Song of Solomon Discussion Board 3 - Period 5
Morrison writes:
“Rootedness: The Ancestor
as Foundation," she says, "The autobiographical form is classic in
Black American or Afro-American literature because it provided an instance in
which a writer could be representative, could say 'My single, solitary and
individual life is like the lives of the tribe; it differs in these specific
ways, but is a balanced life because it is both solitary and representative.'
The contemporary autobiography tends to be 'how I got over—look at me—alone—let
me show you how I did it'” (339). This is about journeys through life, and
providing a path for others to follow.
She draws a boundary between traditional white American autobiography
that focuses on individualism and Afro American autobiography and literature,
which center on the individual but are also about the community.
Explain and characterize Milkman's Journey. Where does it begin and end, or does it? What type of a journey did he embark upon and to what extent was he an active participant in his own experience? Please support your discussion with at least three properly embedded quotes (you may not repeat others' quotes, however you may wish to interpret a quote rather differently). Your discussion should be informative, reflective, and representative of the entire novel. Always refer to others' ideas as you agree or disagree . . . there is a reward for those who consider multiple perspectives as they offer their own.
In the beginning of the novel, Milkman presents no real goals and has no real meaning for his existence, he has no future since he was born spiritually dead, a burden that was inherited from his father. As a direct result, the people around Milkman create an identity for him for thirty years. Macon pushes him to be like himself, “let me tell you right now the one important thing you'll ever need to know:own things.”- pg 5. Ruth wants him to be a doctor and Hagar wants him to be a perfect husband. But after thirty years, Milkman snaps and wants to create an identity for himself, he wants to create a future for himself and this for me, is when his journey begins. “Truly landlocked people know who they are…. It might be an appetite for other streets, other slants of light.” - pg162, this is where we see Milkman’s yearning for independence, “[he] just wants to be on his own. Get a job on [his] own, live by [himself].” When his father dangles the idea of stealing the gold from Pilate, Milkman takes it because he wants to use the gold to get far away and start again on his own. What he actually finds was not gold but an identity and a sense of belonging to the African American community in general and his family in specific. On the journey of self discovery he is stripped of all his material possessions: his car, his watch, his clothes and his sense of entitlement when he decides to go hunting with the older men in Shalimar which symbolizes his abandonment of material wealth and status. On this hunting trip, Milkman is almost murdered but is he resurrected as a new Milkman that recognizes his faults and begins to learn a valuable component of human existence, how to love. “Milkman slipped into Sweet’s bed and slept the night in perfect arms”- pg 298 he finally feels like he belongs somewhere, and that he has people in his life that are more than deserving of his love and care. “...he was homesick for her, for her house, for the very people he had been hell-bent to leave.”-pg 300 and begins to feel a newfound appreciation for life and the future. Milkman is no longer the naive, self-centered man-child but to me his journey does not end here, he still needs to learn how to fly, spiritually and without abandonment, just like Pilate.
ReplyDeleteMilkman’s journey was a journey about self discovery and self actualization. At the beginning of the novel, Milkman is uncertain and even unbothered by the history of his family and his identity. He lives the life he was given without asking questions or being curious. He doesn’t have any set goals or ideas of what he wants to do with his life and doesn’t seek anything until a chance is brought up. When he was young, he had no sense of identity and looked upon others to to find it. He had a habit of looking behind him “as though there were no future to be had” pg 35 He believed he had no purpose and it wasn’t until later where he initiated his journey. I’d say the beginning of his journey would be where he defends his mother, Ruth, from Macon. This is where the truth begins to unravel and where his father says that he would need to be “a whole man and know the whole thing”. Pg 86 He hears his father’s side of the story and begins to learn about his family, yet question about his infancy and questioning his nickname “Milkman”. He begins to question his life and then thinks about leaving in order to find himself, but is rejected by his father. He states, “...working for you-not because I sweated for the job, but because I’m your son.” pg 163. Milkman wants be independent for once and wants to earn items on his own, rather than to be given everything and struggle for it. His father then mentions the idea of finding gold and within this journey, Milkman encounters a wake up call as he begins to lose interest over materialistic items only after losing his beloved items. He finds gold but not in the form he was searching for as the gold symbolized the history of his family. He became a selfless and altruistic person after learning the history of the name Dead, which ultimately meant freedom. He learned about the concept of “flight” through Pilate and wishes to be like her. In the end he wishes to fly along with Pilate but is aware that in order to fly you have to follow what Shalimar knew. “If you surrendered to the air, you could ride it.” pg 337.
