Xinying Chen

Guided by Shen Dan’s theory of dual narrative progression, this paper explores the overt and covert narrative in Toni Morrison’s novel Tar Baby, with the focus on the covert progression that unveils the oppression of black women in patriarchal society. While the overt progression underscores cultural conflict between the white and the black under colonization, the covert narrative reveals the marginalization and subordination of black females, not only depicting their identity crisis but also witnessing the awakening of female consciousness. Through an elaborate analysis of narrative techniques, this study sheds light on themes of sexism and ideological discipline, providing a fresh perspective on the novel.

Toni Morrison, Tar Baby, dual narrative progression, black women, patriarchal society, colonization

[1] Morrison, T. The Tar Baby. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1981. [2] Phelan, J. Experiencing Fiction: Judgments, Progressions, and the Rhetorical Theory of Narrative. Columbus: The Ohio State University Press, 2007. [3] Han Xiu. A “cultural orphan” between black and white cultures, —— The ethical dilemma of Giding in Cypress Doll, Foreign Literature Research, 2017; 39 (03): 129-136. [4] Shen Dan. Covert progression behind plot development: Katherine Mansfield’s The Fly. Poetics Today, 2013; 34, 147-76. [5] Shen Dan. Hidden process of Western literary Theory, Foreign Literature, 2019, (01): 81-96.

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