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Song Of Solomon Milkman Character Analysis

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At times people set goals they want to achieve. They may never achieve the goal but the values and lessons they learn on the journey are far more valuable. Milkman goes searching for the gold and on the way learns about himself. Milkman believes he wants to get away from his home and go in search for gold in another state. He has eyes set on the money from the gold. He is not concerned with other people or relationships. On his path he learns new ideas and looks deep within himself. In the novel Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison, Milkman’s search for gold is a metaphor for his search for himself, his realization of his faults and his growth throughout the journey.
Milkman begins to change and finds himself, he begins to look inward and become …show more content…

Milkman begins to realize the indecent person he was and begins to change. Morrison writes, “ He also knew in all his life, Guitar had never seen Milkman give anybody a hand, especially a stranger; he also knew that they’d even discussed it, starting with Milkman’s not coming to his mother;s rescue in a dream he had”(296). Before Milkman's growth he did not come to rescue people. He was all about himself and did not care if others were suffering. He only wanted to share in their happiness not their suffering or sadness. Guitar who has known him from a young age is surprised that Milkman is helping people.This shows how before the journey Milkman was an inconsiderate person. He is starting to become a helpful person. Morrison shows the change in Milkman when he is coming back from hunting with the other Men. The author writes, “ 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). Before the journey Milkman did not like to laugh with others. He did not like to acknowledge his faults. He would try to cover up his faults. Now he is able to laugh and have fun with others. He has grown into a person who values relationships. He does not care if others believe he is not tough or cool now. He admits that he was scared.This is a substantial change from before. Milkman’s journey, learning and growth is shaping him into a person who people

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Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon is a novel that is set in the 20th century, Michigan which follows the life of Macon Dead III, who gets the nickname milkman. His sisters are Magdalene, who is called Lena, and First Corinthians. His parents are Ruth and Macon Dead Jr. Unlike most African American families during this time period, the Dead family were financially stable and could afford things that were deemed luxurious. Even though they had money, they still were unhappy with their lives. This shows that you can be living ,but you can also be dead.

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When Toni Morrison began her novel, Song of Solomon, she introduces her readers to a world in which Caucasian Americans have full power over their African American neighbors. Detailing the pessimistic treatment of African Americans, readers come to believe in the stereotypical “weak, black man,” of African Americans who allow themselves to be dominated, who see the dangers that are forced upon them and bow down to them, obliging to the torture and prejudice they face every day. This portrait of acceptance is broken, torn into a million pieces when Morrison goes in depth into the secondary character of her novel, Guitar, during the sixth chapter. In the previous 154 pages of Song of Solomon, Guitar is elucidated as simply the best friend of the main character, Milkman, as someone who is only present in the tale to listen to the problems of his friend and give knowledgeable advice. Until chapter 6, Guitar is nothing but a clear definition of “best-friend-forever,” someone who helps the main character but does nothing else, while Milkman is the reverse of him as he gets receives all of the attention of Morrison, detailing his character traits and identity.

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Throughout the second half of the novel, Milkman has his coming of age story-line by finding his own identity. Milkman starts selflessly helping people, befriending people, and connecting with nature as he learns more and more about his father’s family. While Milkman goes on an unconventional self-discovery, the whole meaning of Song of Solomon is the loss of identity and the self-journey to find one’s identity and place in the world. By unearthing the truth of his family, Milkman is finally able to form an identity and find his “people.” Only once Milkman begins his journey to find the gold, which is a guise for self-discovery, does Milkman finally uncover his life-long mystery: the mystery of his family’s past and his own identity.

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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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His social awakening also inspires a change in attitude towards the treatment of women. Initially, Milkman objectifies Hagar and treats her as an inferior, but when he encounters Sweet, he begins to reciprocate her affections and treat her with respect. Furthermore, Milkman’s change in motivation for his flight south illustrates the development of his maturity through his pursuit of his family’s history, proving that attaining wealth is no longer his sole purpose. During his time south, Milkman was maliciously pursued by Guitar. His attempted murderer of Milkman creates the illusion of a resurrection to which Milkman develops social awareness.

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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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