Chapter 2+
A. Please re-read chapter 2 (pages 31-55), and respond to
any of the following:
At the end of the chapter, Macon Dead tells his son, “Pilate
can’t teach you a thing you can use in this world. Maybe the next, but not this one. Let me tell you right now the one important
thing you’ll ever need to know: Own things.
And let the things you own own other things. Then you’ll own yourself and other people
too” (55).
1) What do you make of Macon’s advice for Milkman? Is it good advice? Why?
Do you trust what Macon has to say about Pilate? How is this idea of “owning things”
potentially problematic?
2) To answer these questions, I’d like you to consider the
contrast between Macon Dead’s personality, values, and relationship with the
community (and family) and Pilate’s personality, values, and relationship with
community. What “lessons” do they each
teach Milkman? Has Milkman already
learned something important from his first mature interaction with Pilate? What
might he have learned then, had he been more self aware?
3) How does this resonate with you after a 2nd
reading?
I believe that Macon’s advice to Milkman is a very shallow approach towards life. To him, this world is only about owning things, whether it be money, property or other people. His view of this world is to conquer it and he's doing so pretty successfully. He's the envy of the town but he's also the town fool. People criticize him for being a harsh landlord and for his obsession with keeping his status and material things intact. His idea of owning things only concentrates on the material wealth of the world and therefore does not have any room for spiritual or character growth. Macon will remain the same greedy and shallow man, that is disliked and mocked.
ReplyDeleteI do not trust what he has to say about Pilate, his view of her is very biased, as evident with him calling her a "snake." Macon is probably ashamed of his sister, a poor woman and a bootlegger, since she goes against what he wants his family to be seen as: wealthy, prominent and respectable. Therefore, his description of his sister is very unreliable.
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ReplyDeleteI believe that after a second reading, it shows that owning things isn't really important. At the end of the story two friendships were ended because of Macon's advice in owning things.
ReplyDeleteThe relationship with Hagar ended because he thought of himself too highly and did not include Hagar in the picture of his future. As a young man, he was not aware and was gullible. With that, I believe Macon was aware of Milkman being naive and young to the advice.
His relationship with his best friend, Guitar, was ended along with the journey to retrieve the gold from the Hunter's Cave.Promises were made based on the idea of ownership and betrayal took place as Guitar let his anger take control
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ReplyDeleteI believe that Macon is giving Milkman advice on his approach to life. Growing up, Macon looked up to his father and everything he had accomplished. His only wish was to pay homage to his father's legacy, by him himself being just as successful. He approached this thought the wrong way, being materialistic and only caring for what he owned rather than how he was keeping his father's legacy. Because he is driven solely by materialistic values, there is little to no emotional values within him. He could lose relationships with other important people before losing his valuable items that hold his social status and because of this, I do not believe this is good advice. I do not trust what Macon has to say about Pilate mostly because she's introduced as a protagonist and not malicious at all, compared to what Macon said. However, Macon compares his own sister to a "snake" which may foreshadow Pilate's actions.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of owning things is problematic in the sense that Macon believes the world revolves around materialistic values. The values of items begin to degrade or stop being appreciated, which is where greed comes in.
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ReplyDeleteMacon gives Milkman advice on life, he expresses to him that owning materialistic items is important, as well as having money. Having materialistic items and being successful is more important than caring a relationship with someone. In a way I don't believe that this is good advice to Milkman because not everything is about owning things in life, but if someone is successful and prideful, they should buy anything they want and try to strive for what they eagerly want.
ReplyDeleteI dont trust what Macon has to say about Pilate because Macon describes her was being a "snake", being a bootlegger, and being poor. In a way he may be ashamed of her or not agree with her life.
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ReplyDeleteI believe that Macon gives Milkman the best advice he knew about owning things, but I don't believe that it was good advice. Having materialistic things shouldn't be the value of life. He tells Milkman that owning things, such as, people, money or treasures,etc are important as if it's the only thing that mattered in a successful lifestyle.
ReplyDeleteI don't trust what Macon said about Pilate because he describes her as a snake, which is deceitful and sneaky. I think he only described her as this because she doesn't fit the lifestyle characteristics that him and his family carried on.
Macon is solely controlled by materialistic articles. He does the things he does just with the end goal of increasing his wealth. Macon feels better than others, in light of the fact that they lack what he has, wealth. But in reality, Macon is an empty person. I don't think it is good advice, since materials don't last forever. I don't trust what Macon needs to say in regards to Pilate. According to Macon, Pilate is a "snake", since she stole something from him, gold.
