Song Of Solomon Research Paper

Molly Morgan Mr. Shull Song of Solomon 26 March 2024 How was the Pudding? Toni Morrison writes the novel, Song of Solomon, which is no typical English class novel. Author Toni Morrison includes stories that some readers may find uncomfortable because they are uncommon to read in the classroom. Throughout the novel, the topic of racism is very prevalent and Morrison puts readers in the shoes of an African American during the 1970s. While reading the novel, I was heavily exposed to new topics that made me think differently than I ever had and I think more books like these should be taught in classrooms. Despite feeling uncomfortable at times while reading, Toni Morrison wrote a wonderful novel that I believe all high school students should read.

Morrison included very real and raw scenes in the book that emphasize how bad racism is in the world, rather than supplying a small piece of it like I was used to. There are no white characters in the book, which helps Morrison expose how black people perceive and feel racism. I enjoyed how she made readers empathize rather than sympathize with the people experiencing racism. For example, Morrison notes that Hagar begins to hate her dark skin and hair because it makes her noticeably darker. Further, Hagar believes that Milkman does not love her because he likes light skins with light hair. She says, “‘He loves silky hair’...’And lemon-colored skin.’” Hagar’s assumption about Milkman alludes to how he wants to be as white as he can and be associated with white people to break away from the stereotypes he falls under. Milkman and Hagar internalize their racism so much they begin to hate themselves because of their skin color. This scene opened my eyes to how stereotyping has such a big effect on

Ever since his father was killed, he thinks every white person is bad and has zero sympathy for them. Guitar is part of the Seven Day Association, which is a group of black men that each kill white people on their assigned day of the week. He defends himself as part of this group by saying, “white people are unnatural. As a race, they are unnatural. And it takes a strong effort of the will to overcome an unnatural enemy.” After reading how Guitar feels about white people, I was saddened just as I was after reading about Hagar. In my opinion, Morrison did a wonderful job of revealing how her race felt during the time the book was written. Additionally, her novel was educating to all of her readers and she had no filter on revealing how racism truly is and its effects on people. I enjoyed reading both sides of racism and believe they are both important to be exposed to as a person who does not face racism often or at all, even though we live in a world full of it. Overall, I enjoyed reading the novel Song of Solomon because it was something new and widened how I view certain topics. The use of explicit language makes readers uncomfortable, but it is