Chapter 9 Homework Assignment (Due Thursday 5/17)
This
might be my favorite chapter in the whole book, and it is definitely a chapter
that is critical to your ability to answer
your in-class essay prompt about the lives of men vs. the lives of women. We haven’t seen much of either of
Milkman’s sisters until this chapter, but boy, do they 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.
I
strongly advise you to read this chapter very carefully and to put a lot of
effort into your homework. This will
help you when it is time to write the in-class essay.
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.
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’s 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:
ReplyDelete1. She changes her persona to be that of an old woman who is not totally coherent, in order to get the bones back. She tells the police that they are the bones of her late husband. Her dramatization is accurate enough to convince the cops, and according to Milkman, convince everyone. He says, "I told you she was a snake. Drop her skin in a split second" (205). MIlkman compares her to a snake, known for crafty or manipulative behavior, but also for molting its skin all at once, just as Pilate became a whole new person on the spot.
2. I don't think this moment was a step forward or backwards for Milkman. I think he has a lot of insight into his current situation. He feels "Shame at needing both his father and his aunt to get him off... the fact that she was both adept and willing to do it- for him" (209). His "shame" is mostly rooted in the fact that he needed help from the very people he believes himself independent from, which is, in essence, a step back, but I think he is finally seeing the whole picture, which is also progress.
I think that in Pilate's deliberate changing to help get Guitar in Milkman out of jail, we see that Pilate embodies both feminine and masculine personas. She has a great understanding of her society, as she takes on whichever persona is necessary to help her in a certain situation. I think her changing of heights reflects this ability to change how she is perceived. As Milkman is thinking back to the night he says "Pilate had been shorter. As she stood there in the receiving room of the jail, she didn't even come up to the sergeant's shoulder--and the sergeant's head barely reached Milkman's own chin" (206). However, once back in the car, Milkman says that "Pilate was tall again. The top of her head, wrapped in a silk rag, almost touched the roof of the car, as did theirs" (207). PIlate is able to transform herself in such a way that it looks as if she has shrunk. She tries to appear weak and frail in front of the police, be immediately restores her power, strength, and confidence once back in the car with Milkman, Macon, and Guitar. I think she is being strong here. She knows what to do and how to manipulate the society, and uses her power to be a maternal figure to help Milkman and Guitar.
DeleteWhile Adam has a good point, I think this moment where Milkman feels shame is also a step forward in his character and development. He not only ashamed at himself for needing his father and aunt, but also that Pilate had "told him stories, sung him songs, fed him bananas and corn bread and, on the first cold day of the year, hot nut soup" (210) and that he was ready to knock her senseless. Here, Milkman recognizes that Pilate has done a lot for him and practically raised him, and yet he is ready to hit her over the head and steal from her. He feels ashamed of himself here for being selfish and cruel to a woman who loves him. I think this is a big step forward, as Milkman does not usually think about how his actions affect others around him.
I definitely think that Milkman has grown a little bit. As someone who has not had any real passion for nothing recently, it is amazing that "Milkman was astonished " at Pilate (207). He seems to admire her awareness and perception of society and how it works. It gives a further understanding on why Pilate is the one woman in his life that Milkman respects. So, it is not all that surprising milkman felt "sham(ed) as he watched and listened to Pilate,"(209). His character grows for he understands what love really is, and that it is Pilate who really loves him the most.
DeleteI agree with Laura about Pilate begin able to adjust to the situation at hand. This part in the book also brings out Pilate’s religious side. She plays an old woman who is very religious. She even directly quotes the bible in the police station to explain why she had her “husbands” bones. When Pilate does this it is because she has realized that society is likely to let a religious old woman go under the radar because she seems less capable. Pilate says, “So I thought I just as well keep him near me and when I die they can put him in the same hole as me. We’ll raise up to Judgment Day together. Hand in hand”(207). Pilate also brings in how in love she was with her fake husband. She has added so many details to her “new” persona that all put together, she makes you want to feel sorry for her. She has built herself down from the strong masculine person she usually is to a weak and sorrowful lady. Pilate tells the police why she had the bones, “…just didn’t have no twelve dollars and fifty cents so she just carried what was of Mr. Solomon (she always called him Mr. Solomon cause he was such a dignified colored man) and put him in a sack and kept it with her”(207). She plays an innocent woman who also calls her husband by his last name. The normal Pilate would never sink that low to intentionally make herself inferior to a man, but the new Pilate in the police station would. Pilate knows this is what society accepts and she would not be questioned because of the role she was playing. Pilate is begin strong here because it is going against so much that she believes in, or doesn’t believe in, and she does it all for the son of her brother who was ashamed of her.
