Chapter 4
This chapter offers quite a lot and seems to raise just as
many questions as it answers. We haven’t seen much of either of Milkman’s sisters
until this chapter, but man, they do take over this chapter in a powerful
way. We also learn more about Pilate,
and her ability to both play into stereotypical gender roles and transcend
them.
Please take notes on your assigned character/questions. List at least 2 quotations (short, proper citation format) with
analysis in full sentences. You MAY NOT REPEAT.
Read what everyone else assigned to your group wrote first, then try to
add to what they wrote (with new evidence) or respond to a different question
(with new evidence) for your character. DO NOT try to answer all of the questions.
Females:
Corinthians
Males: Lena
Anyone (guys or
girls) who fits any of the following criteria: Pilate
Is left-handed
Is double-jointed
Listens to Country on a regular basis (at least 3 or more x
a week)
Has visited Kansas (stayed at least one night)
1) Corinthians:
What were her/her parents’ expectations for her life? Why aren’t they working out? Why isn’t she married? What are black, moving-into-middle-class men looking
for in a wife? Any of this remind you of
Death of a Salesman?
How does Corinthians change, first, by working for
Michael-Mary, and second, by taking up with Porter?
Who is Henry Porter (what do we know about him from previous
chapters)?
How did you react to the scene of Corinthians throwing
herself across Porter’s car? Is this the
act of a “doll-baby” or “grown up woman”?
Explain.
Significance /symbolism of the rose petals for
Corinthians?
What are Morrison’s overall messages in Corinthians’ story
about love, about the life of women, about individuality?
2) Pilate:
How does Pilate transform herself in order to get Milkman
and Guitar out of jail? Be specific.
What story does she tell? How
does this act demonstrate her understanding of her society? Is she being weak or strong here? Why?
Milkman says that this whole incident makes him feel
“shame…stuck to his skin” (209-210).
Why? Is this “shame” a step
forward or a step back in his character development? (To what extent is he
ashamed of himself, to what extent is he ashamed of his aunt?)
3) Magdalene called
Lena:
How does Milkman dismiss/disrespect Lena in earlier chapters
and/or leading into their conversation at the end of chapter 9?
Why is Lena angry with Milkman (one specific action, and
then more generally)? What does she mean by “there are all kinds of ways to pee
on people?” (214)
How has sexism and stereotypical gender roles played out in
this family, according to Lena? How does
Milkman’s statement that “I don’t carry no stick; I live and let live” (214)
reveal his fundamental misunderstanding of how these gender roles function?
How is Lena’s attitude toward the roses significant?
What are Morrison’s overall messages about the life of women
and the life of men that she is communicating through Lena’s story?
Pilate transforms herself by acting as if she was an old lady that lost her loved one. She acts out the idea of a ignorant black women by the way she talked. She told a story about how she didn't have enough money to have a decent funeral and how she had to carry of what she had of Mr.Solomon. I believe she's being strong because she's taking the knowledge she has to fool people as a respectful dignified and innocent person.
ReplyDeletePlease support with direct quotes. At least two quotes wit connections to theme.
DeleteAccording to Lena, gender roles have played out significantly in the favor of Milkman and Macon. In chapter 9, we finally get to see Lena speak out against the oppressive behavior of Milkman towards her and her sister. “You’ve been laughing at us all your life,. Corinthians. Mama. Me. Using us, ordering us and judging us...” And Lena is sick of it. Sick of how she was forced to slave over her brother: take care of him, feed him, clothe him, and entertain, yet he has the audacity to boss them around and only pretend like Milkman cares about them. To Lena, the times Milkman has done something for his sisters or mother has only been done to the benefit of himself. When he defended Ruth, he only did so to prove his transition to manhood and to show the women in his life that he is now the one able to control them. Lena finally tells Milkman that they, as women, have been objectified their whole life by being paraded around town just like a shiny car that no one else can have or touch.
ReplyDeleteNice connections. She hates being paraded and splayed.
DeleteHow is this important thematically Marco? What is Morrison telling us about the lives of women and lives of men? Remember to be consistent with literary present tense...
