Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon is not just a book; it’s an experience. Reading it feels like diving headfirst into a rich, complex tapestry woven with themes of identity, family, and the enduring power of myth. When I first encountered this novel, much like many readers, I was left in a state of awe and slight bewilderment. It was undeniably a new favorite, yet one that defied easy understanding. Parts resonated deeply, connecting on an emotional level, while others remained shrouded in mystery, leaving me both captivated and yearning for deeper insight. It’s a book that stays with you, prompting revisits and continued exploration, because Song of Solomon book is truly a literary landscape to be discovered over and over again.
Image alt text: Close-up of Toni Morrison’s “Song of Solomon” book cover, showcasing the title in bold white letters against a dark background, emphasizing the author’s name and the book’s literary significance.
Delving into the Scope and Themes of Song of Solomon
Song of Solomon book is immense in its scope. It’s a narrative masterpiece that intricately layers themes and boasts a cast of characters so vividly drawn they feel like people you know. The dialogue crackles with authenticity, the plot twists and turns in unexpected ways, and the thematic depth is simply staggering. It’s a book that demands attention, urging you to reread passages, to ponder motivations, and to piece together the intricate puzzle Morrison has crafted. My initial reading was marked by constant annotations of “WTF” and “WHAT IS GOING ON?”, a testament to the novel’s ability to surprise and challenge at every turn. Unraveling the basic structure, understanding character motivations, and grasping the symbolic weight of plot points takes time and engagement. The early unsettling behavior of Ruth, for instance, almost led me to abandon the book, highlighting just how crucial patience and persistence are when approaching Song of Solomon book.
A Coming-of-Age Saga with a Male Protagonist
Similar to Morrison’s earlier works, The Bluest Eye and Sula, Song of Solomon book operates on the foundation of a coming-of-age narrative. However, it expands beyond this into a sweeping family saga, uniquely centered around a male protagonist, Milkman Dead. This marks a departure from her previous novels, introducing Morrison’s first exploration of masculinity and Black manhood in such depth.
The Enduring Power of Women in Song of Solomon
Despite its focus on Milkman and masculine themes, the women in Song of Solomon book are the true heart of the narrative. They are the characters that resonated most profoundly with me, the ones who elevate the book to greatness. Morrison portrays women as often left behind, constrained by societal expectations and marital bonds, bearing the immense weight of survival. In contrast to men, who are often associated with flight and escape, women are grounded, connected to the earth, and embody a sense of rootedness.
Image alt text: A visually engaging quote image featuring text from Toni Morrison’s “Song of Solomon” book, emphasizing powerful lines about self-worth and relationships, set against a background that evokes the book’s themes.
We witness women driven to the brink by the loss of love and companionship, and experience their profound anguish when denied sexual expression and affection. The women of Song of Solomon book often exhibit an intense, almost obsessive, devotion to the men in their lives, viewing them as anchors, representations of “home” and security in a turbulent world. As Morrison poignantly writes: “You can’t own a human being. You can’t lose what you don’t own. Suppose you did own him. Could you really love somebody who was absolutely nobody without you? You really want somebody like that? Somebody who falls apart when you walk out the door? You don’t, do you? And neither does he. You’re turning over your whole life to him. Your whole life, girl. And if it means so little to you that you can just give it away, hand it to him, then why should it mean any more to him? He can’t value you more than you value yourself.” This quote encapsulates the precarious position of women who derive their sense of self from men, a central theme in Song of Solomon book.
Exploring Key Female Characters: Voices of Resilience and Resistance
Many women in the novel have suppressed their own identities and voices, becoming shadows defined by their relationships with men. This silencing often leads to destructive forms of self-expression or manifests as internalized pain. Interestingly, the women who achieve independence and autonomy are often those marginalized by society, suggesting a complex relationship between societal acceptance and female agency within the narrative of Song of Solomon book.
Lena’s Awakening: Finding Voice and Rejecting Patriarchy
Unlike characters like Hagar and Ruth who remain trapped, Lena undergoes a transformation, gradually discovering her voice and forging her own identity. Throughout her childhood, Lena and her sister Corinthians are silenced and overshadowed by their father. However, Lena’s path diverges from her mother Ruth’s passivity when she confronts her brother, Milkman. In a powerful moment of realization, Lena recalls making artificial roses as a child: “[Making roses] kept me quiet. That’s why they make those people in the asylum weave baskets and make rag rugs. It keeps them quiet. If they didn’t have the baskets they might find out what’s really going on and do something.” This epiphany reveals to Lena the extent to which her voice and agency have been deliberately suppressed.