ReplyDeleteMilkman’s long journey of self-discovery began when he and Guitar first visited Pilate. Being able to know about his strange aunt and listen to her story awoke a curiosity in him about his family; he wanted to know more about which is why he asked his father “is that the way your father treated you…? pg. 50. However, after being closed off by his father because he “ had explained nothing to him” pg. 55 and told him that “ you go better things to do” pg. 55, Milkman came to a halt and did not move forward in his journey. Also, because Milkman was egocentric and “peed” pg.214 on the people around him without a single thought to his actions, he was unable to find a sense of identity. Later on, as he began his search for gold, Milkman, discovered something new. His longing to know more about his family, where he came from, and himself was reawaken, “He was curious about his people. “ pg. 292. This propelled him forward in his personal journey. He was able to reflect on his actions, and for the first time not only did he admit his wrong doings but also gave back. By the end of his journey, his knowledge about his family’s history allowed him to connect with them; it also gave him a new appreciation for the people in his life. This enabled him to change into a better person who is conscious about others “He was so eager for the sight of Pilate’s face when he told her what he knew” pg. 331.
ReplyDeleteThis feels like it needs to be connected and commented upon
DeleteBefore understanding the meaning of his identity, we must first understand his past. I completely agree with Marco. In the beginning of the novel, it was indicated that Milkman had a hard time connecting to his inner self. He was unaware of who he was mentally and emotionally, providing a limited classification of what his being really meant (chaps 1-2). Growing up he had a hard time really understanding his self-worth. This is evident on page 6 where he looks himself in the mirror and realizes that he is unsatisfied with himself. He comes to the realization that in order to “fly” he must find his true identity. Thus, he looks to others to provide a better explanation of his purpose. He is given a different “name” from everyone he comes into contact with. “The fathers may soar… And the children may know their names”. The name “Milkman” is symbolic because it comes from his mother, as she overcomes her obstacles, for example. As he begins his journey to find himself, he, first, must face the realization of what others see him as. It is evident that Milkman experiences multiple journeys concerning his commitment and overcoming obstacles along the way. He ventures out on an adventure wandering the streets and discovering the cave (page 78). In doing this, he discovers a sense of independence as he walks in the opposite direction, making his own choices. He is faced with the brutal task of finding his way as he faces his best friend, Guitar, and his attempt to murder him. A series of tests were bestowed upon Milkman in order to begin his transformation. “Milkman feared his father, respected him, but knew, because of the leg, that he could never emulate him” (page 63). He was kicked out of the bar because of his father. Milkman was tested for his obedience. His trials confirm that he must distant, or separate, himself from his father, Macon, as he sees him a burden. In addition to this, Milkman discovers his emotional being when dating Hagar, as It mimics love from that of his mother. He understands that he does not want to return to the ordinary world because of the happiness he’d found. Milkman notices and tries to hide the truth by not looking into the bag. (page 186-203). “You’ve been carrying your father’s bones—all this time—And Pilate, you have to bury him” (Page 333). Although not being able to experience flight, Milkman is limited and must return to go through the cycle again. He is eager to share the knowledge he’s possessed and has been greatly changed by his experiences.
ReplyDeletewhere is he at Novel's end?