DeleteMacon and Ruth had no doubt Corinthians would marry well, due to the fact that she attended college. Her parents thought she would be an incredible spouse and mother, since “she had been taught how to be an enlightened mother and wife, able to contribute to the civilization”. However, if she did not marry someone Corinthians would have turned to a career, such as a teacher or librarian. But since Corinthians was “well accustomed to middle class life”, “a little too elegant” and had “a better education”, men were not intrigued. Men wanted someone who would put in work in order to stay in the middle class, someone who would appreciate their hard work, and a woman who would sacrifice themselves. I think what Morrison is attempting to let us know is that sometimes love is strong and breaks society's idea, that people ought to marry somebody inside their social class. In chapter 9, when Corinthians runs back to Porter’s car she begs him to let her in. I think Corinthians did truly have feelings for Porter, because if it would have been otherwise she would not have begged him in an area where everyone could see her. The reason she went back was not because she realized she would never marry or because she was only interested in the attention he gave her, but because he meant something to her.
ReplyDeleteWhat lesson do you think Morrison wants readers to take away from this?
DeleteNow that the Dead family had established their name and made it well known, they had no intention in looking back. They had the intention of raising the children to be grown educated African Americans, distinctly different than everyone else. Macon and Ruth sent Corinthians off to a liberal arts college hoping that she would attain a degree, and then marry into wealth to prevent from ruining the reputation of the name. Ruth, accustomed to living the wealthy and materialistic life, treated her own children as objects rather than children. She believed that Corinthians was “...a prize for a professional man of color.” There was no way or form that she would marry out of her social class, let alone remain single. When Corinthians was unable to attain a job worthy of her degree, she settled for a position as a maid for a Michael Mary Graham, a very well known poet. Even then, Corinthians attempted to make herself seem of better worth. Ruth knew of her to be “Michael-mary Graham’s amanuensis” and did not bother looking into what an amanuensis was due to its intricate sounding. However, from this “low-class job” Corinthians was able to gain qualities such as responsibility, confidence, and independence; something that her degree would have prevented her of attaining due to her mindset of superiority.
ReplyDeleteSo she gains confidence and independence (of a sort)in a world where after college "colored girls, regardless of their background, were in demand for one and only one kind of work" (189), but to what end? Is it the degree or the family that holds her back? Single or married because you can't have it both ways? Finally, sort of, what is Morrison telling us about the lives of women through Corinthians? What is her essential truth?
DeletePilate helped Milkman and Guitar get out of jail because when the police pulled them over they discovered their "gold" and the gold they had were really human bones, Pilate told police she keeps the bones with her until she can afford to pay for a decent burial for her "lynched husband." She transforms herself into a depressed widow to cover for the boys, because throughout the story she's characterized as a strong minded woman.
ReplyDeleteRemember that you must use at least two quotes in context. They should be properly cited and should serve as support for your initial assertion. Then you must provide clear and ample commentary as to how this supports your idea and advances a particular theme.
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ReplyDeleteSignificance /symbolism of the rose petals for Corinthians?
ReplyDeleteLooking back at the first few chapters of this novel, the rose petals symbolizes the moral aspects of death as they portray blood, demise, and sorrow. This is similar in this chapter as well, however, these “roses” bring forth the realization of everything Corinthians (and Lena) is unable to do. They are a representation of the restraint placed on Corinthians. The chapter classifies how she is unable to have children because she’s not married. She is unable to fall in love as well because her father won’t allow her to do so unless she falls in love with a man who is suitable and meets specific qualifications, which was hard to find. “A perfect example of the men her parents kept her from (and whom she also kept herself from) all her life because such a man was known to beat his woman, betray her, shame her, and leave her.”
The relevance of roses in this novel reveals the stagnant, sheltered lifestyle Corinthians obtains. They are the constant reminder of dread as she continues to see them throughout this chapter. “Corinthians continued to make roses, but she hatred that stupid hobby and gave Lena any excuse to avoid it” “First the death of the man in the blue wings. Now her own”
Along with fear, the roses indicated a sense of alienation from happiness, “ They were laughing , Lena and she…”, while also, providing a mortified and shameful tone to the life of Corinthians as a character. “...;collecting roses, looking up at the man, and laughing from fear, embarrassment, and giddiness. It was all mixed together --- the red velvet, the screams…”.
