The Flight to Freedom
To be able to fly you have to drop all things that weigh you down. You have to leave vanity, and pride behind. Toni Morrison’s characters display the racial and gender pressures that were placed onto the black community in the past. In her novel Song of Solomon Toni Morrison uses the characters Milkman to express that by forsaking your history to integrate into a different culture, you risk ostracization from your community old and new. The only way to become fulfilled is through embracing your identity.
Milkman’s family is the epitome of white values. In the beginning of the book you could mistakenly believe you are following the perspective of a white family. Macon Dead uses his family as props to improve his imagine …show more content…
Milkman’s nickname was despised by his father, in his mind it ruined his family’s perfect image. As milkman aged he attempted to differ himself from his father, to escape the perception that followed him due to his father. The black community saw him as a white man with black skin and a betrayer to his people. Pilate, Macon’s sister, was banned from their household due to Macon being ashamed of her because of her job as a wine bootlegger, and her appearance. Milkman differed himself, by smoking cigarettes, communicating with Pilate, and hanging out with Guitar. Pilates charm enamored Milkman he sensed his past within her and could not stay away (Zhao 593). The motif of flight repeats throughout the book, beginning on the day of Milkman’s birth with Mr. Smiths suicide in an attempt to reach it. Flight Is used as an allegory to symbolize escape and freedom in the story, and Mr. Smiths suicide begins the pursuit for many characters to escape. Through this Morrison reveals that flight is a way for someone to create fulfillment and restore their identity. When Milkman and guitar run into the peacock, Guitar exclaims “Too much tail. All that jewelry weights it down. Like vanity. Can’t nobody fly with all that shit” (Morrison 179) symbolizing white cultures focus on selfishness and over indulgence. It continues the flight motif where only someone who has abandoned their vanity and embraced their identity can …show more content…
Pilate lived a lonely life, often seen as a monster due to her missing a navel. She was an outcast either forcibly removed or abandoned throughout her life. Similar to Pilate Milkman is born with a defect, Morrison’s way of highlighting him as the next one in line to be special. He will be the only member of his family to escape the cultural genocide that has been plaguing his family. He is taught through Pilate about his heritage and culture. What initially Milkman thought was Pilates song ended up being the song of his families’ history. This demonstrates that cultural forms of storytelling are important to pass on; without Pilate’s song, he would not have learned of his ancestors Shalimar and Ryna. Song is an important part of black culture and Morrison’s focus on it emphasizes on the need to embrace your identity. Zhao states that “the brass box containing the paper with her name shows that Pilate adheres to the importance of the name-giving in African American culture” (Zhao 592) further providing proof that cultural traditions are important. Pilate holding her name reveals that she knows her identity. Her awareness of her history makes Pilate a great guide for Milkman to learn of his own identity. She is able to steer him in the correct
To be able to fly you have to drop all things that weigh you down. You have to leave vanity, and pride behind. Toni Morrison’s characters display the racial and gender pressures that were placed onto the black community in the past. In her novel Song of Solomon Toni Morrison uses the characters Milkman to express that by forsaking your history to integrate into a different culture, you risk ostracization from your community old and new. The only way to become fulfilled is through embracing your identity.
Milkman’s family is the epitome of white values. In the beginning of the book you could mistakenly believe you are following the perspective of a white family. Macon Dead uses his family as props to improve his imagine …show more content…
Milkman’s nickname was despised by his father, in his mind it ruined his family’s perfect image. As milkman aged he attempted to differ himself from his father, to escape the perception that followed him due to his father. The black community saw him as a white man with black skin and a betrayer to his people. Pilate, Macon’s sister, was banned from their household due to Macon being ashamed of her because of her job as a wine bootlegger, and her appearance. Milkman differed himself, by smoking cigarettes, communicating with Pilate, and hanging out with Guitar. Pilates charm enamored Milkman he sensed his past within her and could not stay away (Zhao 593). The motif of flight repeats throughout the book, beginning on the day of Milkman’s birth with Mr. Smiths suicide in an attempt to reach it. Flight Is used as an allegory to symbolize escape and freedom in the story, and Mr. Smiths suicide begins the pursuit for many characters to escape. Through this Morrison reveals that flight is a way for someone to create fulfillment and restore their identity. When Milkman and guitar run into the peacock, Guitar exclaims “Too much tail. All that jewelry weights it down. Like vanity. Can’t nobody fly with all that shit” (Morrison 179) symbolizing white cultures focus on selfishness and over indulgence. It continues the flight motif where only someone who has abandoned their vanity and embraced their identity can …show more content…
Pilate lived a lonely life, often seen as a monster due to her missing a navel. She was an outcast either forcibly removed or abandoned throughout her life. Similar to Pilate Milkman is born with a defect, Morrison’s way of highlighting him as the next one in line to be special. He will be the only member of his family to escape the cultural genocide that has been plaguing his family. He is taught through Pilate about his heritage and culture. What initially Milkman thought was Pilates song ended up being the song of his families’ history. This demonstrates that cultural forms of storytelling are important to pass on; without Pilate’s song, he would not have learned of his ancestors Shalimar and Ryna. Song is an important part of black culture and Morrison’s focus on it emphasizes on the need to embrace your identity. Zhao states that “the brass box containing the paper with her name shows that Pilate adheres to the importance of the name-giving in African American culture” (Zhao 592) further providing proof that cultural traditions are important. Pilate holding her name reveals that she knows her identity. Her awareness of her history makes Pilate a great guide for Milkman to learn of his own identity. She is able to steer him in the correct