Songs Of Solomon By Toni Morrison

In the novel Song of Solomon, Toni Morrison depicts the many aspects of self-actualization, and the difficulties of growing up in a maltreated life. The story revolves around generations of black family in the south during the segregation of whites and blacks. The character of Macon Dead jr., suffers from a sheltered life. Macon jr., is unaware of his family’s history, and the cruel reality of mistreatment during segregation. In the sheltered and confusing environment Macon jr., lives pushes him to find the authentic individual within himself. Macon jr., evolves through the descriptions, events, and experiences of others. But, who is responsible for making Macon jr.,’s journey of self-actualization to be so slow and difficult. His parents, Macon Dead sr., and Ruth Foster Dead, represent the obstacle hindering Macon jr., from his true authentic identity. Many of Macon jr.,’s major problems are a direct result of his parents suffocating mistakes.

I Knew a Woman is about a woman who has more than just beauty. Theodore Roethke explains what he sees in this woman and the joy and pain about loving her. Roethke uses a

Toni Morrison introduces the relationship between Guitar and Milkman in the middle of the second chapter, but from this moment it is evident that their socioeconomic differences could not be more obvious. Milkman has had everything handed to him on a silver platter primarily due to his family’s high social standing and his father’s success. While Milkman comes from a middle class family, Guitar’s family is from a lower class. A good example of this is when Guitar's mother, Mrs. Bains, attempts to get an extension on her rent from Macon Dead. Milkman’s father responds by saying

The conversation revolved around race most of them, were actually away from the problem trying to be oblivious to their surroundings. The book actually takes place when slavery was still going on in the South. The South is an important part of the book because that’s when Milkman finds about more about his identity. Milkmna’s father Macon Dead had been a very lucky man because he had money whereas many black people were struggling to live. Macon didn’t worry about anything that revolved around race because he paid more attention to his money.Therefore Milkman didn’t understand the actual struggles during the times when black people’s lives were literally hell and back. Macon Dead was color blind to race which he shows, the man does not really care for anything but his money. Macon knows that he has money and shows

Milkman is about to leave his family behind when Macon Jr. informs him of a green bag in Pilate’s home that is full of gold. Milkman and his best friend Guitar Bains go to Pilate’s house to steal the gold so he and his father can become wealthy. Guitar can be described as an extremist and is part of the Seven Days organization. When an African American in the community is murdered, members of the Seven Days retaliate by putting a white person to death the same way the African American was murdered. As Guitar’s grandmother said to him, “A nigger in business is a terrible thing to see. A terrible, terrible thing to see.” (Morrison 22). This was intended towards Milkman’s father and what type of a business man he was; always being selfish and greedy for wealth. This is how Milkman realizes how his race plays a role in society. Pilate is Milkman’s aunt who treats him as her own son and is protective over him. Unfortunately for Milkman and Guitar, they did not find gold but they found Milkman’s grandfather’s bones. This triggers Milkman and he finally leaves his home in search for gold in an old Pennsylvania farm.

Milkman, the main character, son of Macon Dead, friend of Guitar Bains and great- grandson of Solomon is in every way impacted by their thoughts whether he knows it or not. Milkman is careless when it comes to the perception of racism. He feels it doesn’t affect him in any way because of who he is, but he doesn’t even know who he is as a man or as a black man.

With only focusing on the past, Milkman is deemed to not move forward with his life and stay stuck in time. Milkman’s lack of ambition in life also affects the way he feels about the people close to him. Shortly after Milkman defends his mother from Macon, he receives disturbing information of how his mother had a very uncanny intimate relationship with her father. Because of this, Milkman goes on a walk where he reveals he “never loved his mother, but had always known that she had loved him” (75). Milkman does not care that his mother loves him; he does not feel anything towards her.

Throughout Langston Hughes' novel, Not Without Laughter, the author introduces multiple characters that reveal their notions of prejudice. The novel explores that prejudice in one form or another is in every aspect of one's life. Prejudice can be defined as an opinion for or against a person's look, race, class, or religion, which is usually formed by a hasty generalization. Most of the main characters, Aunt Hager, Sister Johnson, Jimboy, Harriet, and Tempy contain different accounts of prejudice in the world, which stimulate many of Sandy's thoughts of life as he comes of age. Aunt Hager, Annjee, Harriet, and Sandy, are a multi-generation poor African American family that live in a small home together but are eventually divided by multiple circumstances. The story takes place during the 1910s in the small town of Stanton, Kansas.

Milkman’s journey for an identity takes him down a road in which he becomes as callous as his father.

Milkman’s new-found connection to his human and primal roots after going on a hunt and freeing himself from Guitar’s attempted murder symbolizes his new-found connection to his familial roots and past. Revitalized from surviving near inevitable death and finding his place in the world, Milkman is able to reform his negative attitudes towards himself that were translated through his limp, which he had taken on because of his self-consciousness over his shorter leg. Instead he now views them as a natural, like tree trunks, and accepts them along with his roots, redefining his self-identity.

To Milkman, Pilate is the most important person in his life. She has acted as a mentor throughout his life and would expose him to reality. Even though the rest of Milkmans family shunned her for being strange, she played an integral role to the development of Milkman. Part of the reason that Pilate is so strange is because she is a supernatural character. Because she was born without a navel, she is inherently magical. Unlike Milkman, Pilate accepts the supernatural as natural even though she is the most grounded character in the novel. She considered her mentor to be her father who is dead but “who appeared before her sometimes and told her things” (Morrison 150). She is the most down to earth character in the novel yet she occasionally

Maya Angelou once said “Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future and renders the present inaccessible”. This sentiment is apparent in the novel Song of Solomon written by Toni Morrison and the film The Searchers directed by John Ford. In both these works of fiction prejudice is an underlying theme of the central plot. Throughout both plots, it becomes apparent the cause, cost and cure for prejudice taking the form of racism.

The motif of being grounded is highly associated with Pilate, specifically through her relationship with Milkman. Pilate’s maternal role in the novel between Milkman and herself, is developed out of love and protection for Milkman, whereas Milkman simply sees his relation to her in a way of escaping the expectations of society and finding a sense of home. However, Pilate plays an important role in relaying the ideas of flight through singing and freedom, revealing the idea that she never could fully or holistically take “flight” due to her grounded association. Pilate’s ability to love both maternally and fully to all family and individuals surrounding her life is put into perspective when she wishes, “I’d known more people. I would of loved

Majority of African American women get judged on the day to day basis. When scrolling through social media there will be large amounts of individuals who will bully or even belittle a colored female because of the natural kinks of her hair, her sense of fashion, the full shaped curves of her body, and the color of her skin . The poem “Still I Rise” by the well-known poet, Maya Angelou, specifically describes the reasons why she had so much confidence; even if she were to be judged by her appearances and mindset. This poem is about embracing females, but it mainly introduces similar life situations that many African American women have experienced. The symbols and point of view that Angelou specifically added in her poem made her readers realize that there are many meanings to this poem.

Home is about a Korean War veteran named Frank Money who needs to save his sister from dying. The story starts with Frank describing a scene from his childhood with his sister. They were in a field with horses he describes the horses being beautiful and brutal, but on the other side some men were burying a dead African American in a hole. When Frank becomes an adult he is soon committed to a mental hospital after his time in the war. Frank soon gets a letter stating that his sister was in danger and could die if he did not hurry to save her. Then he remembers his family being evicted and not being able to take any possessions. Frank then escapes the bastion of the