DeleteI agree with Alexis. Milkman’s Journey had to do with self-actualization and it began when he saw himself in the mirror and was very unhappy with his reflection. He realizes that he doesn't want to be like his father and must find his own identity in order to fly, which is the main theme of Song of Solomon. When Milkman walks in the street, he realizes that he's been looking for his independence and this is shown when “the street was even more crowded with people, all going in the direction he was coming from.” Milkman reaches a point where he's reached the materialistic world and the spiritual world when he sees a bird snatching Pilate’s earring from the grave. This conveys that Pilate’s endowment will be remembered even when she dies. “You want my life? Milkman was not shouting now. You need it? Here. Without wiping away the tears, taking a deep breath, or even bending his knees-he leaped. For now he knew what shalimar knew: if you surrendered to the air, you could ride it”, Milkman truly has no longer any worries so he can be free and fly and he doesn't even care if he lives or dies because he's just happy that he can finally fly. This event leads to the end of Milkman’s journey and a balance between the material world and spiritual world.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Carely that Milkman had a journey in which he had to discover for himself. A journey which included finding things about himself and his family. It all began when he was given the name "Milkman" by a janitor who saw him getting breast fed. Milkman discovers later why he was given the name "Milkman", which then causes him to be disgusted that he had be breastfed for so long as a child. He discovers such things to where it causes his to open his eyes in order to be himself, not like someone else just to please them. It all began when him and Guitar first meet Pilate, not knowing he had an aunt. "You his daddy's sister?" "The only one he got. Ain't but three Deads alive." pg. 38 Throughout Song of Solomon Milkman discovers things about Pilate, how she was different from the other Deads, and how she was a caring person who lowered herself to help get him out of jail. But mostly Milkman discover the most important thing in the novel, he discovers the past history of his family, which causes him to be curious and want to hear more. "His mind was ahead of hers, behind hers, with hers, and bit by bit, with what she said, what he knew, and what he guessed, he put it all together." pg. 323 After his discoveries of himself and his family members it causes him say "fly" as it relates to him not having that certain burden holding him down so much.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Ninfa because she elaborates on how Milkman came to be who he is as an individual. I also believe that in the text a lot of other characters defined who Milkman was going to be. For instance, Macon who told him to own things and made it precise that it was the secret to life's fullness. He most likely started his own journey when he went for the gold. I interpreted that he wanted the gold to start off his own meaning or definition of himself. In this road he meets obstacles as he finds his independence(pg.162) He wanted his own job, life and to choose his own destiny. It also seemed that he continued the statement that Macon gave him about owning things(pg.5) because he continues to have a desire or hunger after things that are to benefit himself and his future life. In the end of his journey in my perception was when he discovered information about his family generation and even himself(pg.337) which makes him perceive that flight is himself now without pressure because he figured out who he is by discovering where he came from.
ReplyDeleteMaons’s journey began before he was even born. His father wanted to terminate the pregnancy but his aunt Pilate did not let that happen. His mother breastfed him longer than average which got him the name Milkman. At the beginning of the novel Milkman is unaware of his past and even how he got his name. He doesn’t see the relevance of his past because he thinks he has everything figured out and under control. Until his father begins to tell milkman past events that made his father strike his mother. “Wasn’t that the history of the world? Isn’t that what men did? Protected the frail and confronted the king of the mountain?” pg.75. Milkman thought he knew who he was but not only did this interaction with his father raise questions about himself but about everything he was taught. He had now been questioning his whole life and he definitely didn’t know who he was. It is brilliant how Toni Morrison uses two opposite characters and creates them as best friends (Guitar and Macon) because it helps the reader understand milkman better. It creates an entrance to milkman discovering his identity. Guitar just wants justice for his father which is why he joins seven days but milkman wants to be completely opposite from his father. “So he differed from him as much as he dared” pg.63. Milkman goes through many adventures with Guitar but they have different motifs. When they chase after the Gold, we can see how Guitar desperately feels he needs it but Macon wants it just to have it. Guitar ends up not trusting milkman. “In any case, he had snatched the first straw, limp and wet as it was, to prove himself the need to kill milkman.” This is when Milkman is the most vulnerable. Milkman’s best friend just turned his back on him which creates a thought that milkman has nobody. Milkman lets go of everything because once he understands the situation between himself and Guitar he comes to realization that none of that gold matters. He learns and matures. His journey isn’t over, just as one door closes another opens and now that milkman has discovered his past and came to realization with his present, he can learn how to fly.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Carely Milkman had a long journey to discovering himself. Milkman is born into a wealthy family, left behind with descendants from his father. He does not know about his roots, his history, his background or even where his nickname, “Milkman” came from. Milkman changed throughout the novel from being self-centered in the beginning to later on growing emotions and being humane as he grew into his persona. Throughout the entire novel he is in search for his identity although “By the time Milkman was fourteen he had noticed that one of his legs was shorter than the other” pg.62 which made him feel different from all the other human beings as in a physical appearance. It is till later in the novel where Morrison shows Milkman’s growth in character along with his personality, he then seems to show more emotions. There is a shift in character for Milkman where it is foreshadowed through the theme of flight, which portrays how traveling to Shalimar Milkman is able to change and let go of his selfish, self-centered characteristics, he then “[walked] the earth. [Walked] it like he belonged on it…And he did not limp” pg. 281 this is the shift where Milkman realized who he really was and found his true identity.
