“Song of Solomon” by Toni Morrison Essay Example

Flight emerges as one of Morrison's prominent themes in breaking free from constraining circumstances. It is exemplified by Solomon Milkman's great-grandfather who flew to Africa to escape slavery, with his story passed down through generations in folksongs and stories. In his community, Solomon is revered as a hero despite leaving his large family in the care of his weak wife. However, her despairing death is seen as a sign of weakness and an escape from her predicament within her community.
Milkman's escape from his privileged yet directionless life is seen as a flight from desperate circumstances (White), but it turns out to be a blessing in disguise. Through this flight, he discovers his true identity and finds something more valuable - himself and his true name. Macon "Milkman" Dead III, as his name suggests, escapes his dead existence through flight. He learns from his aunt Pilate's ability to fly without physically leaving the ground. Pilate's love for life and her helpful attitudes make her one of the strongest characters in the novel. Unlike Pilate, Milkman feels trapped by society's perception of him. He walks confidently to hide physical imperfections, shielding himself from society's judgment and increasing feelings of isolation. His relentless pursuit of acceptance blinds him to the harsh reality of the world he lives in.

Another important theme in the novel is abandonment. Solomon courageously abandons his family for freedom, leading to his wife's downfall as she struggles with his departure. In order to achieve liberation himself, Milkman must abandon a life of privilege and comfort. Morrison effectively portrays the double suffering experienced by women in African American communities through their experiences of abandonment.Solomon's wife, Ryan,

is left behind in despair as he flees to Africa in an attempt to break free from the chains of slavery. She carries the heavy burden of caring for their large family. Tragically, her death is perceived by society as a failure while Solomon is praised and revered. A similar fate befalls Guitar's mother who is left sickly and burdened with children to provide for after her husband's untimely demise. Similarly, Milkman abandons his loving girlfriend, causing her immense suffering which eventually leads to her tragic death as a result of his rejection.

Throughout this novel, racism emerges as a dominant theme that inflicts much suffering and creates societal problems. It affects the lives of characters in various ways; we witness Solomon being enslaved and oppressed solely due to his race. Even after gaining freedom, former slaves continue facing discrimination and struggle for immediate acceptance as equals within society. Regrettably, this prejudice persists today with some individuals finding it difficult to acknowledge the inherent equality of all people.

Both Macon Dead II and Pilate experience the horrors of slavery from a tender age, particularly through witnessing their father being murdered. This tragedy leaves Milkman's father hollow inside; he becomes obsessed with amassing wealth in order to escape racism and attain equal status. However, this pursuit leads him down a path where he mistreats fellow African Americans and passes on this indifference towards racial inequality to his son.The text discusses the superficial father-son relationship between Milkman Dead and his father, which deprives them of joy and humanity. Milkman is portrayed as a sheltered, selfish, and immature man who is unaware of the hardships faced by African Americans in

his time. Despite his self-obsession, Morrison shows that Milkman does not discriminate based on skin color but is obsessed with material wealth. This obsession blinds him to the suffering caused by his actions, such as advising his son to steal from his sister. Milkman's best friend, Guitar, also becomes a killer due to racism and seeks revenge on the white community for their mistreatment of African Americans. This affiliation further isolates him from both his community and wider society. Through analyzing characters and their relationships, it becomes evident that Morrison portrays Milkman as a selfish character who is oblivious to the reality of racism within his community. These attributes make him multi-dimensional and set the stage for his personal journey of self-discovery, leading to personal growth.Morrison introduces Milkman as a character who is constantly paranoid, always looking behind him (White). As a child, he accidentally urinates on his sister because he is distracted by the thought of someone lurking nearby. This incident sets the stage for Milkman's journey into his family history in order to discover himself. In simpler terms, Milkman must delve into his ancestors' past to find liberation and gain true understanding of his place in the world. Through this process, he undergoes personal growth and becomes a better version of himself. Morrison also portrays him as incredibly fortunate, surrounded by people who love him even though he fails to reciprocate their affection. These portrayals suggest that those around Milkman can see qualities in him that he is unaware of but lacks direction in life (Morrison). Consequently, she lays the foundation for his transformation early on in her novel.

Furthermore, Milkman is an outcast

within his community due to his visibly uneven legs which set him apart from others. Additionally, his privileged upbringing separates him from the mostly impoverished African Americans in his neighborhood. Moreover, many despise his father for being a heartless landlord.Despite coming from a wealthy background in a poor community, Milkman experiences further isolation due to this wealth disparity. He believes he is superior to those around him because of his father's affluence, making him self-centered and oblivious to the struggles of his neighbors. His privileged upbringing also makes him unaware of his surroundings. This selfishness is evident in how he treats his friend Guitar - while Milkman can confide in Guitar, he cannot offer the same support in return. However, their relationship demonstrates that Milkman can still connect with someone from a lower social background, although it is argued that Guitar does most of the giving. Morrison uses Guitar's perspective to highlight Milkman's selfishness.

