Milkman's Journey In Song Of Solomon By Toni Morrison

Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison follows the character Milkman and his friends and family. Milkman cares only for himself and is not the most likable of protagonists until at the end of the novel he goes on a quest to find gold. What begins as a greedy and selfish journey turns into an adventure to find more about his family. On his trip, Milkman grows as a person and the different modes of transportation he uses helps make this point clearer. Though the novel does not explicitly say what town in Michigan Milkman is from, it is assumed that his home is in Detroit, this is where the journey begins. Detroit is where Milkman has lived all his life and shows Milkman at a point of no growth and full of greed. The first mode of transportation

There, he learns of a cave which is the most likely location of the gold that he desires. With the forest being rocky and uncertain, Milkman must make his trip to the cave on foot. Walking by foot is the simplest means of travel. Milkman can’t rely on anyone but himself and his own skills when walking by foot. This is also the point of his journey where Milkman is consumed with the most greed. When he is crossing the creek, he realizes his greed and excitement made him reckless. “ He should have pulled a stick to check depth before he put his foot down, but his excitement had been too great.” (249). His thoughts are consumed with how close he is to this gold that he cannot control his greed. When Milkman discovers nothing in the cave and his greed is not satisfied, he throws a little temper tantrum by “hollering a long awwww sound into the pit.” (252) and then he “threw the lighter in a wide high arc into the trees at the foot of the hills.” (253). At this point, Milkman is still expressing some childlike behavior that is shown through his impulsive and impatient

In order to reach his destination Milkman has to buy a beat up old car that he ends up having to get repairs on during his journey. Despite the car troubles, Milkman begins to enjoy himself. His attention is still slightly on gold but his priority shifts to learning about his family’s history and origins, whether he’s willing to admit it or not. Milkman allows himself to enjoy this part of his journey and goes hunting with some other men. When the other men tease him for “accidentally tripping his gun,” Milkman shows an adult maturity and does not correct them but instead laughs along with the joke. “They hooted and laughed all the way back to the car, teasing Milkman, egging him on to tell more about how scared he was. And he told them. Laughing too, hard, loud, and long.” (280). Milkman has grown into more of a secure adult and begins treating others better as well. When Sweet bathes him, he wants to return the favor, and when she treats him with kindness and respect, Milkman only wants to do the same. “He soaped and rubbed her until her skin squeaked and glistened like onyx. She put salve on his face. He washed her hair. [...] She gave him gumbo to eat. He washed the dishes. [...] She ironed his shirt and pants. He gave her fifty dollars. She kissed his mouth. He touched her face. She said please come back. He said I’ll see you tonight.” (285). Milkman has only just met Sweet but treats her how she