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ReplyDeleteMilkman is our protagonist in the story, which is kind of weird, because we do not really know about him, and neither does he. Milkman lacks identity and curiosity. He lives his youth being called Milkman. He does not question why people call him Milkman until Macon tells him his side of the story (pages 71-78). I believe this is when Milkman’s journey begins. This is the first time he learns something about his family. Although it is not much, this intrigues him into finding out the truth about his history. Throughout most of his life, Milkman is being influenced by other individuals. His actions reflect others, instead of his own. It was not until, he hits his father where he takes charge, “ You [Milkman] were taking over, letting us know you had the right to tell her and all of us what to do.” (pg 216) I don’t think it was a really bad choice, because in that moment he finally takes action. Then Milkman goes on a quest for gold. Once he does find the gold, he is able to escape. He is able to escape that lack of confidence, lack of self-identity, and lack of dependency. When he learns his family history via the children's song ( 321-325), a new way of life is created for him.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the novel Song of Solomon, Milkman starts off the novel being born into a middle class family who has many faults, as he grows older he goes through life without purpose, and he really doesn't know much about himself or his family history. Milkman tried to figure what was true and what part of what was true had anything to do with him. (75) Before milkman was even born, his father tried very hard to have his wife miscarry due to the fact that he didn't want his name to be carried out to further generations.Milkman stood before his mirror and glanced, in the low light of the wall lamp, at his reflection. (69-70) Implied that he was not comfortable with who he was because to me mirrors point out flaws and your imperfections and for him to be gazing at himself in the he mirror he didn't like the person he was seeing because he reminded himself of his father. Toward the end of the novel when Milkman learned more about his family history he also discovered himself and he didn't have through his life .aimlessly, he had reached self actualization
ReplyDeleteI agree with Yezenia, Milkman goes through a journey of discovering his identity by searching for his family's past. At the beginning of the book, he is said to be just as his father though according to Milkman, he “...feared his father, respected him, but knew, because of the leg, that he could never emulate him.” so he tried to always do the opposite of his father. Even Though Milkman wouldn't admit, they shared many beliefs and values such as the importance of materialistic things and power. Macons advise to Milkman is to “learn what’s real.” , meaning the only thing that should be important to oneself which was to “Own things.” As time passed and Milkman slowly began to learn and find out the truths and the lies of his background, he questions himself and doesn't know who he really is or what he has become. The event of the stealing the “gold” from Pilate, figuratively meant, that he found his worth of life. The only real “gold” of the story was Milkman realizing the things that truly matter such as Hagar and his friendship with Guitar. At the end of the book he is satisfied with what he has discovered and “gives up the shit that weighs you down” in order to fly.
ReplyDeleteThere's a lot of conflict within Milkman's life. When he starts his journey for his inheritance and self-discovery, he wanted to go alone. He's felt bad since Guitar couldn't be there with him, but "this one time he wanted to go solo." Milkman needed help though. Throughout his journey he received help from others and wouldn't have succeeded without them. Even with this help, Milkman automatically thinks it's about making money or business dealing which offends everyone that helps him. Milkman asked if they "need money" and "how much" they would charge him. He misses out that it's all about community and personal connections. When he reaches Pilate, she teaches him right and wrong, and Milkman started viewing life differently, and that's where I believe Milkman truly began his journey. Milkman wanted to know more about his family and where he came from. He was "curious about his people." Digging deeper for his answer, he ended up in a town of Shalimar, and Milkman finally understood who he was and discovered that his grandfather could fly. Milkman ended up flying himself, and I think when he did, his journey came to an end.
ReplyDeleteMilkman journey was a long one. He would be bullied throughout his young life. He became friends with guitar he is the opposite of him he feels like he's a brother. He's like a mentor he taught him how to deal with his physical problem he thought him how to make it an advantage. He also taught him how to pick up the ladies and where to buy beer.Milkman also has money he works for his dad collecting rent. His mom is Ruth and his dad is Macon Jr their relationship is awful. His dad doesn't show affection towards his mom he ignores her and treats her like crap. So He steps in and protects her from his father but he learns why his father despises her. Maybe that's why she breast feed him lway too long so she can feel needed. He love and hate his parents at times. His father tries to make me milkman be like him and love business and money but He doesn't want to be like his father. Ihe soon realized after his adolescence Ihe was thirty one and woke up and realized why Is he still working for hisdad and still taking care of his mom and sister and still sleeping with Hagar.Hagar used to be his crush. How come He can't be like guitar he knows what he what's to do with his life. He doesn't even know what He wants to do. And he feels like other use him for their benefit for something they want. He felt like it was time to try be independent so He tried of thinking of ways but the only thing He thought was his aunt's gold He Felt lilt hat with money H will be able to live by himself . But It failed and ended up in a town that He didn't even know existed. He thought it was the worst thing that could happen it was a very poor town and dangerous He lost his watch suit and wallet. But It helped him understand that materialistic things aren't important.
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