ReplyDeleteMacon's advice to Milkman is very ignorant. He's basically telling Milkman that he needs to gain his happiness through materialistic things rather than actual deep meaningful items. This advice is troublesome because it's telling Milkman to take advantage of his community. Overall, it's bad advice because Macon is not even happy himself.
ReplyDeleteMacon's advice seems to be very superficial seeing how all he wants is to own things and have money and power. He wants the best materialistic things that will mean nothing when we die and will only hold him down from flying. Owning multiple things tends to hold people down from anything. I don't believe this was good advice for milkman, because although Macon wanted Milkman to have the best, the best wasn't money for Milkman. It was more about being able to get out of the, what felt like, trapped environment he was in. Milkman didn't want to be like his father at all and it would just be contradicting for milkman to take his fathers advice and act like him. Pilate doesn't fit in to macons lifestyle which is why he most likely says those things about her, that the reader shouldn't trust.
ReplyDeleteAfter a second reading the theme of owning things really takes shape. It is relevant in this chapter, which foreshadows, that milkman doesn't want to be like his father who owns a lot and thinks with that mindset that will hold him back from living his life.
I agree with Quatavia, after a second reading I believe owning your own things isn't all it's cracked up to be because once you start owning your own things jealousy starts happening and your friends become envious. For example, Milkman and guitar were the best of friends, until milkman became somewhat wealthy. After he became wealthy it upset guitar in a way because he was poor and sought out on getting revenge and milkman was not that way. The advice his dad gave him is not trustworthy because in this day they were looking for ways to be on top by materialistic things, so every intention they had wasn't pure.
ReplyDeleteMacon’s advice to Milkman is not a good one because his only concern in life is wealth and properties not anyone or anything else. Therefore, his advice will not bring anything fruitful to Milkman. The idea of “owning things” can also become problematic for Milkman since it can turn him into his father, a cold person who is filled with greed.
ReplyDeleteI do not trust Macon’s opinion of Pilate. They have not talked for many years, so even if Pilate did betray him in a way Macon has not given her any chance to clear things up. Not to mention that Macon is telling this to Milkman to keep him away from Pilate, therefore, he could be making it up or exaggerating to scare Milkman.
ReplyDeleteMacon Dead's advice to Milkman is not reasonable. He tells him that all he needs to worry about in life is owning materialistic things such as: money, property and people, in order to always have power. Macons beliefs influence his advice because that is all he cares about, power over everything and everyone. His type of personality is of someone that wants others to envy him for what he has, wealth. Macons advice greatly affects Milkman because he eventually becomes just like Macon, ruling and taking advantage over others.
ReplyDeleteMacons criticism over Pilate is unnecessary. He describes her to Milkman as if she was a really bad person, when in reality he doesn't know how she is anymore because he hasn't seen her or talked to her for years. I think Macon describes her in such way to mislead Milkman and make him think of her in a certain way to assure himself Milkman doesn't want to meet her and know her for who she really is and the truth of what she has done.
Macon Dead’s advice in my opinion is quite ethical in this theoretical setting. In this particular period of time, african americans are suppressed to be something that is redirected and unequal to their white counterparts. Macon teaches his son the way to mimic the assets and values of white individuals to maintain a successful lifestyle. Money comes with power, and since Macon knows this commodity, he wants Milkman to understand that it is important to maintain this concept. Power is necessary in gaining appropriation from those who see him as an inferior. The goal in this sense is to be like those who have “power”. Those without it our constricted to their own norms and are contained to a specific class.
ReplyDeleteMacon's advise for Milkman focuses on his view of life. For Macon, it is all about owning things, keeping his social status and being at the top. If his father-in-law had given him money in the past to invest in railroad land, Macon would've been richer than rich. Macon's views it as a source to vanquish earth. His town envy him and Macon will not change from being a greedy and self-indulgent man. Macon's view towards Pilate is very biased. He most likely regrets having Pilate as a sister since Macon cares for his social status and Pilate is the complete opposite of what he is. Macon is at the top; meanwhile, Pilate is at the bottom. She's a poor woman, and Macon is embarrassed to call her his sister.
ReplyDeleteMacon’s advice for Milkman if of no value, it is bad advice because Macon is setting a bad example for his son, he is teaching him to basically liv life without emotions and not caring for his loved ones, but through using people. Macon is basically making Milkman like he is and act towards others. He tells him that it is all about ownership, even people as if they were an item. I do not trust what Macon has to say about Pilate because Milkman could learn way better things from Pilate than from his father himself, she is independent and confident and has a caring heart. The idea of “owning things” is problematic because people aren’t items they aren’t property as Macon is explaining to Milkman.
ReplyDelete