When Milkman and Guitar were in jail Pilate came to the rescue and bailed them out. Pilate came to the police station to help them and told the police that the bag contained her dead husband's bones. Milkman was upset over Pilate's "Aunt Jemima" interpretation in the police station, which he realizes she put on just to save him. He recalled her willingness to humiliate herself in public in order to provide his freedom (ch.9). She plays the officer by putting on her act to deceive the officer, by trying to be weak and helpless to get what she wanted and seamless of a threat. This goes back to the selfless giving women have done in spite of themselves and their dignity for their male counterparts.
ReplyDeletelol. your website's submission time is off by 2 hours (2 hours behind).
DeletePilate rescues Milkman and Guitar from jail by playing "Aunt Jemima", which was a significant change from her normal strong being in Milkman’s life to a "short and pitiful" woman. On page 205, it talks about how Pilate had no time to come up with a scheme to get the guys out of jail yet she still pulled it off. "Yeah, she knew. But how did she know so fast? I mean she came in here...you know... prepared. She had it all together when she got there". This perspective of how Pilate handled the situation emphasizes on her true talent. She knows how to work around the system and knows just enough about society to satisfy the stereotypes, in fact maybe too much. Pilate knows what the white police think of her before she even opens her mouth, so she will just add on to what they think about her. Pilate is being strong, she put on a fake persona and laid down any pride she had just to get the guys out of jail. It is obvious how selfless she is, even if she knew she had to do this she didn't see it as a burden. By her story telling of her husband, she opened up about (what may not have been the whole truth) the story behind the bones. By showing her vulnerable side, she can be seen as brave.
ReplyDeleteHer mother in particularly expected her to marry prosperous man, especially a doctor, “hopes for her where especially high since she’d gone to college”. People assumed she would marry someone of her social status, wealthy, and educated. She did as well. However, nothing went as hoped for because she, “was a little too elegant”, and men did not like that. Also, they did not see her as an ideal wife because she was too educated, too refined, and too intimidating. Never did her parents think Corinthians would become associated and much less have a relationship with anyone lower than the family Dead. Naturally, they would not have allowed it either because it would affect them, and the way people viewed them. Therefore, Corinthians stayed single well past her mid-thirties.
ReplyDeleteIt is important because it shows how no matter how hard they try, women are not validated in this story. It also correlates with the theme of suppressed women because Corinthians, from a very young age is being told who she can or cannot interact with. It was all to benefit her parents ”her mother approved”. Her mother as well as her father expected her “to marry well” not for her sake but for theirs. Ruth wanted to show off her family especially her well educated daughter. She would have loved the idea of having a doctor for a son in law because he would have reminded her of her father. It was not because she thought of Corinthians’ happiness
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ReplyDeletePilate helped getting Milkman and Guitar out of jail by giving a story to the officer, and playing as "Aunt Jemima". She tells the police officers that she couldn't afford to burry her husband who "had been lynched", she then tells them that she kept the bag of "gold" (containing her dead husband's bones), "and when i die they can put him in the same hole as me". Being said that she came up with that story so quickly. "But how did she know so fast", goes to show who she truly is. In a way she is smart but also makes her self look weak, because she's making herself look pitiful by saying that story just to help and bail them out. But I also think she's strong and wise because she was able to convince them of her story.
ReplyDeleteI feel that Corinthians throwing herself at Porter’s car was an act of “baby-doll”. Throughout this chapter, Corinthians doesn't act accordingly to her age. She shows how immature she is when looking down on the woman on the bus to rise above “the only people she knew for certain she was superior to”. This is because she was a smart woman and obviously knew that Porter wouldn't drive with her laying on the hood of his car. She didn't throw herself at Porter for the sake of their relationship but actually to feel more confident in front of her family. I think that the relationship with Porter made her a more mature woman because it made her come out of her comfort zone due to the fact that her parents raised her to be intelligent and isolated her from the real world.
