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Song Of Solomon Milkman's Journey

500 Words2 Pages

In the Toni Morrison’s critically-claimed novel, Song of Solomon, the protagonist, Milkman, goes on a journey to uncover his “people.” Macon, Milkman, Dead III has no identity, ambition, or passion for he is lost and has no idea who he is or what he wants. As Milkman discovers his family’s mysterious and largely unknown past, Milkman discovers something much more: himself. Only through his investigation into his father’s family does Milkman finally find his lost identity. In an attempt to find the gold that would free Milkman from his monotonous life in Michigan, Milkman goes on both a physical and spiritual journey. Instead of obtaining the gold that would change his life, Milkman ultimately goes on a long quest to find his family history, …show more content…

Despite Milkman being a grown adult, Song of Solomon is a Bildungsroman. In the first half of Song of Solomon, it is evident that Milkman is not yet an adult for he is lost. For all his life, Milkman, as a son, brother, and friend, has been found wanting. Once Milkman leaves Michigan, the work’s meaning is finally uncovered. 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. 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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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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