For those who have never read Morrison, it is important to note that there are recurring motifs in her novels. Many of her novels feature ostracized members of a community trying to work through the dilemma of their own potential, the past rejections of their communities, and the future of how they will help. This novel does those things too, because Michael is barely mentioned in the actual plot. Instead, we learn that he is out and about in the world, and perhaps he is attaining enlightenment that he will share with others, but perhaps he is stuck in the rat race of chasing happiness in ways that don't bring it.
Therefore, the novel is a picture of the dilemma facing humans: the search for meaning. Although there are meanings to be derived from facts like gender, race, socio-economic background, and trauma, there are also greater meanings to be derived from selfless acts, like family, community, honor, and growth. The goal of Tar Baby is perhaps this, to show a dilemma and to ask the reader to examine their own assumptions, because there are many ways each person could help their community by establishing true beliefs.
One of those true beliefs is obviously about race in America, because after all, Toni Morrison is one of the world's most highly regarded authorities on that subject, and in this novel, we see her opinion demonstrated because some people fetishize Black people for their exotic, beautiful qualities, while ignoring their pleas for equal treatment and fairness. Instead, Black people are forced (in the novel) into roles of entertainment. Notice that although one of the community members earns her way to a good education in France, she obviously was given that opportunity because she was physically attractive. That is a mark against the standard, because it means people are still being judged by the color of their skin sometimes.
