Solomon

In the excerpt “Memories of a Slave Auction” written by Solomon Northrup, the story tells of a free black male living in the years that slavery occurred. Although Solomon was a free black male, he was stolen and kidnapped into slavery. Solomon writes a story about his first-hand account in the eyes of a black male in bondage. This first-hand account helps to better understand the horrors of being in what is known as the slave auctions, a grueling time where whites would “examine” the slaves and…

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…

until they have found their identity. In order to understand and find one's identity, an individual must refrain from directing substantial significance toward objects and money and rather learn to value family and love. In Morrison's Song of Solomon, Milkman spends his entire youth and early adult life…

In the novel Song of Solomon, the names of several of the characters contribute to the underlying message that Toni Morrison is trying the convey. Although some characters’ names seem contradictory to their very nature, other names and their origins eventually shape their respective individual and ultimately end up shaping his or her identity. Macon Dead’s name, in particular, contributes to the novel’s message of the damaging effects of materialistic tendencies and the inability of social…

An example of an abolitionist book inspired by Uncle Tom’s Cabin was Twelve Years a Slave. The author, Solomon Northup, actually dedicated the book to Harriet Beecher Stowe. In Twelve Years a Slave, Solomon Northup was a free black man living in upstate New York who was captured and sent to the south to work as a slave (Northup 3). When this book was published it was extremely controversial throughout the…

12 Years a Slave by Solomon Northup is a captivating tale that shows his view of slavery as freed man in the north forced to be a slave in the south. Solomon Northup was kidnapped and sold into slavery when he was offered a job to play his instrument (the violin) in a traveling circus. But before he was sold into slavery, he lived in upstate New York, with his family and of course, his work. He was your everyday worker with skills of a violinist. So when two con men offered him a job playing the…

Song of Solomon is a richly textured novel in which Toni Morrison uses poetic language as well as a variety of literary devices to ultimately make her novel unique and with a certain level of depth. The passage above is particularly interesting because it incorporates many of the literary devices that Morrison uses such as metaphors, similes, oxymoron, allusions, and a variety of imageries. The excerpt also reveals Macon Dead’s personality through the other characters and his role in the…

Assuming Solomon Northup knew that the main audience would be northern white readers, I believe that his collaboration with editor David Wilson was a measure taken to ensure that the believability of his story could be bolstered by the aid of a white man’s insurance. Wilson offers preliminary notes for the reader, affirming that he accurately took down Northup’s dictations and pointing out that Northup’s story can be corroborated by public evidence. Wilson also offers his own endorsement of…

Milkman and Guitar: A Character Sketch and Responses to Racism Toni Morrison brilliantly orchestrates a unique friendship between two young men to tackle the themes of racism, beliefs, affluence and friendship in the novel Song of Solomon. Guitar and Milkman develop a unique friendship throughout the duration of the novel. They went on several life-changing adventures that helped them to understand the many different facets of life. Together, they aided in each other’s individual growth and…

Over the years as citizens of a country that has the freedom of speech and freedom of the press, I’ve seen many different marches, riots, and just plain violent acts to prove a point. But looking at all that sometimes it’s hard to say if I even saw it how it actually happened. Many people hear about riots on the news and in newspapers, and those are usually very biased one way or another. After reading Akiba Solomon’s essay on rioters, it showed me how biased the media can really be and in a way…