1. Conclusion Toni Morrison’s novel is about a family’s unstoppable influence on its child showing that an unfettered development and search for identity is almost impossible in a family environment. It is about the contrast between the involved women, their effects on Milkman and his successful journey to a mature man who realizes the value of women. Morrison depicts the fatal consequences of a childhood in a patriarchal family leading to a misunderstanding of women but also that a partial distance from it is not enough to be freed from it. Due to a passive mother who endlessly loves her child, large parts of Milkman’s characterization are in the hands of his ruthless father who hates his wife viewing all women as possession and valueless. …show more content…
With his lover Hagar, Milkman has a tempestuous relationship. Probably, she is the one who suffers most under Milkman’s carelessness towards women. His misogynistic behavior, taught through his father’s rejection of his wife, lacerates her feelings but combined with Pilate’s irresponsible but well-intentioned other-worldly upbringing and lifestyle, finally cost her life. Contrary to his mother, Milkman’s aunt Pilate is Ruth’s foil. Abhorred by her brother Macon, she lives her own life apart from her close relatives. Being in line with the past, she offers Milkman a haven where he can listen and learn about the past. By teaching him the importance of culture, history and origin, she is the first who helps him to find his self. Her position apart from Milkman’s family enables her to make Milkman reflect about himself and his perception but however, also Pilate reaches her limit when it is about influencing Milkman’s traditional view of women. Leaving his hometown to find Pilate’s gold, Milkman quickly learns that he cannot achieve his aims with his condescending nature. For the first time dependent on others, Milkman understands to value and honor people and his search becomes a quest for self-identity which changes his
The character grandmother in O’Connor’s story has grounds the reality of the events and drives the family into tragedy. She is a central character in O’Connor’s story and is depicted to be a dynamic character stuck in the old ways. Through her actions and the idea of being stuck in the old ways of thinking, she leads her family into tragedy. Being the main character in the story, Grandmother significantly adds to the development of the plot. The author manages to win the attention of the reader from this character owing to the manner in which she shapes the storyline. Grandmother’s reminiscing of the old ways claims a distinctive curiosity from the reader and helps in
The mother begins to rebel against tradition by taking an active role in educating and freeing herself. Through her radio, telephone and trips out with her sons she develops her own opinions about the world, the war, and the domination and seclusion of woman. She loses her innocence as a result to her new knowledge and experience.
Piddy’s mother had chosen never to speak of her father, only making Piddy's curiosity grow, along with her anger and questioning. Once Piddy was exposed to this information, her mother gave her the reassurance she was always searching for. Piddy finally knew that she was wanted, maybe not by her father, but by her
Toni Morrison makes comparisons of Pilate to trees, at once establishing her as an opposite to and a mentor for Milkman. Unlike Milkman, Pilate is eternally sure of herself, confident in everything she does. When Milkman first sees Pilate, he notes that she looks like a “tall black tree,” (39) which is a stark contrast to the way he views himself. While Milkman is upset as a child that “only birds and airplanes” (9) can fly, Pilate is content to remain rooted to the ground, and is connected to the nature around her in a way that Milkman does not achieve until well into adulthood. The differences in their attitudes about being grounded contribute to the strong role Pilate plays in Milkman’s maturation into adulthood.
At the beginning Milkman is not very pleasant, he was similar to his father, self-centered and mean. Macon
As people grow up, they shape their opinion of themselves as well as their opinion of others around them. These opinions morph over time into self-worth and value. In Toni Morrison’s “Song of Solomon,” her characters all carry great amounts of influence on one another. Ruth Dead, mother of the protagonist Milkman Dead, lives her life passively and often finds herself at her father’s grave pondering about life. When Milkman approaches her one day about her habits, she responds with a story about his upbringing and her own. Throughout this conversation (p.p.g 124-126) Morrison defines character as being composed of the type of influence one has on others around them. This is explored through Ruth’s changing perspective on her own character as well as the qualities of Pilate and
Toni Morrison’s Sula revolves around the relationship of her two main characters, Sula and Nel. The childhood friends grow apart with age. Although it is indicated that their friendship is the most important relationship they participate in, they eventually betray each other and lead dishonest lives. Throughout the novel, we see their constantly deteriorating relationship as a result of absence of a family life. Sula is a novel about the influence family may have on the make up of someone’s personality. In particular, the novel examines the effect parents can have on their children and the conscious effort the main characters make to be unlike their mothers.
