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［摘 要］Jadine and Son，two protagonists in Toni Morrison's novel Tar Baby，hold totally different cultural values：one holds the Euro-centric cultural values，and the other holds the Afro-centric cultural values；one is totally assimilated by the mainstream white culture，and the other insists on the black culture and refuses any influence in the white culture.Their different cultural values lead to their estranged relationship and the cultural conflict directly，and finally make them drop into the plight of cultural marginalization.The paper puts emphasis on the different cultural values that dominate the novel.

［關(guān)鍵詞］Cultural Conflicts Cultural Values Cultural Identity

［中圖分類號(hào)］G64 ［文獻(xiàn)標(biāo)識(shí)碼］A ［文章編號(hào)］1009－5489(2008)09－0069－02

Ⅰ.Euro-centric Cultural Values Reflected in Jadine

Euro-centric cultural values refer to the acceptance and approval of the white culture and its cultural values.\"Euro-centric cultural values sometimes exhibit negative attitudes towards black culture.They reject the black culture but accept the white culture.\"And they are usually closely connected with the white supremacy.

Jadine is shaped by Euro-centric cultural values.She is the embodiment of the black culture assimilated into white culture and the embodiment of Euro-centric cultural values，who\"has been 'constructed' by the Western thing and grateful to it\".

Stampp has said that Jadine is one of those\"white men with black skins，nothing more，nothing less\".Her acculturation is likened to have poured，like tar，a black coating over the ideas，notions，and behaviors of a white woman.Jadine's pro-European cultural values are reflected in many aspects.She accepts the perception of\"white superiority and black inferiority\"in such matters as appearances，literature，arts and even lifestyles.Everything seems\"white over black\"in Jadine's eyes.In her mind，it seems that\"whiteness\"is the synonymy of\"rightness\".It is just like what Eleanor Traylor has said：\"If you are White，you(are)right；if you Black，stand back.\"

Her conversation is always very\"'educated'，too white，too superficial，too moved from the mother tongue.\"The\"lack of historical cohesion and(her own)cultural shield\"leave her a lost cultural identity.Therefore，she always dangles between American and Afro-American，white and black，which erodes her real cultural identity.

When Jadine talks with Michael，Michael criticizes her for not knowing her people and her history，she responds：

\"'Ave amaria' better than gospel music.\"

\"Picasso is better than an Itumba mask.The fact that he was intrigued by them is a proof of his genius，not the mask-maker.\"

Jadine does not acquire the teachings from her ancestry and knows nothing about her ancestry.She shuns a door of ancestry，rejecting her black identity，the black values and black culture.She cuts the cultural ties between her and her people.Jadine is estranged from the black Americans'\"ancient properties\"，and she is totally assimilated into white culture.

Ⅱ.Afro-centric Cultural Values Reflected in Son

Son's cultural values are totally different from Jadine's.He rejects Euro-centric cultural values but holds the Afro-centric cultural values，which is in total opposition to Euro-centric cultural values.

When Jadine suggests that Son should learn law，Son regards law as a meaningless thing.\"I don't want to know their laws；I want to know mine.\"Son refuses everything that is related with the white culture；only the black culture is important for him.Different from Jadine's opinion that black culture is not worthy to study，Son regards getting the white education as a useless thing.He views the white culture as nothing.In his opinion，it is enough for him to know the black culture and black people alone.He does not believe in the Western civilization.Son becomes the embodiment of black culture.

In Son's opinion，\"the sole lesson of their(white)world：how to make waste，how to make machines that made more waste…h(huán)ow to mobilize waste，legalize waste….\"Son doesn't want to borrow any experience in social organization from the white，and Son hates the Western civilized industry and the white lifestyle.

Son，living in the totality of the black collectives，holds Afro-centric cultural values in his mind.The feeling of historical cohesion creates the safest and the most solid shield of culture security for him；however，Son goes to the extreme when he insists on the black culture.

Son has pro-black values and only holds the pro-black values.In the meanwhile，he is for anti-whiteness and anti-white orientation values，no matter whether they are good or bad.His Afro-centric values cast the collective white group as the inverse of the blacks.He says，\"White folks and black folks should not sit down and eat together.…They should work together sometimes but they should not eat together or live together or sleep together.Do any of those personal things in life.\"He holds strong negative attitudes towards the white values.The notion of\"American Dream\"and\"self fulfilling prophecy\"held by the majority of the white does not attract him at all，and he has even never thought of it.He has said：\"Make it in New York.Make it in New York.I'm tired of hearing that shit.\"\"That's not life；that's making it.I don't want to make it；I want to be it.\"Son keeps his Afro-centric cultural values，too nostalgic for the past，which makes him lock himself away from the white culture and future.

Ⅲ.Conclusion

Both Jadine and Son go to extremes on cultural values.Jadine's speech and deportment show her acceptance and approval of the Euro-centric cultural values，and exhibit a negativism towards black culture.On the other hand，Son is characterized by the rejection of Euro-centric cultural values and the acceptance of the Afro-centric cultural values.Both of their orientations towards culture make them drop into the plight of culture.It is wise of Jadine to take deliberate efforts to learn more about her own culture，while it is necessary for Son to hold an open attitude towards white culture.Only in this way can they find an integrated self.

［參考文獻(xiàn)］

［1］Daudi Ajani ya Azibo，ed.African-centered Psychology：Culture-focusing for Multicultural Competence.Durham：Carolina Academic Press，2003.

［2］Taylor-Guthrie，Danille，ed.Conversation with Toni Morrison.Jackson：University Press of Mississippi，1994.

［3］McKay，Nellie.Critical Essays on Toni Morrison.G.K.Hall Co：Boston Press，1988.

［4］Morrison，Toni.Tar Baby.New York：Alfred A.Knopf，Inc.，1981.

［5］Rigney，Barbara Hill.The Voices of Toni Morrison.Ohio：Ohio State University Press，1991.