The Presence of the Erotic and the Elements of Nature in “Tar Beach” Anonymous College

In the mid-twentieth century, the male and female dichotomy defined and permeated many aspects of traditional mainstream American culture. From heteronormative marriage to rigid gender roles, society greatly emphasized maintaining what a lot of people considered to be the “natural” order between the sexes. In particular, one of the most prevalent criticisms against homosexuality claimed that it acted against human biology. These critics pushed the notion that same-sex attraction and love were deemed “unnatural” for humans. However, in her 1978 piece “Tar Beach,” author Audre Lorde juxtaposes the unnatural homosexuality argument by directly referencing nature when she illustrates the intimate sexual acts of her narrator, Audre, and Audre’s lover, Kitty. The weaving of natural elements to her characters’ attraction relates to Lorde’s concept of the “erotic” which transcends physical intimacy to a much deeper, spiritual understanding of love and sexuality. Lorde affirms the erotic in “Tar Beach” by connecting elements of nature such as the fluidity of water, the passion of fire, and the chaos of storms with the sensual relationship and intimate moments between Audre and Kitty.

The fluid nature of water represents different aspects...