, but also how it is consistent with her stance as a writer in giving voices to the voiceless. |