Milkman Character Analysis

Macon Dead III or Milkman is our protagonist who’s is blinded or unaware what’s around him and tends to follow in his father’s footsteps into becoming successful as him. To run the business when Macon is gone, though that is his father’s dream for Milkman and although his sisters went to school Milkman didn’t. Milkman has really no choice and instead his father is making the choices for him, constantly controlling him leading him down a path that he knows Milkman will follow, “You got better things to do with your time. Besides it’s time you started learning how to work…work a couple of hours there and learn what’s real. “(Morrison Pg55) learning Macon’s way of how responsibility is a businessman, but not teaching Milkman anything else, though

Milkman was given the ideology that wealth makes you better than anyone else. That Milkman expects the highest quality imaginable breaking away from his roots, breaking away from what he truly is and yet still manipulated by his father. It’s mostly viewed as Milkman still being a child, yet with so many questions, but no answers. Although his father shouldn’t be viewed as much as an enemy, but can still be viewed as a father figure giving Milkman the motivation to become successful although this is what his father build rather than allowing Milkman to build his own. In a sense, although he is viewed as manipulating he did prepare Milkman how harsh it is to build something, how much work it takes for an African American especially those times to make even make a decent living. Milkman can be viewed as the type to rely on guidance, for someone to open his eyes for him, as much as his parents did they opened his eyes to their dreams, rather than Milkman’s

Lena although she’s not involved in a lot she certainly does care for Milkman. Although she’s not mentioned not much, she certainly brings a lot to the table to Milkman, she immediately sets down a mirror in front of Milkman to the point where Milkman is starting to become exactly like his father. Even though he’s focused on himself, it finally took someone to tell him what type of monster he became, it all started at the car ride. “He didn’t mean it…he’d turned around before he was through. It was becoming a habit—this concentration on things behind him. Almost as though there was no future to be had.” (Morrison Pg35) that Milkman at this point pissed on everybody, his friends, and especially family and those who deeply cared for him. So, focused on himself he never focuses on those around him. As much chaos Milkman has caused, it takes nothing to give him the slightest bit of him even noticing, it doesn’t take a man to this job, but rather a woman, and it’s not even Pilate. “You are to blame. You are a sad, pitiful, stupid, selfish, hateful man. I hope your little hog’s gut stands you in good stead, and that you take good care of it, …But I want to give you notice…. I don’t make roses anymore, and you have pissed your last in this house.” (Morrison Pg 215) Lena can be truly the one to open Milkman’s eyes at this point to show how much