DeleteI also agree with Laura about Pilate, she can fit a more feminine persona in times where it is necessary and then changes to a more masculine tall figure when she explains to Macon how she got the bones, making him feel like a child. Macon tries to convince Milkman that HE was the one to bail them out, when Pilate really was the one. I think this adds to her supernatural characteristics, and really lends to her wisdom.
DeleteAs for Milkman's reactions to this whole bail out situation, I think his shame came from realizing that he was weaker than Pilate. It says Milkman was ashamed for being prepared to "knock her down," (209), even though he probably wouldn't have been able to. He realizes that he would have hurt the one who nurtured him and saved his life, the one who made him his first egg. I think this shame will turn into a maturation for Milkman, who may now see his hurtful actions toward women. His rude mannerisms toward the women who give him so much (Pilate, Ruth, Lena, Hagar) may start to get to his head and change his ways. Who knows?
I find it interesting that Milkman describes his shame as being "stuck to his skin" (210). This is very different from the way he describes Pilate shedding her skin and becoming something new, something the moment calls for as necessary, "whatever would be useful to her and himself" (210). I also disagree with Adam and agree with Laura that Milkman's newfound shame is in fact a step forward: it shows he cares about the feelings of other people, primarily Pilate. This is important because it goes against exactly that which his father told him, displaying Milkman as a new individual capable of independent thought.
DeleteCorinthians problem is that she doesn't want anything. After college, "When neither of these fates [Motherhood or career] tapped her on the forehead right away, she simply waited" (188). She is not willing to fight for something that she cares about, I think Guitar accuses Milkman of something similar earlier, but I don't know the quote. That is also why she is unmarriageable, "They wanted wives who would sacrifice themselves and appreciate the hard work and sacrifice of their husbands" (188). Corinthians tries to coast through life on her name and the fact that she has an education and it doesn't get her anywhere. That is why it is so significant that she finally rejects her dead rose petals to pursue something by lying on the hood of the car.
ReplyDelete-Corinthians (much like Biff and Happy) has been told by a parent throughout her entire childhood and early adulthood that she is superior. Consequently, she always thought of herself as higher than she actually was, and refused to "settle" for anything in life. This includes men, and "she believed what her mother was also convinced of: that she was a prize for a professional man of color" (188). Since she always believed that men would always come chasing after her, she put no effort into finding and maintaining relationships. Because she lacks this drive and ambition which most men admired, she never got married.
ReplyDelete-I viewed the scene where Corinthians throws herself across Porter's car as an extremely desperate attempt to escape her current life situation. She sees Porter as someone who could "protect her from a smothering death of dry roses" (199). The dry roses could represent the velvet roses her and Lena make, which in turn represents the mundane and meaningless life Corinthians is currently living. It could also symbolize the lack of love that Corinthians feels.
I think 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). That to me shows a base level of disrespect for someone, that he doesn't even consider her worth his time or energy to converse with. I found Lena's perspective about the scene where Milkman hit Macon very interesting. She says, "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" (216). This explains why Lena and Corinthians looked at Milkman with hatred in that moment. They saw through his pretense of selflessness, and hated the arrogant control he was exerting. She bitterly proclaims that Milkman "gets the right to decide our lives...from that hog's gut that hangs down between [his] legs" (215). Lena can see perfectly clearly that her entire life has been controlled by men only because they have a penis and she doesnt. To me, this connects to Milkman's statement that he "don't carry no stick" but "lives and lets live." Milkman doesn't realize that his whole life he HAS carried a stick- his "hog's gut." Just because he is Macon's son, he controls other people's lives, including his older sister's. And yet Milkman claims to be an openminded person who goes with the flow of life. This just shows how obnoxiously ignorant Milkman is of the reality of gender and control in his life.