Fueled by this newfound awareness, Lena confronts Milkman, vehemently rejecting the patriarchal dominance that has defined her life: “What do you know about somebody not being good enough for somebody else? You’ve been laughing at us all your life. Corinthians. Mama. Me. Using us, ordering us, and judging us: how we cook your food; how we keep your house. Who are you to approve or disapprove anybody or anything? I was breathing air in the world thirteen years before your lungs were even formed. Corinthians, twelve but now you know what’s best for the very woman who wiped the dribble from your chin because you were too young to know how to spit. Our girlhood was spent like a found nickel on you. When you slept, we were quiet; when you were hungry, we cooked; when you wanted to play, we entertained you; and when you got grown enough to know the difference between a woman and a two-toned Ford, everything in this house stopped for you. Where do you get the right to decide our lives? I’ll tell you where. From that hog’s gut that hangs down between your legs. I didn’t go to college because of him. Because I was afraid of what he might do to Mama. You think because you hit him once that we all believe you were protecting her. Taking her side. It’s a lie. You were taking over, letting us know you had the right to tell her and all of us what to do. Well, let me tell you something, baby brother: you will need more than that. I don’t make roses anymore, and you have pissed your last in this house. Now get out of my room.”
Lena’s outburst is a pivotal moment in Song of Solomon book, marking her emergence as a self-aware individual. She reclaims the identity that had been stifled by the men in her family, demanding autonomy and challenging the patriarchal structures that have confined her. Lena’s journey exemplifies a crucial theme in Song of Solomon book: the arduous but necessary path to self-expression and liberation for women.
Pilate: An Independent Spirit Defined by Self-Creation
Pilate stands apart from other women in Song of Solomon book as a beacon of independence and self-reliance. She possesses a distinct identity, expressed through her songs and her direct, insightful speech. Pilate’s unwavering sense of self stems from two key factors. Firstly, her personal identity is not contingent upon male validation or societal approval. Recognizing the historical erasure faced by many African Americans of her era, Pilate actively constructs and preserves her own history. Crucially, she carries her name, written by her father on a piece of paper and kept within her earring – a snuffbox that belonged to her mother – as a tangible link to her personal heritage and strength.
Pilate’s lack of a navel, a physical marker of biological origin, initially leads to feelings of isolation, particularly from men. However, she transforms this perceived lack into a source of empowerment, learning to “give birth to herself,” metaphorically, and define her own existence. Pilate’s character in Song of Solomon book represents an alternative model of womanhood, one rooted in self-creation and independent spirit. As the quote suggests, “Pilate can’t teach you a thing you can use in this world. Maybe the next, but not this one.”, highlighting her unconventional wisdom and values that transcend societal norms.
Unearthing Identity and Myth in Song of Solomon
Morrison dedicated Song of Solomon book to her father, revealing in the introduction that the book’s creation was intertwined with his death. She suggests that his passing, perhaps even because of it, propelled her to write this story. The novel’s epitaph, The fathers may soar / And the children may know their names, underscores the profound impact of fathers and their legacies on their children’s lives and identities. Morrison explained that her father’s death made her mourn “the death of that girl–the one that lived in his mind,” a girl full of potential and promise. Becoming an adult, she suggests, often necessitates coming to terms with parental loss and learning to recognize and embrace that potential within oneself, believing in the possibility that others might see it too.
Image alt text: A visually appealing collection of quotes from Toni Morrison’s “Song of Solomon” book, designed to highlight key themes and impactful lines that resonate with readers, promoting engagement with the novel’s profound messages.
Morrison masterfully uses Milkman’s journey to unearth his family history and, by extension, the myths and legends of African slaves in the South, as a path to self-discovery. Pilate emerges as a central figure, embodying the values and traditions of their ancestors in contemporary America, acting as a guardian and guide for Milkman in his quest to understand his heritage. Song of Solomon book intricately weaves together diverse mythological traditions – Biblical, Greco-Roman, and African – to construct a unique and resonant narrative. It’s a story that actively engages the reader, requiring participation to decipher seemingly disparate elements and synthesize them into a coherent and meaningful whole. As a reader, you must be attentive, revisit passages, and reread sections, knowing that even then, many references and plot points might still elude immediate comprehension. And as the original reviewer wisely notes, “AND THAT’S OKAY.” The richness of Song of Solomon book lies partly in its layers of meaning, inviting continuous discovery.
From Michigan to Mythic Flight: Milkman’s Transformation
The opening scene of Song of Solomon book is unforgettable: Robert Smith, an insurance agent in Michigan, leaps from Mercy Hospital roof with blue silk wings, proclaiming he will fly to Lake Superior’s opposite shore. His fatal plunge sets the stage for the birth of Milkman Dead, the first Black child born at Mercy Hospital, to Ruth Foster Dead, daughter of the town’s first Black doctor, the very next day.
