Song Of Solomon Analysis

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Resurrection and Symbolic Death in Song of Solomon In Song of Solomon Toni Morrison shows deep interest in search for identity, that is to say, she narrates a coming of age story challenging the norms of “materialism.” In this aspect, black community living in white dominated society loses the balance, which results in moral degradation, and life with chaos. The protagonist, Milkman, searches for his root, which is crucial step for finding one’s true self. The setting plays a prominent role in the novel, it moves from the industrial North which is affected by the materialistic values and traditions of white society, to the rural South which is dominated by the traditional values. For this reason, people living in South are described as contemporary…show more content…
He feels lonely, and aimless. The novel can be divided into two parts. In the first half of the book, Milkman is described as an immature young man without any aims. He serves as the protagonist of the novel but he is not heroic in the first half of the novel. He is spiritually dead and mentally enslaved by materialism. Despite the fact that he believes that he is not like his father, he shares the same materialistic ideas and negative attitudes towards women. He is doomed to spiritual death if he fails to understand his history. Therefore he needs to gain his self-knowledge and identity to be a real human being. His quest for his inheritance results in a spiritual quest for his lost identity. In the second part of the novel, he is able to form a romantic relationship with a woman contrary to his previous experience with Hagar. He feels empathy for those who sacrifice themselves for him. He finds himself, and experiences a spiritual rebirth in…show more content…
In Denville, learning his grandparents’ names and their hometown’s name from Circe, he visits Susan Byrd, Milkman begins to attach importance to blood relationship and feel a sense of belonging. He senses the familiar atmosphere he sensed at Pilate’s home previously. Milkman watches a group of black children playing and singing the blues song Pilate often sings. The children substitute “Solomon” for “Sugarman”. While watching the children play and listening to the familiar tune, he starts to miss Pilate, her home and his family members and reflect upon his previous attitude towards people around him. After listening attentively and repeatedly, he realizes that they are singing about his grandfather Jake. He learns to complete, understand, and sing the song that contains the history of his family. The Song of Solomon is the key that unlocks the door to his family history and the meaning of his
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