In contrast, Pilate is depicted as a strong and independent woman who values love and kindness over material possessions, setting her apart from other female characters in the novel. Many female characters are portrayed as helpless individuals reliant on men for survival and deeply infatuated with unreciprocated feelings. However, Pilate breaks free from this pattern and serves as a moral compass within Songs of Solomon. She treats everyone equally and is incapable of any wrongdoing; she stands faultless according to the author Morrison.

Overall, through these contrasting portrayals of Milkman and Pilate, Morrison explores themes such as wealth disparity, selfishness, friendship dynamics across social backgrounds, gender roles, and morality within society.Nonetheless, there are occasions when Pilate must resort to what may seem like

cruel actions to protect others. An instance of this is when she used a voodoo ragdoll to intimidate her brother into allowing Ruth to give birth to Milkman instead of getting an abortion (Morrison). This contradicts the perception that the author wants us to have of Pilate as completely innocent and incapable of causing harm. It demonstrates her lack of fear in using mystical beliefs to frighten others for the sake of someone else's well-being. In addition, she defends her daughter by threatening an abuser with a knife. These actions showcase her ability to cause harm, emphasizing her strength in protecting others. This indicates that she is capable of ruthlessly safeguarding those around her. Furthermore, Pilate's unwavering dedication to standing up for the seemingly vulnerable members within their community further illustrates her strength. Moreover, Pilate stands out from most women in their community due to her unconventional appearance, challenging the traditional belief that women must prioritize their looks in order to gain admiration. Despite defying widely held values, Pilate is scorned by her own brother and considered insane by others in their community because she does not conform to societal expectations for how women should behave. Nevertheless, she remains comfortable with herself and her actions, which ultimately reveal her strength to Milkman. Despite being forbidden by his father, Milkman develops a relationship with Pilate during his youth.Milkman initially falls in love with Hagar, his daughter, but later mistreats her after using her for his own pleasure. His journey begins with the intention of stealing gold from Pilate as instructed by his father. Along the way, Milkman undergoes a transformation and develops admiration for his aunt,

whom he sees as an independent, generous, and morally upright woman.

In contrast, Morrison portrays Guitar Bains as an immoral individual who justifies his actions through racial hatred. His animosity towards white people stems from his father's death and he blames racism against African Americans for the hardships faced by his family. As a member of the seven days group, Guitar commits murders without remorse.

The novel depicts Guitar as deeply disturbed and unafraid to kill his friend Milkman whom he perceives as a traitor. Their relationship is complex as they are portrayed as complete opposites. While Milkman is self-centered and oblivious to the struggles of the African American community, Guitar is keenly aware of his position in society as a black man.

Guitar takes it upon himself to seek revenge for racial injustices committed against blacks. Morrison uses Guitar to highlight Milkman's indifference towards racism since Guitar views himself as a slave while Milkman considers himself a free man burdened with a slave name.

Guitar's attempt to murder Milkman symbolizes their complicated relationship and reflects his desire to bring about change within their friendship.However, despite his involvement in secretive activities as part of a vigilante group, Guitar's actions do little to address racial injustice. The author justifies these actions as stemming from Guitar's frustration with the mistreatment of his race; however, he ultimately appears more racist than those he seeks to stop. In fulfilling Milkman's foresight that he would become a remorseless killer even towards other black individuals, Guitar proves this point. Through the relationship between Milkman and his friend, and Milkman's encounters with the police, the author illustrates the perception of authority held by African Americans at

that time. Despite being aware of his friend and his group committing crimes against white individuals, Milkman never reported them to the police or withheld this knowledge. This lack of cooperation reflects the belief within the African American community that the police were tools of oppression who did not deserve their assistance. Furthermore, Macon Dead II values material wealth above all else and uses money to overcome childhood struggles and improve social status. Witnessing his father's violent murder by white men during childhood further influences Macon Dead II's prioritization of wealth. Morrison suggests that poverty and racism were reasons behind his father’s death, leading him to prioritize acquiring material wealth at any cost.In his pursuit of wealth, Macon Dead II neglected his humanity and mistreated his family. He failed to instill in his son the value of appreciating life. Consequently, despite their affluence, his family experienced unhappiness, particularly his son. Ultimately, through her book, Morrison urges readers to examine the detrimental effects of racism on society. The book also delves into the theme of abandonment and traces a journey of self-discovery. Morrison effectively explores racial relations in American society by portraying Milkman's transformative quest as the protagonist. "Song of Solomon" is a narrative that sheds light on racial injustices and follows Milkman's quest to uncover his roots, ultimately leading him to discover himself and undergo personal growth.