Toni Morrisons Tar Baby and the Black Orpheus
- This is a preview of the essay.
To view the full text you must login!
Greek Mythology and African Literature?
Artists often find their inspiration in elements that are part of foreign cultures. An american musician might want to integrate into his work an exotic sound, an italian painter might be inspired by the mysterty evocated by the Quebecer culture; who knows? And what about an African author who writes a novel that depicts elements of the Greek mythology? Toni Morrison's Tar Baby actually represents an example of this type of inspiration. The story of Jadine and Son tends to reflect some aspects of a well known Greek myth called The Black Orpheus. Being aware of the elements that compose the myth, one can understand how the novel of the African author refers to the Greek story.
At first, one must know a little more about the actual myth. The Black Orpheus is the story of Orpheus, "the son of the god Apollo and Calliope, a muse," and Euridyce, a nymph (http://www.ehrensteinland...