Song Of Solomon
is the story of Milkman's search for identity. He appears destined for a life of isolation and self-alienation. The Deads exemplify the patriarchal, nuclear family that has been a stable and critical feature of American society. The family is the institution for producing children, maintaining them, and providing individuals with the means to understand their place in the world order. But this same nuclear patriarchal structure of the family itself creates the problems it should be solving.
What represses the Deads is the father, Macon: his single-minded ambition, his unscrupulous greed, his materialism, and his lack of nurturing his family. Macon does not concentrate on being a ...
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not inherited this trait from his father, even though he mistakenly thinks so. His father had owned things that "grew" other things, not "owned" other things.
Pilate Dead, Macon's younger sister, is a marked contrast to her brother and his family. Macon has a love of property and money, and this determines the nature of his relationships with others. Pilate has a sheer disregard for status, occupation, hygiene, and manners, and has the capability to respect, love, and trust. Her self-sufficiency and isolation prevent her from being trapped or destroyed by the decaying values that threaten her brother's life.
The first part of the novel details the birth of Macon Dead III, the first black baby to ever be born at Mercy Hospital, which has been named by the African American community as No-Mercy Hospital. He acquires the name Milkman when people learn that his mother is still nursing him long after it is considered normal to do so. His father, Macon Dead, is a cold, ...
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that contains the history of his family.
The character of Milkman undergoes change over time. Initially, Milkman's treatment of his friends and relatives is appalling, and he hurts everyone around him. This is shown in detail through Milkman's treatment of Hagar. The sexual relationship between Milkman and his cousin Hagar is doomed at the start since it breaks this African cultural practice. Milkman loves Hagar at first sight and wants to get to know her better. After many years in which they have sex and are very close, Milkman then drops her and goes after younger girls. It seems as though his desire was not a fulfilling relationship and one that could stand the test of time. ...
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"Song Of Solomon." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 15 Mar. 2007. Web. 22 Nov. 2024. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Song-Of-Solomon/61788>
"Song Of Solomon." Essayworld.com. March 15, 2007. Accessed November 22, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Song-Of-Solomon/61788.
"Song Of Solomon." Essayworld.com. March 15, 2007. Accessed November 22, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Song-Of-Solomon/61788.
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