Although he has left home to become wealthy, his family is still on his mind. When he is unable to find any gold in the cave of the Pennsylvania farm, he starts to think about his family history. In Pennsylvania on his family’s farm, Milkman meets Circe, a woman who helped deliver
Part one introduces readers to not only Milkman, but also to his family and friends.
Sula by Toni Morrison highlights the themes and expectations that we have been discussing throughout the course. This story illustrates the community expectations for women. A strong basis for a thesis statement for the book Sula could be betrayal. Betrayal in the novel Sula is the central theme that changes the course of life for all characters involved. One example of betrayal happens when Sula sleeps with Nel’s husband. Another basis for a thesis statement could be a mother’s love. In Sula, Morrison revitalizes a theme that is explored in much of her writing: the nature and limits of a mother’s love. When you consider the character of Eva, she is an example of what a mother’s love is and the lengths a mother
The grandmother, the main character of the story, is manipulative. Her definition of a ‘good man’ refers to the characteristics that a ‘good man’ should possess.
Milkman experiences many changes in behavior throughout the novel Song of Solomon. Until his early thirties most would consider him self centered, or even self-loathing. Until his maturity he is spoiled by his mother Ruth and sisters Lena and Corinthian because he is a male. He is considered wealthy for the neighborhood he grew up in and he doesn't socialize because of this.
To begin, Morrison introduces Milkman as a character that is afraid, insecure or believes of himself as inadequate through the first chapters of the novel. Macon is once again restating how he feels about Pilate, he thinks she has no benefits for Milkman. For instance, Macon state's, “...Own things. And let the things you own own other things. Then you’ll own yourself and other people too” (Morrison, 55). This shows that Macon’s love for material possessions was established through watching his father die trying to defend his property. As a result, Macon has rejected natural loves from humanity, instead he prefers wealth and power to a happy existence. Milkman has also inherited his father's lack of spirituality, and appears to be heading down the same path of destruction because he shows some signals of self doubt and being afraid to speak up for himself; do the right thing. Moreover, the narrator was describing some of Milkman’s important moments in his life in which his father was the bad guy. For example, it says, “And [Milkman] did try, as his father’s employee, to do the work the way Macon wanted it done. Macon was delighted. His son belonged to him now and not Ruth” (Morrison, 63). Milkman's low confidence and self esteem led to him doing things he wasn’t so happy but he had to do our right because of his dad. Macon had a lot of expectations and Milkman didn’t wanted to disappoint him so, he did everything correctly. Also, this shows that Milkman was trying to be less like his father because he was doing the opposite of what he’s father might have done; doing the right thing. To sum up, Milkman
Milkman’s journey for an identity takes him down a road in which he becomes as callous as his father.
Although Milkman was too young to fully understand the implications, it set forth a feeling of confused shame that would be rehashed at a later age and that would have him questioning his mother’s actions as a ‘traditional mother’. Freddie looked upon the situation through the eyes of his own experience of manhood, ideals and thought process and insinuated “Milkman” as being a ‘boob man’ instead of a child receiving nourishment and bonding with his mother. In doing so, he also placed a subconscious learned idea of the expectation of manhood in the boys’ head at a very early age. Another result of Freddie’s interaction and comments that day placed a label on the young child as the “milkman” that would follow him all the way through to adulthood and indeed a perception of him being a ‘boob man’ and also as Ruth being inappropriate in her traditional role as a mother.