The Mirror In Toni Morrison's Song Of Solomon

Rumored to bring seven years of bad luck upon breaking, a mirror allows the reflection of oneself to be seen. In folklore, mirrors are believed to also show the soul of the person standing before it. Toni Morrison’s novel Song of Solomon illustrates this idea in an interesting way: feeling incohesive before a mirror represents a lack of identity. The protagonist, Milkman, gives himself an identity by taking a journey to find his past and becomes a cohesive individual. Milkman’s contemplation of himself in front of the mirror emphasizes the need to find an identity to be a complete individual. Milkman’s physical incohesiveness confirms his lack of identity. This lack of individuality is emphasized when Milkman looks into a mirror; he mentions various physical traits such as “ [beautiful] eyes” and “splendid teeth,” but he clarifies that these traits lack “coherence” when placed together (69). Milkman’s disjointed appearance is further emphasized by his left leg, which is …show more content…
As he grows up, he acquires new emotions which allow him to connect more to the world outside of his mind. In the beginning of the novel, Milkman feels no empathy for others. For example, he left only a note for his cousin Hagar remarking how thankful he was for her company, but he completely disregarded Hagar’s romantic feelings for him (99). Disregard becomes shame when Milkman is sent to jail and Pilate frees him. Feeling guilty about requiring her assistance marks a change in Milkman’s personality (209). Finally, he is able to feel shame and empathy whereas, earlier, he felt only arrogance. In fact, he eventually is able to help other people due to his change in character. On page 256, he willingly assisted a man despite being exhausted, which would never have happened had it not been for his emotional development. As Milkman gradually discovers his past throughout the novel, it is evident that his individuality