Song of Solomon Study Guide
“Song of Solomon” is a book by Toni Morrison that talks about the life of Macon “Milkman”. Some might say that it is a story of a privileged child, and others say it’s a story about the symbolic life of a generation of people who have been oppressed for centuries and deserve to have a good life now.
Macon “Milkman” Dead III is a son of a rich African American man from Michigan. His grandfather was the first black doctor in town, his father is a wealthy landlord, he himself isn’t enslaved or exploited. But he still has a difficult life: his mother wouldn’t let him go and even breastfed him till the age of four. His father insists that the boy continues his steps and oppresses his attempts for self-identification. His girlfriend demands his love and attention, reminding him about herself with regular murder attempts.
Not typical troubles of an African American described in the world literature, right? With the book, the author demonstrates how a man can feel trapped inside his body even without objective reasons for it. The Milkman wants freedom. He wants to be left alone, he wants to understand who he really is. He wants to analyze the past of his ancestors and how it affected his genetic and social condition.
He doesn’t articulate his need very well. Stealing from his own aunt, starting a fight at a bar and doing a ritual in the cave isn’t the best way to achieve his goals. But that’s the way he is able to do it.
Racial conflict is a key theme in many literary genres and creations. What makes “Song of Solomon” different is the presence of humane approach, biblical symbolism, and demonstration of another side of the life of African American population. It is a book about searching for yourself, mixed with allegories and symbols, fantastical events and social reality.
Author: Marshall Vasquez
New Essays
Men’s repeated abandonment of women in Song of Solomon shows that the novel’s female characters suffer a double burden. Not only are women oppressed by racism, but they must also pay the price for men’s freedom. Guitar tells Milkman that black men are the unacknowledged workhorses of humanity, but...
Song of Solomon outline Thesis: Milkman develops from flying away from his problems/reality to flight towards (accepting) problems/solving them. Intro: Throughout literature it has been common for authors to use allusions to complement recurrent motifs in their work. In Toni Morrison’s Song of...
Song of Solomon - Flying The book, Song of Solomon, is a story about a hero – a black(African) man called Milkman Dead. The story talks about how Milkman discovered the history of his family, and his upbringing. In fact, Milkman’s and his family’s history reflect on the situation of all black...
George Yu Pilate, the Protagonist The character Pilate can be seen as the protagonist of the novel Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison, because she is the novel’s moral guide. Although the narrator rarely focuses on what Pilate is feels or thinks, preferring instead to concentrate on Milkman’s quest...