Will In Toni Morrison's Song Of Solomon

Similar to how “will” can share a simultaneously similar but different meanings between differing time periods, the word “will” can also be perceived differently between different age groups. For example, younger individuals view “will” as more of a means of expressing themselves as “To me, will means being able to be yourself. People have a will to do something, and I think that defines each person and makes each person unique” (Letran). Rather than viewing “will” as a monetary settlement, Khoa shares his opinion that “will” conveys a person’s power to change their mentality on life and what they find valuable. To the younger population, “will” is synonymous with identity; every person has the ability and the power to portray themselves in

For example, Milkman, the main character of the novel possesses a great desire to make a living for himself, discover treasure, and get girls, but his will leads to a great tragedy between him and his girlfriend Hagar, as “He lay there as still as the morning light, and sucked the world's energy up into his own will. And willed her dead. Either she will kill me or she will drop dead” (Morrison 129). Just as Milkman once willed to be with Hagar, his conscience backfires and produces great conflict as Hagar tries to kill him with a knife. Just like someone may create a “will” to pass on their financial assets after their death, Hagar is merely a “will” to Milkman, a temporary asset that he finds no long-term investment in. In addition, Miss Graham, a white poetess who used to be inspired by writing and poetry became empty as her “Marriage, children---all had been sacrificed to the Great Agony and her home was a tribute to the fastidiousness of her dedication (and the generosity of her father's will)” (191). Morrison conveys Graham’s lifeless behavior, and that the only thing sustaining her was her father’s will, thus emphasizing that his conscience and his possessions before his death were the only things keeping Graham alive. Loss of will, like Miss Graham’s

For example, Wilcox conveys that following one’s will leads to happiness because it allows a person to make their own decisions and relish their freedom: “And briefly said are love, and will, and time; / Yet in them lies a majesty sublime” (Wilcox 18: 9-10). In addition, she conveys that having “will” gives a person a purpose and an optimistic attitude for the future as “Will is the means of using time and love, / And bringing forth the heart’s desires thereof” (13-14). Wilcox conveys that without expressing one’s sentiments or feelings, one can never feel happy or complete because they never truly have mastership over their time; without expressing “will,” a person cannot preserve their self-identity. Furthermore, Wilcox conveys that one’s “will” allows them to experience happiness as “When the motive is right and the will is strong / There are no limits to human power” (Wilcox 27: 1-2). Although someone may not necessarily prevail in a fight or a competition, the fact that they put effort and time into the act allows people to live life to the fullest and possess self-mastery. Similarly, Jean Jacques Rosseau, a noteworthy philosopher in the 1700’s, conveys that “will” equates to self-mastership as “I did it, as it were, of my own free will,” and