ReplyDeleteThrough Lena's story Morrison really makes men sound evil, and portrays them of having bad intentions. Lena describes that many times in her life Milkman, specifically, has hurt her in some way. Even from when they were younger Lena describes the story of Milkman needing to pee; "I took you." (213) Although Milkman needs to pee, it is Lena, a girl, who is saddled with it because Macon, "wouldn't go himself" (213) And after Lena helps him Milkman pees on her, and the flowers, and the twig. Milkman ends up killing both the flowers and the twig, making him seem harmful (although arguably not on purpose). However, Lena does end up giving Milkman a piece of her mind; "Lena drew one hand out of her robe and smashed it across his mouth." (214) Although Milkman, a boy, has hurt Lena, Lena does in the end retaliate. Through Lena's story Morrison depicts men as evil, and women need to deal with them and put them in their place.
DeleteCorinthians:
ReplyDelete-Corinthians expectations for her life, and what her parents expected of her were that she would be living a full and successful life, she'd have a home of her, a family and even a job. She went to college, which was rare for colored women of her time, and above all that she spent a year abroad in France. "Her education had taught her how to be an en lightened mother and wife, able to contribute to the civilization- or in her case, the civilizing-of her community. And if marriage was not achieved, there were alternative roles: teacher, librarian or... well, something intelligent and public-spirited" (188). Her dreams of becoming- anything really, never worked out for her because she did nothing about it. "When neither of these fates tapped her on the forehead right away, she simply waited......She believed what her mother was also convinced of: that she was a prize for a professional man of color." (188) She had high expectations for herself, and did nothing to go out an achieve it, she's sort of like Milkman in the way that she expected her life to fall into place with little to no effort. 'Moving-into-middle class' men wanted a woman with drive, with potential to fight to provide for the family and the drive to move up in society, a woman who would appreciate the work and effort put into the climb.
-Corinthians changes first because of her secretive job working for Michael-Mary as her maid, she never had to do manual labor like that and have responsibility that someone was counting on you- she liked the added weight it gave to her life, the responsibility. Secondly, by going out with Henry porter, someone she would've usually never been caught dead with because of his economic and social ranking. She is taking initiative for the first time in her life to do something SHE wants to; work for Michael-Mary and see Henry Porter. We learned from previous chapters that Porter was a member of the Seven Days with Guitar.
-The scene where Corinthians throws herself across Porters car is somewhat counterproductive, they were in an argument about how she wasn't grown up enough to tell her father that she is dating a yardman for one of Macon's tenants, and throws herself across his car so he doesnt leave her, kind of a childish thing to do. It works because Porter takes her back, but it shows that Corinthians isn't really grown up at all, have you ever seen a 45 year old lady lay across the hood of a car to get what she wants?
-The overall views Morrison is showing through Corinthians about love, the life of women and individuality are that to be a strong woman, you have to be independent. Corinthians was never strong enough to leave her home or date someone she wanted because she was never looking at the situation through her OWN eyes, she saw what her father and mother wanted her to see about who was right for her and what kind of life she needed. In order for her to find love, she had to find more of herself, and she did that through her working for Michael-Mary, It gave her a sense of independence and responsibility that she needed to start making the calls in her life.
I agree that the scene where Corinthians throws herself over Porters car was a bit childish and immature, but I don't think that she knows any better because she has never let someone into her life that way before. Corinthians opens herself up to Porter more than she has with anyone else, and I think that this is a great moment of realization for her, especially based on the quote, "The moment she had put her foot on the step leading up to the porch, she saw her ripeness mellowing and rotting before a heap of red velvet scraps on a round oak table" (197). Here, Corinthians realizes that Porter is her last open door into a relationship and out of the tight grasp of her family and her families values, and if she lets go of him she will rot into the "red velvet scrapes" of the roses she and her sister and mother work to make, which I also think symbolizes their bond. I also found the part right after extremely moving when she remarks on all of the accomplishments and high-status of her family, and how she should value this over the "yardman", but "she would bang forever to escape the velvet" (198). For this, I kind of think that she crosses the line of being a "doll baby" to being a "grown-up woman" because now she actually fights for her wants, needs and desires, and takes initiative of her own life instead of letting it pass her by. She also comments "mindless of who might see her" (197) which also shows how she is moving on from social pressures and being herself. I think Corinthians acts very strongly in this scene, and it is a great step forward for her from the cage of her family and home.
