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16th Street Baptist Church Bombing Analysis

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The 16th Street Baptist Church bombing marked a turning point during the Civil Rights Movement. Intended as a meeting place for civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr., the the attack created an uproar. The bombing took place in Birmingham, Alabama in 1963, and it was an act of white supremacist terrorism performed by the Klu Klux Klan. Sticks of dynamite were placed beneath the front steps of the church and went off as four colored girls were innocently walking by. Morrison utilizes the historic event by incorporating it with Guitar’s job as a Seven Days member: “Four little colored girls had been blown out of a church, and his mission was to approximate as best he could a similar death of four little white girls come Sunday, since …show more content…

While chasing Milkman to the south to watch him, Guitar mistakens Milkman helping a man lift a huge crate onto the weighing platform (the first unselfish thing he does for anyone) by him shipping the gold: “Milkman knew it sounded lame. It was the truth, but it sounded like a lie. A weak lie too. He also knew that in all his life, Guitar had never seen Milkman give anybody a hand, especially a stranger” (296). The misunderstanding fuels Guitar’s anger for Milkman and begins the aggressive conflict of their relationship. Before, their ideas and background were different, but now Guitar is furious with Milkman for something he did not do: “‘Because I ripped you off?’ ‘Because you ripped us off!’” (297). Milkman is unable to settle the misunderstandment, so Guitar continues to have disdain for Milkman and attempts at killing Milkman, but accidently shoots Pilate: “Even as he knelt over her, he knew there wouldn’t be another mistake; that the minute he stood up Guitar would try to blow his head off. He stood up” (337). All these events occur because of Guitar’s greed for the gold in order to finance his Seven Days

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251 Words | 2 Pages

Throughout Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon, Milkman Dead’s name serves as a constant reminder of his unhealthy relationship with his mother, Ruth Dead, which in itself is a reflection of her deep-rooted issues with her own personal life that are out of Milkman’s control. The significance of Milkman’s name has multiple layers to it. For example, it is important to recall that his real name is Macon because he makes a significant effort to distance himself from Macon Jr. and prove himself to be different from him. Ruth’s breastfeeding him well past his infancy results in his being stuck with the nickname “Milkman” before he is even old enough to understand the situation.

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1473 Words | 6 Pages

• We find out that Guitar is part of an organization called seven days which kills innocent white people for black people getting murdered • Milkman's sister Lena tells him that he is exactly like Macon in the way that he treats women and that there is no difference between them • Milkman prepares for his journey to Pennsylvania to find the gold • Promises to bring Guitar his fair share of gold • Milkman tells Guitar about how he needs the gold and the money from it to be independent and get away from his family • Guitar reminds Milkman of how he needs the money for his 7 days operation and to help Henry Porter • Milkman goes around to a couple people asking them if they know of a women named Circe • One person tells him to go to Reverend Cooper, as Reverend Cooper knows a lot of people in town • When Milkman goes to Reverend Cooper's house he is there and is welcoming towards Milkman, as he tells him that he knows his people • Reverend Cooper tells Milkman about the reason his grandfather was killed by white men • The white men felt that it was unfair for a black man to have such wealth, and in hopes of getting their property when he dies • When Milkman goes to the house Circe used to work in, she is there and really

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1096 Words | 5 Pages

Thereby, his family becomes “a victim of social violence and racism in the hostile south of the USA” and this event leaves a deep impression in Macon’s character (Gomez R. 118). So Macon had never experienced a happy childhood and since his mother died in childbirth, he has never had somebody caring for him. Consequently, Milkman grows up without a model father or loving husband. Solid, rumbling, likely to erupt without prior notice, Macon kept each member of his family awkward with fear. His hatred of his wife glittered and sparked in every world he spoke to her.

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722 Words | 3 Pages

When Toni Morrison began her novel, Song of Solomon, she introduces her readers to a world in which Caucasian Americans have full power over their African American neighbors. Detailing the pessimistic treatment of African Americans, readers come to believe in the stereotypical “weak, black man,” of African Americans who allow themselves to be dominated, who see the dangers that are forced upon them and bow down to them, obliging to the torture and prejudice they face every day. This portrait of acceptance is broken, torn into a million pieces when Morrison goes in depth into the secondary character of her novel, Guitar, during the sixth chapter. In the previous 154 pages of Song of Solomon, Guitar is elucidated as simply the best friend of the main character, Milkman, as someone who is only present in the tale to listen to the problems of his friend and give knowledgeable advice. Until chapter 6, Guitar is nothing but a clear definition of “best-friend-forever,” someone who helps the main character but does nothing else, while Milkman is the reverse of him as he gets receives all of the attention of Morrison, detailing his character traits and identity.

