Macon In Toni Morrison's Song Of Solomon

Struggling to be true to oneself and to be comfortable with who you are has always been a difficult thing for the individuals of humankind to accomplish. Many novels have been written around the relatable theme of finding one’s own identity for centuries. Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon is no exception. In this novel, the main character Macon (Milkman) Dead III had always subconsciously thought that he has no future. Morrison makes it seem that he is doomed to follow in his father’s footsteps of isolation and insensitivity. He is swallowed by both his parents’ fears, insecurities, and greed. This essentially stuns his emotional growth and development as he ages and causes him to lose himself. He is unable to regain his lost personality until he is well into adulthood and goes out on his own.
As a child Milkman was always fascinated with the idea of flight. However upon discovering that “...only birds and airplanes could fly”, Milkman “lost all interest in himself” …show more content…
Ruth was broken by Macon. She feels insignificant and has been sexually repressed by him for twenty years. To fill that void Ruth substitutes sexual intimacy for breastfeeding Milkman well past infancy. Her actions contributed to Milkman 's nickname. She had every opportunity to encourage her son to better himself so he would not get stuck the way she was, but instead she allowed him to become trapped with her. Ruth views Milkman as her only triumph because he survived against the odds stacked against him. The odds were not natural things like complications during pregnancy or anything like that, they were Milkman’s father who tried to force Ruth to abort him and even punched her in the stomach. Besides that single instance of rebellion against Macon, Ruth is almost always kept in submission to her husband. Milkman’s parents and their inability to accept their own shortcomings influenced his selfish personality. The inner conflicts both Ruth