DeleteCorinthians thought a little too much of herself as everyone else has said. I am in agreement with most people and I like the connection that Jessica made to Biff and Happy. I feel like she's more of a Happy character and this is because Happy at one point of the book did try to go with Biff's plans until they eventually failed. Happy was helping Biff out and when they we're at the restaurant discussing the business situation with Willy that's when you see Happy fall back into the old life that Willy had set out for them. Macon has set out this life for his kids as well in which they're a bit spoiled and expect everything to come to them instead of them making the efforts for it. I think that COrinthians settling to be a maid and settling to deal with Porter shows that she's giving something a try because nothing else has come to her. She is indeed trying something, which I think people should recognize, but the fact she's settling down to such low standards makes her already look desperate. I think the reason she is putting up with Porter is the fact that she feels lonely and unaccomplished because of all the hype she cut herself to be. Yes, she does put up with porter, but I think that there a little bit more to this. I think its important to know how Porter feels about this relationship and how he feels that she is ashamed of dating him. "Corinthians knew she was ashamed of him, that she would have to add him to the other secret, the nature of her work, that he could never set foot in her house." (194) I think it's also important to know the relationship between them and how it was described "a pair of middle-aged lovers who behaved like teen-agers-afraid to be caught by their parents in a love relationship they were too young for." (194)
DeleteLooking pass the desperateness of Corinthians we do see Morrison's message. I think the point of her story is how women go to college during the time period and how they never were given the opportunity to make more of it. Women at this time were being educated, but a lot of women more or less remained unemployed or settled for the stereotypical "housewife."
I think it's amazing at the phrasing Morrison describes when Lena says, "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 wrong and....do something" (213). It makes the assumption that women were kept as little more than pets or figures that are kept ignorant. And the men are the ones that instill this control over the women by keeping them ignorant. And Lena's expression of how the velvet roses are a way of coping with the maltreatment by the men in the house. Further more, Macon's actions and how they brought them up is ever prominent in their lives. As Morrison describes, "All our lives were like that: he would parade us like virgins through Babylon, then humiliate us like whores in Babylon" (216). The male presence in the home is the thing where Lena draws the line. I think she feels that with her father, she can't downright oppose him because he instilled a certain fear into her like he did with Milkman during their childhood, but she can stand up against her little brother because she knows his faults. In a sense, I feel that Morrison is saying that women will only be oppressed until they themselves find that it is time to stand up against the oppression and even then the fight won't be easy nor will it be an immediate victory.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Magdalene she has been disrespected her whole life by the actions of the men of the household, and particularly by Milkman. Magdalene says to Milkman that ever since he mistakenly peed on her as a child that he has disrespected the women of the household and assumed superiority due to his being a man, she in fact used his peeing on her as a metaphor for his attitudes towards his mother and sisters. I agree with others that this is a very gender role based scene, where in so many words Magdalene is criticizing Milkman for being masculine, saying that his perceived power comes from "that hog's hut that hangs down between your legs" (215). However in my opinion it is hard to tell how much of Magdalene's criticisms are to be taken at face value and how much is to be assumed as over exaggeration by a woman that is living at home in her 40s with no job and no lover. We have seen a history of lying in this novel and all I'm saying is not to rule out the possibility that Magdalene is. Lena's opinion about the roses that she and her sister made out of velvet is interesting and is highlighted well on page 216 as she states angrily "I don't make roses anymore, and you have pissed your last in this house", a statement that infers that her old habit of sewing roses together would become, like Milkman's superiority complex, a thing of the past. Essentially the quote said by Magdalene is an ultimatum saying that things have changed and Milkman better get used to it.
