Essay on Milkman

Macon Dead Jr., commonly known as Milkman, is the main protagonist in the novel (enter novel name). Milkman is the son to one of the most prominent African American landlords in the town. Originally he was born with a birth defect, and was normally ridiculed because of his moms excessive breast feeding even when he was ten years old. Not only does is his mother have clingy tendencies, but his father is also controlling and demanding. Both his parents’ influences have him in constant dispute over…

on how to solve a problem being best friends? Macon "Milkman" Dead III and Guitar Bains of Toni Morrison's novel Song of Solomon had the same priorities in life, but as they grew older, they became very different people. What truly sets them apart from each other are their clashing views on how to deal with racism. Morrison demonstrates this rift between them by comparing Milkman to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Guitar to Malcolm X. Milkman and Guitar once shared similar interests, but as…

reality that he couldn’t handle? Solomon, is Milkman Dead’s great-grandfather, who used to live in Virginia. Solomon was a slave, who had 21 children. He “flew” off to Africa, leaving his wife, Ryna, behind and devastated. Why did Solomon leave his family? Was it too much responsibility for him? This myth provokes Milkman’s curiosity and the investigation of…

but when it is misunderstood, it can become a destructive force. In Toni Morrison’s novel, Song of Solomon, the love between characters is the powerful source of many of the deaths in the story. The book follows the maturation of a boy nicknamed Milkman Dead who is born from a loveless marriage into “a really strange bunch” (76). He is surrounded by many people driven by this powerful feeling: a friend who kills in the name of love, Hagar -- his cousin’s -- drive to murder him if he doesn’t love…

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 “…

self-fulfillment, but a willingness to accept oneself. Pilate’s isolation from society due to her absent navel provides her with the opportunity, “to decide how she wanted to live and what was valuable to her,” which was not an privilege granted to Milkman for his decisions and values were dictated by his father (149). Toni Morrison’s explicit use of “she” and “her” drives contrasts between her life as defined by those around her and the life she chooses to life. Contrasted with Milkman’s…

Eventually, the story focuses on the main character of the novel, Milkman Dead. Several events cause Milkman to leave home and head South in search of the gold that his father and aunt left behind after accidentally murdering a white man. Milkman’s father, Macon, believes his sister, Pilate, took the gold and has it hanging from the ceiling in a green bag. Macon encourages Milkman to steal this green bag of “gold” from Pilate. Milkman decides to bring his best friend, Guitar, along to commit…

Simultaneously, Milkman gets to know Hagar and is introduced to her as a brother. Although Reba corrects her mother by saying, “That ain’t her brother, Mama. They cousins.” But Pilate counters, “I mean what’s the difference in the way you act toward ‘em? Don’t you have to act the same way to both?” (XX). In this first encounter, the basis of Hagar’s and Milkman’s relationship is set. Pilate makes clear that family is family no matter the degree of kinship. Consequently, Pilate tries to…

she carries is indispensable to the evolution of Milkman, and the development of the concepts of flight, identity, and family values throughout the novel. There is no Song of Solomon without Pilate. Pilate first enters the novel as one of the characters present at Robert Smith’s suicide which…

realize is that by choosing to fly away as a means to escape, a person is also deliberately choosing to abandon their life while leaving their family and friends confused and angry. There are three characters in the novel, Robert Smith, Solomon, and Milkman that choose to “fly” as a means to escape. The novel, Song of Solomon, begins with the unanticipated suicide of Robert Smith, an agent of the North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance company. Standing on the roof of Mercy Hospital, Smith…