oni Morrison’s “Song of Solomon” is a coming of age novel following the protagonist, Macon “Milkman” Dead, whose identity is heavily involved with his name. He grows up in a society that is in poverty, including his best friend Guitar Bains and his aunt Pilate Dead, but his immediate family has wealth. Although the society he is born and raised in has adversities to overcome, the characters have many qualities that help them to stand out in their situations. "He closed his eyes and thought
of gaining power over others and our communities seems to be one of the strongest human motives. Toni Morrison’s usage of names, flight as a means of escape, and the complex interplay of race and gender portrays Milkman’s search for his history, identity, and focuses on the African American community. In her novel, Song of Solomon, Toni Morrison uses flight as a means of escape, the function of names, and symbolism to convey how Milkman struggles to free himself from the power of others. In the
In the article “African American Review” by Denise Heinze, Heinze beliefs that in “New Essays on Song of Solomon” by Valerie Smith, Smith explaining that Toni Morrison is mainly focus on the theme of race, gender history, and culture that is surrounded by Milkman in the story of song of Solomon. Yet Heinze explains “The essays offer a substantive review of familiar readings of the novel while making accessible new and difficult theoretical applications of narrative and language.”(Heinze 159-160)
that each character plays an equal and important part in the book, and therefore should not be labeled these two terms. The story would not be as enjoyable and acknowledged if it was missing characters that are considered “minor.” Toni Morrison’s novel, Song of Solomon, is a realm that is filled with diverse individuals who each have a story to tell through their feelings and actions. Even though the novel mainly revolves around the story of Milkman, there are characters who have an affect on his
A Journey of Realization Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison is an elaborate book loaded with symbolism's and deeper meanings connected to relevant parts of American history during the 20th century. The reoccurring theme of wealth that Macon Dead pursues throughout his life, plays over into his son’s life, Milkman. Specifically Pilates gold that is an elusive treasure for Milkman, his father, and Guitar during the course of this novel. The way Macon Dead had lived his life, “with the mind of a white