ReplyDeleteWhen Lena says "there are all kinds of ways to pee on people”(214), she is saying that there are many ways to bring shame and blame upon people. That is precisely why Lena is mad at Milkman. She says that he has been doing that his whole life, one example being the recent event where he informs Macon that Corinthians had been seeing a man secretly. Her whole life and in fact throughout Corinthian and Ruth's lives, Milkman repeatedly disgraced and disrespected them. She accuses him of "Using us, ordering us, and judging us" (215). Also she specifically points to the time when Milkman hit his father. Her explanation reveals why she and Corinthians had been so angry when he hit Macon. She says that the action Milkman took was a lie and says to him, "You were taking over, letting us know you had the right to tell her and all of us what to do" (216) when she spent her life taking care of Milkman (she says that "Our girlhood was spent like a found nickel on you" (215)). The fact that his action was not genuine in that his motive was not really to protect his mother was what angered Lena. In a way, Lena warns Milkman not to depend on his masculinity too much. A couple of you have already mentioned the "hog's gut" phrase that reiterates Milkman's masculine status. However, right after that, Lena says having just that is not enough because even as an adult, he is dependent on his father. Milkman has not really matured; he feels obliged to tell Macon everything and Lena says that Macon "would parade us like virgins through Babylon, then humiliate us like whores in Babylon" (216). Milkman is giving information to that kind of person and Lena feels betrayed. Also when she says "you have pissed your last in this house" (216), I think she is saying she will not let Milkman hurt her, Corinthians or Ruth again. She suddenly becomes an authority figure and orders Milkman out of her room.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with chaewon about bringing shame to people. But I also honks it means neglect, and a lack of attention. In fact it can also symbolize the wrong kind of attention. This is where he sexism begins to play a role in the empowerment of women in this book. "you've been laughing at us all your life(215)". In although the wy Lena says her point is vulgar, coarse, and rough on the edge she applies common sense to milkman. Literally! His supports my point of milkman beig inorant in his own self loathing nature. When milkman says "when have I ever messed over anybody in this house"(214) he still fails to realize that it is his own nature Nd personality that causes Lenas outrage.
DeleteI agree with Chaewon and Ian, but I also think that when Lena says, "there all kinds of way to pee on people" (214), she means that there all kinds of ways to hurt people. At first, Lena forgives Milkman for peeing on the flowers and killing them when she says, "It lived. it's that maple. So I wasn't mad about it anymore--the pee, I mean--because the tree was growing...." (214). Being only a child, peeing on the flowers was an innocent thing to do and when the maple tree grew, Lena believed that Milkman still had some redeeming qualities and those would show as he grew up and matured. However, Lena realizes that Milkman is not the man she thought he could have. His constant disrespect for his family, especially the female members and lack of morals are represented by the tree that is "dying now".
DeleteAll his life, Milkman has undermined his sisters and mother. They cooked, cleaned, and took care of him. His lack of appreciation is revealed when Lena says, "And to this day, you have never asked one of us if we were tired, or sad, or wanted a cup of coffee" (215). He never takes into consideration the people around him and how much they do for him or how much they struggle. He is too selfish and caught up with his own petty problems to realize others have more difficult lives (like when he thinks his life is too "boring"). His lack of consideration is also in part due to his feelings of superiority and sexism.
1. Pilate turns herself into an old women in order to get back the sack filled with the bones. Pilate is snake and can just shed her outer layers whenever she wants. I think that sense Pilate is an outcast of society she can see through all of the injustice. Pilate is constantly looking from the outside in. Pilate is acting weak on the outside but strong on the inside. She has the strength to lie to the cops. Milkman is amazed by this. She uses the feeling of vulnerbility to get what she wants. She toils with emotions because she is an outsider.
ReplyDelete2. I find that Milkman's feeling of shame from the situation is a result of his growth of appreciation of Pilate. Milkman is disgusted when Guitar looks at Pilate as if he hates her. Milkman says "he has no right to that look." (210). These defesive emotions Milkman is showing mirrors his emotions towards his mother when his father hit Ruth.