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Milkman Character Analysis

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Not only does Hagar represent the emotional dilemma black women encounter in their subordination in a patriarchal society but she also symbolizes the burden of the racist white mainstream culture on black women’s lives. Feeling desperate to to look beautiful and attracts Milkman, Hagar goes mad in her shopping adventure, mainly in the beauty department: “Like a smiling sleepwalker she circled...clear counters covered with... Lipsticks in soft white hands…. Faces in ecstasy” (311). Hagar sees the archetypal beauty in women with white soft skin who look alluring in lipsticks. In despair, she thinks that wearing makeup will make her look desirable to Milkman. Yet, Hagar encounters the inner struggle of a black woman who feels that white female beauty will always conquer: “He don’t like hair like mine... Silky hair the color of a penny...He loves silky hair… Penny-colored hair...And lemon- colored skin….And gray-blue eyes… And thin nose” (311). …show more content…

She believes that Milkman denies her love because she does not have gleaming blonde hair, light skin color, and blue eyes like a white female. Hagar is a victim of a society where social discrimination of black women is prevalent. Hence, she falls under the spell of the white culture which considers having shiny golden hair, light skin color, and colorful eyes as the perfection of beauty. Hagar believes that Milkman leaves her because of her frizzy hair and dark skin color that contradict with the expectations of the white's beauty norms. She eventually loses sense of self-worth when she recognizes that she cannot meet expectations of the set-up white beauty scale. Hence, Hagar symbolizes inner conflict of racial discrimination black women experience in their submissiveness to men’s

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When he first meets Hagar he initially cannot see her face, “but Milkman had no need to see her face; he had already fallen in love with her behind” (43). In most societies, a person’s face is normally associated with their identity, their personality, and who they are as a human being. Milkman’s disregard for Hagar’s face when he supposedly falls in love with her illustrates that he does not value Hagar as a person, rather he sees her as a temporary source of happiness. Furthermore, the fact that Milkman “has fallen in love with her behind” perpetuates the fact that he does not value and only views her as a source of pleasure. Later in the novel Milkman also clearly states that Hagar “was the third beer…the one you drink because it’s there, because it can’t hurt, and because what difference does it make” (91)?

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Despite Milkman’s initial pursuit of Hagar, he fails to become emotionally invested and eventually loses interest in her. Their separation unfortunately evoked the loss of Hagar’s sanity, as her love for Milkman manifests into an obsession and she becomes consumed with jealousy and desperation. As a result, Hagar strategizes a plan in which she attempted to murder Milkman for their separation. When confronting Milkman, Hagar realizes that she lacks the courage to actually inflict harm upon him, as she is still emotionally invested in their relationship. Upon realizing that Hagar lacks the audacity to actually murder him, Milkman becomes silently overwhelmed with pride to which he proceeds to “pat her cheeks and turn away from her wide, dark, pleading, hollow eyes”

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He expresses he loves “silky hair”, “lemon colored skin”, and “gray-blue eyes” (Morrison 511-572). Hagar says Milkman does not like her because of her hair is not silky, because it is course. Milkman does not like Hagar because her skin is full of vibrant melanin. Hagar does not like Milkman eyes; they are not pastel looking like Caucasian females.

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As Milkman reflects upon his relationship with Hagar, he muses, “He wasn’t sure he wanted to keep it up. Keep up the whole business of ‘going with’ Hagar (...) Everybody who knew him knew about Hagar, but she was considered his private honey pot, not a real or legitimate girl friend,” (Morrison 91). By comparing Hagar to a honey pot, Milkman objectifies Hagar by taking away her human qualities and turning her into a resource. In his use of the word “private”, Milkman further demonstrates his possessiveness over Hagar, displaying his ownership while dehumanizing her.

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