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Milkman Character Analysis

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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 …show more content…

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 …show more content…

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

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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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• 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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Furthermore, Ruth’s endless, captivating love restricts Milkman and thwarts his personality’s development to a mature man. His search for his self cannot be satisfied at home since he has no space to become independent or is regarded as a separate

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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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From Ruth, Hagar, and Pilate we learn that Milkman has no respect for women, does not care for women, and feels that everything revolves around himself. Throughout the story there are many examples of Milkman being disrespectful to women, not caring for women, and thinking only for himself. In my essay I will give examples that explain what we learn about Milkman. The first thing that we can learn about Milkman from Ruth, Hagar, and Pilate is that Milkman is disrespectful.

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The first element of oppression that shows up in the film Milk is a defined norm. As described by Pharr a defined norm is, “a standard of rightness and often righteousness wherein all others are judged in relation to it.” This means that an entity, whether it be a business, a group of people, or a single individual; with influence in society has claimed or passed down a certain way of living that is considered “normal”. A common example of this is the classic societal “status quo”, which has evolved many times over the centuries from decade to decade, from generation to generation. During Milk’s campaign he was never treated as an equal or given the same respect as his counterparts, instead he was mocked and

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When young Milkman first greets Pilate, “Hi”(36) she replies with “What kind of word is that?”(36) and “You all must be the dumbest unhung Negroes on earth... You say ‘Hi’ to pigs and sheep when you want ‘em to move. When you tell a human being ‘Hi’ he ought to get up and knock you down”(37) by saying this, she teaches him what's right and wrong, and what's good and bad to say. Despite Macon Dead Jr. unreasonable warning for Milkman to stay away from her, Milkman continues to visit Pilate and their relationship continues to develop. Carr Lee briefly explains their relationship in the following statement: “He recognizes, briefly, that his actions affect other people, and he also realizes that by hurting Pilate, he has hurt himself.

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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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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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Milkman’s acknowledgment of racism and change in attitude towards women ultimately highlights his maturity and the development of an unmaterialistic identity through his metaphorical

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He is represented with an oblivious mind, and sees everything around him irrelevant if it does not relate to himself in a way. As he continues throughout his journey, Milkman encounters, for the first time, a struggle of not getting what he wants. As he digs for the gold, for the first time, his mind shifts from the capitalistic north and embrace nature, “His watch and his two hundred dollars would be of no help out here, where all a man had was what he was born with, or had learned to use” (277). As he begins to separate himself from white culture, he embraces in his natural skills. This was just the first step to shape Milkman into embracing and seeing his ethnicity.

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1288 Words | 6 Pages

She was the sign of misfortune in the entire novel: deprived of sexual interaction with her husband for twenty years, delivering Milkman as a consequence of a shock from a frightening accident, and withstanding the physical violence of her husband even in front of their children. She was never respected or seriously loved by any male characters in the novel—Milkman was ashamed and careless of her, Macon her Husband hated her, and even her father was somewhat embarrassed by their intimacy which Ruth intended. Ironically, she was the daughter of the great Doctor who has a street named after him and the wife of Macon Dead, who is the richest person in town. This contrast emphasizes the tragedy of the character that despite her superior or seemingly advantageous status quo, she still led a miserable life. Morrison quoted that she started the book as an attempt to shatter some of the common stereotypes the 1960s has brought to African American community, which, as she reckons, has left out an enormous portion of the racial character for over-emphasizing the beauty and strength and thereby

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1672 Words | 7 Pages

Milkman eyes are warm and brown and can tell who she is by looking into her eyes. Reba and Pilate Dead try to comfort Hagar by disagreeing with her thoughts about Milkman’s likes and dislikes because she does not have to compare herself to a Caucasian female. With this in mind, Hagar Dead is not aware of her self-worth because she is too caught up in trying to impress a men that does not want her. Not along she should not trying to impress a man at all. A man

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514 Words | 3 Pages

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Lena is a caring woman who loves her family. She is understanding of the problems of others, and can look past their mistakes no matter the gravity of what they've done. Even though both of her children are grown adults, she still has the motherly drive to protect them as if they were still young children.

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