From Opposition To Communication

Since the publication of Edward Said's Orientalism in 1978, post-colonialism has become an influential theory. Frantz Fanon, one of its precursors, states that, in the westerners' eyes, the black represent primitivism, foolishness, ignorance, violence and potency; whereas, the white symbolize progressiveness, civilization, wisdom, gentility and moderation. Hence, the white feel superior to the black physically and culturally; conversely the black suffer from "inferiority complex". Some black people even intend to turn white through embracing the white culture instead of the black one, which incurs their alienation. Said goes further to argue that the white create the derogatory black "other" image to reflect their superiority just like Orientalists' formulating the Orient and the Oriental. There exists a power of relationship between Orientalists and the Orient, between the white and the black. He comments in the afterwards of Orientalism that, the future of "orientalism" is not "occidentalism", but the mutual communication and equal dialogue. This thesis attempts to employ Fanon and Said's postcolonial views to interpret Toni Morison's Tar Baby, and states that this novel embodies rich postcolonial thoughts. Through exhibiting conflicts between different races and classes, Morrison reveals that the white colonialism's destiny is doomed; facing the white cultural invasion, the black need to stick to their traditional culture on one hand; on the other hand it is desirable for them to absorb some beneficial things from the white culture to realize the modernization the black culture; meanwhile the white and black culture may establish a new reciprocal relationship of dialogue and communication.