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Song Of Solomon, By Toni Morrison, And Alice Walker: Novel Analysis

1761 Words8 Pages

Americans during the 20th century glamorized the United States as “the land of the free”. Women, impoverished people, and minority citizens benefited as well, for there were new voting rights and welfare programs available to both. Despite the hardest efforts of progressive politicians and evolving social structure, minority Americans did not have true freedom. Literacy exams were profound in many Southern states, thereby preventing one’s voting privilege, and the divide between wealthy and poor Americans continued to strengthen as a result of drugs, crime, segregation, and sectionalized housing units. In light of hindered progress for Black Americans, writers such as Ishmael Reed, Toni Morrison, and Alice Walker exposed the situation through their novels Flight to Canada, Song of Solomon, and Meridian, respectively. The characters in each novel are presented with obstacles preventing their freedom. Furthermore, each novel expands on the concept of freedom through their semi-realistic, black American environments and various interactions amongst the characters. But how should freedom, in regards to these novels, be defined? Is freedom an ideal to strive …show more content…

While Song of Solomon and Flight to Canada express a great deal of physical and mental freedom, Meridian’s blends the four axioms of freedom while demonstrating the protagonist’s coming-of-age story. Readers can use these novels to garner knowledge about appreciating history, humans, love, and freedom. In light of social media, however, free-minded individuals are increasingly harder to find. Nevertheless, I believe that amassing physical freedom, soulful freedom, spiritual freedom, and mental freedom is possible through perennial dedication. Freedom pushes society forward; in fact, expressing freedom was the backbone of the Civil Rights movement, and it remains as the basis for progressive United States

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How is freedom defined? In The Violent Bear it Away, Flannery O’Connor explores the impacts of religious influence in relation to the secular world. O’Connor, a devout Catholic, very clearly shares a similar perspective as the religious great uncle, Mason Tarwater. Mason’s great nephew, Francis Tarwater (simply referred to as Tarwater for most of the novel), struggles with the perspectives of both his great uncle and his uncle, a secular teacher (referred to as Rayber. Both Mason Tarwater and Rayber preach what they believe freedom is.

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In the book Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison, the book is a very good representation of the racial lens. The racial lens is a lens that has to deal with with racial slurs or sequences the character in the book encounter. Milkman is Guitar's best friend, and due to the fact that Milkman was always wealthy from birth and he lived on the other side of town, Milkman does not understand how someone could be so radicalized as Guitar is. Throughout the book, we can see how Guitar was always passionate about his race since his childhood, and how what white people have done has really affected him life. When Guitar’s father died in a brutal accident at his father’s work place, a white man came to tell him and his family and offered Guitar candy for his father's death.

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In the 1977 novel, Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison. Morrison highlights the running theme of love. The theme of love is present in every relationship in the novel and is defined different from character to character. The women display love as a way of obsession whether it is over their spouses or over materialistic possessions. The men, however; define it differently, many are distant and secluded when it comes to expressing affection and love.

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Written by the great Toni Morrison, Song of Solomon is where the song of African- Americans is sung with the most genuine and sincere voice in utmost entirety. In this essay, the masterpiece will be examined with gender studies approach and cultural studies approach, the function of Pilate and Ruth would be examined in depth, the suggestion that the protagonist should be more loving and caring for others would be fully explained, and the value of this book will be carefully examined. Part One: Critical Approach A significant character in Song of Solomon, Corinthians the First, can be analyzed through the gender studies approach and the cultural studies approach.

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1668 Words | 7 Pages

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