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500 Words | 2 Pages

Milkman discovers his family name and history, and while on his journey, Milkman finds happiness, understanding, and a sense of identity. While the actual findings of his family is important, Milkman’s discovery of his own identity through his family’s history is the true take-away from the

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611 Words | 3 Pages

The characters in the book that were affected by the oppression was Robert Smith and Guitar. The book first begins with a man who killed himself the same night that Milkman is born, Smith jumped off the Mercy Hospital Building with a note taped saying “I will take off from Mercy and fly away

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570 Words | 3 Pages

Fourth, Milkman’s relationship with his sisters mirrors Macon II’s relationship with Pilate. Both take the actions of their siblings for granted and in Milkman’s case he uses his sisters just as he uses everyone else in his life before his personal rebirth. Magdalene later confronts Milkman when he tells Macon II about First Corinthians relationship. However, Magdalene is disgusted and has a similar viewpoint as Guitar. Up to this point in his life Milkman has never helped a single soul and she does not trust him just like Guitar when he sees Milkman lift a crate for someone and assumes it is only for his personal gain because he has never helped anyone.

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949 Words | 4 Pages

Despite being together for many years, Milkman’s blunt attitude and inability to value love results in their break-up, as well Hagar attempting to murder him. Additionally, there is Milkman’s father, Macon Dead II, also simply known as Macon Dead, who is the wealthiest man in town. Macon constantly feels the need to show off his wealth as well as be the most powerful person he

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866 Words | 4 Pages

Hagar, Pilate, Macon Jr., and Guitar all vie for Milkman’s commitment pulling in him to achieve their goals for him. To Milkman, his life seems to lack an identity in which to base his life’s direction and purpose, “…trying to make up his mind whether to go forward or to turn back. The decision he made would be extremely important, but the way in which he made the decision would be careless, haphazard, and uninformed.” (Morrison, 69-70). Unwilling to commit himself to any one goal, Milkman rejects these options, choosing instead to continue his aimless drifting, cutting himself off from the people who care for him and the African-American community.

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800 Words | 4 Pages

As a result Milkman achieve the ability of flight because he was forced to step out of his comfort zone and experience and see the world in a different and an unfamiliar way. The motif of flight representing one's life that is free of burdens, is clearly shown when Milkman and his best friend Guitar is confronted by a white peacock. Milkman ask why the peacock is unable to fly and Guitar says that the peacock has, “too much tail. All that jewelry weighs it down”, (179).

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1552 Words | 7 Pages

His social awakening also inspires a change in attitude towards the treatment of women. Initially, Milkman objectifies Hagar and treats her as an inferior, but when he encounters Sweet, he begins to reciprocate her affections and treat her with respect. Furthermore, Milkman’s change in motivation for his flight south illustrates the development of his maturity through his pursuit of his family’s history, proving that attaining wealth is no longer his sole purpose. During his time south, Milkman was maliciously pursued by Guitar. His attempted murderer of Milkman creates the illusion of a resurrection to which Milkman develops social awareness.

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606 Words | 3 Pages

Love allows Milkman to evolve into Macon Dead, love lets him shed his belief that love is ownership. Before Milkman’s journey, he held Guitar’s belief that the black woman is his

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1227 Words | 5 Pages

Before the journey, superficial things clouded Milkman’s judgement. He sees no importance in social inequality or why race is so significant, “The racial problems that consumed Guitar were the most boring of all. He wondered what they would do if they didn’t have the black and white problems to talk about. Who would they be if they couldn’t describe the insults, violence, and oppression that their lives (and the television news) were made up of?” (107-108).

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1038 Words | 5 Pages

“At approximately 2:49 that afternoon, with more than 5,600 runners still in the race, two pressure-cooker bombs–packed with shrapnel and other materials and hidden in backpacks that were placed on the ground amidst crowds of marathon-watchers–exploded within seconds of each other near the finish line along Boylston Street. The blasts instantly turned the sun-filled afternoon into a gruesome scene of destruction and chaos” (“Boston Marathon Bombings”). Soon after the attack a manhunt set out in search for the two suspects. Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev were the Boston Marathon Bombers who caused an unexpected event that led to the manhunt. The bombings, along with the manhunt caused much chaos and destruction to the city as well as to the

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1170 Words | 5 Pages

Out of character, Milkman helps a stranger lift a crate. “He also knew that in all his life, Guitar had never seen Millman give anybody a hand, especially a stranger. ”(296). Guitar, who was Milkman’s best friend, could not believe one bit of Milkman’s story. Guitar has always known the greedy and self-centered Milkman, up until this point .Milkman

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