Discovering at age four the impossibility of human flight, young Milkman loses interest in himself and the world around him. Raised by his mother and aunt Pilate, and doted upon by his sisters, First Corinthians and Magdalene (Lena), and his cousin and lover, Hagar, Milkman grows up in a cocoon of privilege and attention. However, he fails to reciprocate their affection, developing into a self-absorbed, aimless, and detached young man. As the quote aptly describes, “He ain’t a house, he’s a man, and whatever he need, don’t none of you got it.”, highlighting Milkman’s internal emptiness despite external provisions.
Milkman’s relationship with his father, Macon Jr., is fraught with tension. A pivotal moment occurs when Milkman strikes Macon after witnessing him abuse Ruth. This act of retaliation symbolizes Milkman’s transition into adulthood and the shattering of his idealized perception of his father: “There was the pain and shame of seeing his father crumple before any man–even himself. Sorrow in discovering that the pyramid was not five-thousand-year wonder of the civilized world, mysteriously and permanently constructed by generation after generation of hardy men who had died in order to perfect it, but that it had been made in the back room at Sears, by a clever window dresser, of papier-maché, guaranteed to last a lifetime.” Before this moment, Macon was an imposing, almost mythical figure in Milkman’s eyes. But, like a papier-mâché pyramid crumbling, Macon’s façade of strength shatters, revealing vulnerability and weakness.
This realization is significant for Milkman, as the narrator notes: “He himself did nothing. Except for the one time he had hit his father, he had never acted independently, and that act, his only one, had brought unwanted knowledge too, as well as some responsibility for that knowledge.” This single act of independence initiates Milkman’s journey toward self-discovery and accepting responsibility for his own life.
The Quest for Gold and Roots: A Journey South
At thirty-two, feeling suffocated by his life, Milkman seeks escape. Macon Jr. mentions Pilate’s supposed hidden gold, sparking Milkman’s interest in a potential fortune. Enlisting his friend Guitar Bains, promising him a share, Milkman robs Pilate, only to find rocks and a skeleton – later revealed to be his grandfather, Macon Dead I – instead of gold. Guitar, driven by his involvement with the Seven Days, a vigilante group seeking revenge for racial injustices, is particularly enraged by the lack of gold.
Believing the gold might be hidden near Macon’s Pennsylvania farm, Milkman embarks on a journey south, promising Guitar a share of any treasure found. Before leaving, Milkman abruptly ends his relationship with Hagar, triggering her descent into madness and multiple attempts on his life. Hagar’s obsessive love and rejection ultimately consume her, leading to her tragic demise. Guitar, convinced Milkman has cheated him, follows him, seeking revenge. As Guitar’s philosophy suggests, “He meant that if you take a life, then you own it. You responsible for it. You can’t get rid of nobody by killing them. They still there, and they yours now.”, foreshadowing the entanglement of their fates.
In Montour County, no gold is found. Milkman then shifts his focus to tracing his family history. He encounters Circe, an elderly midwife who reveals his grandfather’s original name, Jake, and his marriage to an indigenous woman named Sing. Encouraged, Milkman travels further south to Shalimar, Virginia, his ancestral home. Unbeknownst to him, Guitar is still in pursuit.
Initially feeling out of place in Shalimar, Milkman gradually embraces the small-town atmosphere as he uncovers deeper layers of his family history. He learns of his great-grandfather, the legendary flying African, Solomon, who escaped slavery by flying back to Africa. This discovery brings Milkman immense joy and a profound sense of purpose. He undergoes a transformation, evolving into a more compassionate and responsible individual. Surviving Guitar’s assassination attempt, Milkman returns to Michigan to share his discoveries with Macon Jr. and Pilate.
Legacy, Loss, and Learning to Fly
Returning home, Milkman finds that Hagar has died of heartbreak and that his family’s emotional burdens persist. Despite this, he accompanies Pilate back to Shalimar to bury Jake’s bones at Solomon’s Leap, the site of Solomon’s mythical flight. In a tragic climax, as Jake’s burial is completed, Pilate is killed by a bullet intended for Milkman, fired by Guitar. Heartbroken but transformed, Milkman confronts Guitar, calling out his name and leaping towards him. In this final act, Milkman, in a symbolic sense, finally learns to fly, embracing his heritage and his newfound identity. As Pilate’s words echo, “Don’t nobody have to die if they don’t want to.”, Milkman’s leap can be interpreted as a choice for life and self-determination, even in the face of death.
Song of Solomon book is a powerful and enduring work of literature. It’s a book that stays with you long after you finish the last page, prompting reflection on identity, family, and the myths that shape our lives. For anyone seeking a rich and rewarding literary experience, Song of Solomon book is an essential read, a journey into the heart of human experience and the complexities of self-discovery.