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ReplyDeleteCorinthians was expected to marry a professional man of color, and hopes were especially high for her since she attended college. All bachelor's never made her their first choice and nothing was working for her because she "lacked drive". (pg 188) Black middle-class men wanted a wife they could manage, one that would appreciate their hard work put into moving towards middle class, and Corinthians was deemed too elegant for them. She was "too educated" and she was already well-accustomed to the middle class life, and these men thought she would not be appreciative of their efforts and ambitions and would not offer any sacrifice on her part to help them achieve it. In some ways this shows how society back then (and this is probably still applicable today) made men feel the need to be "superior" to their wives. It didn't look right when a woman was wealthier or more educated than her counterpart, and men refused to be the laughingstock of others because of that. They wanted a woman who was meek, pliable, and one who would join their hustle into middle-class without hesitation.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the book, Pilate is demonstrated as a strong and confident type of person. When she bails Milkman and Guitar out of jail, Pilate transforms herself into a different type of person. Pilate acts as “Aunt Jemima” and explains to them how the bones were her husband's but she didn't have enough money to bury them yet. She also verified their lie saying “they had ripped off the sack as a joke on an old lady”. This made up story she created made the officers feel some sort of sorrow towards her convincing them to let Milkman and Guitar out. The situation makes her seem weak by trying to accomplish something in a way that she normally never does but strong for doing something good for Milkman and Guitar to help them out.
ReplyDeleteCorinthians was already different since she was a black woman who went to college and was well-educated. Society didn't expect that from a women especially men. Men wanted to prove that they were on top and can be well educated but Corinthians was already what men wanted to be. She wasn't able to find happiness because society didn't necessarily approve of her. Everyone was fighting for their rights, especially the black community. Even though this was happening, men still had the mind set of being at the top of the household. Women belonged in kitchens and taking care of children and men felt obligated to prove their power. Men wanted "wives who would sacrifice themselves and appreciate the hard work and sacrifice of their husbands." When Milkman angers Lena for interfering with Corinthians relationship, Lena with solid rage said, "You've been laughing at us... using us, ordering us, and judging us: how we cook.. keep your house... who are you to approve or disapprove anybody or anything?... Where do you get the RIGHT to decide our lives?" Women, at some point, all felt this way: abused, unappreciated, taken for granted, used and thrown away. Every woman is different as well as every individual.
ReplyDeleteWhen I read about First Corinthians throwing herself across Porter's car I knew she was doing this to get his attention. She didn't want to go home where lifelessness awaits her and the roses which remind her of death. The way she acts after she throws herself across the car is the way a grown woman would act. "She rapped again, louder,mindless, of who might see her under the gray beech tree just around the corner from home."While she did this she didn't care who saw her and what they thought about her not even her father. Porter finally got the frown woman he wanted like he said in Chapter 9 he didn't want a woman afraid of her daddy which by doing this she proved she was one. First Corinthians is tired of following her father's expectations. She does so by throwing herself across Porter's car proves that she doesn't want to live under them anymore and wants to be the grown woman Porter's talks about.
ReplyDeleteGuitar is a part of the Seven Days organization, it then becomes his turn to kill four white little girls by bombing a church, but he doesn’t have the money to make this happen. Milkman then comes up with the idea of stealing a sack, which is said to have gold from Pilate’s house. This would solve Guitar’s conflict because it would provide him money for the explosives. Both Guitar and Milkman end up in jail after being pulled over by the cops for no reason with the sack that happened to have human bones instead of gold. Pilates arrives at the police station and transforms herself in order to get the police to release them by making up a story saying that the bones in the sack really belonged to her husband that had passed away, Mr. Soloman, who had, “been lynched in Mississippi fifteen years and they wouldn’t let her cut him down.” She mentions to the police station that she doesn’t have the money to bury her husband and that she, “tried to bury [the bones],” but the “funeral peoples” wanted fifty dollars for a coffin and the carpenter wanted twelve-fifty for a pine box,” mourning to them that she doesn’t have that money. Eventually she is able to get Guitar and Milkman released.
ReplyDeleteWhen Lena says " there are all kinds of ways to pee on people" she means their are many ways to bring shame on someone. Lena is right that Milkman has been basically disrespecting her his whole life. She is nearly fifty, a grown woman, and Milkman has not actually talked to her since he was 14 (211). shows a base level of disrespect for someone, that he doesn't even consider her worth his time or energy to converse with. Through Lena's story Morrison really makes men sound evil, and portrays them of having bad intentions.
ReplyDeleteWhen Lena says " there are all kinds of ways to pee on people" she means their are many ways to bring shame on someone. Lena is right that Milkman has been basically disrespecting her his whole life. She is nearly fifty, a grown woman, and Milkman has not actually talked to her since he was 14 (211). shows a base level of disrespect for someone, that he doesn't even consider her worth his time or energy to converse with. Through Lena's story Morrison really makes men sound evil, and portrays them of having bad intentions.
ReplyDelete