In chapter 9 of Song of Solomon, Magdalene called Lena, Milkman’s older sister, confronts Milkman about his assumed privilege and lack of concern for others. In this scene, she outlines the ways that Milkman has negatively affected her life, and makes him see the results of his actions. She accuses Milkman of peeing on everyone his entire life, using the moment when Milkman peed on her during one of their drives, and the twig that he peed on which grew into a tree, that was now dying, as examples. Lena puts Milkman in his place and presents the effects of his actions to him.
This scene marks a turning point in Milkman’s journey to maturity and self-knowledge. He has begun to transform into a caring human at this point of the novel, although he is still nowhere close. In this scene, he is dealt the reality of the way he has treated others, and is shown how his actions have affected others. This serves as a realization for Milkman that works as a catalyst for his change. Lena spills everything that she has been holding in over the years about Milkman’s …show more content…
This quote takes place soon after Macon tells Milkman of the details between his relationship between Ruth and her father. This quote shows us how Milkman deals with problems in his life. His automatic reaction is to want to escape the burdens of his life, rather than dealing with them in a healthy way. It also lets us see that Milkman cannot deal with responsibility. After having learned this information about his mother from his father, he cannot deal with it. It is the burden of this responsibility that makes him feel the need to escape. When Milkman sees responsibility, he runs. This scene lets us see this part of his personality, which is crucial to our understanding of the rest of the novel, and the significance of his shift in character at the end of the
This scene marks a turning point in Milkman’s journey to maturity and self-knowledge. He has begun to transform into a caring human at this point of the novel, although he is still nowhere close. In this scene, he is dealt the reality of the way he has treated others, and is shown how his actions have affected others. This serves as a realization for Milkman that works as a catalyst for his change. Lena spills everything that she has been holding in over the years about Milkman’s …show more content…
This quote takes place soon after Macon tells Milkman of the details between his relationship between Ruth and her father. This quote shows us how Milkman deals with problems in his life. His automatic reaction is to want to escape the burdens of his life, rather than dealing with them in a healthy way. It also lets us see that Milkman cannot deal with responsibility. After having learned this information about his mother from his father, he cannot deal with it. It is the burden of this responsibility that makes him feel the need to escape. When Milkman sees responsibility, he runs. This scene lets us see this part of his personality, which is crucial to our understanding of the rest of the novel, and the significance of his shift in character at the end of the