Song of Solomon
Chapter 2
Homework Assignment
Please 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?
3) Finally, please
continue to take note of significant references to naming and any questions that occur to you. Talking about what you find
interesting, confusing, misleading, strange, or complex is the most important
thing you can do! This text wants
you to question, to interrogate.
In a sense, it's somewhat good advice. I think Macon is trying to say that a person needs to stay on top and ahead in the world if they don't want to be cheated. But then there is the constant expectation that you need to stay on top of the food chain which I think is pretty much impossible since people are creatures of habit and mistake. One's folly is another's fortune. Though I find the issue of "owning others" ironic. It parallels the whole situation of slavery and the Jim Crow laws. As for the how he describes about Pilate, I think it's too early to tell whether she is a "snake" or not. We still haven't read anything about where or when Macon and her relationship soured. But regarding Milkman and the relationship between the two, Pilate seems pure and non-conformative to her surroundings, very transcendentalist; meanwhile, Macon seems to be the very person he hates, like the people who had cheated his father. I think Milkman learns that there are things that are things amazing and interesting to be explored and that the world isn't "dull" as he thought when he was an infant. I think he will discover a lot about his family's history.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that I'm a bit grossed out by is his infatuation for his cousin. Are relations with cousins still legal then? As for the neighborhoods that they drove by like the "Blood Bank", I thought it was interesting how they described the neighborhood but then said that nobody gave the Dead family any trouble when driving by. I would have expected the opposite. Or was Morrison being sarcastic and insinuating that they did have trouble whenever they drove by?
Macon's advice for Milkman is seemingly cut-throat. It reminds me of Willy Loman when Willy gives advice to Biff about doing well in sales. The key difference, there however, is that Willy also emphasizes the point of being well liked, while Macon seems to have the mentality of it is better to be on top and respected and feared instead of being on the bottom, but well liked. Considering how Macon's cold deameanor, its hard to believe anything that he says about his sister. Pilate seems to roll with the bunches. Despite the hardships she and Macon might have faced, she manages to keep a positive outlook on life. Macon seems to surpress his anguish by forcing ruthless values upon everyone around him. The idea of being the remaining of the "dead" {the last name of the characters} shows that true identity has been killed but these two characters are finding ways to keep it alive, using two different methods.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the advice Macon gives to Milkman I have mixed feelings about it. While it is harsh advice, like Neethi said, the world can be a harsh place as we see from Macon's stories, and we do need to fight to stay on top. I think that Macon knows more about Pilate than we, the reader, do at this point, and therefore we should listen to him. So far Macon has descrive Pilate as a "snake" and included a story implying that Macon helped Pilate, but she turned on him. Pilate and Macon seem like very different people as they are represented so far. While Macon seems like he has conformed, and tried to rise in society, Pilate is the complete opposite. It seems that Pilate, Reba, and Hagar have separated themselves from society, and like Daniella said, are nonconformists. Evidently Macon does not agree with Pilates values and therefore does not want Milkman visiting her, and learning from her.
ReplyDeleteI was also intrigued by the way that Milkman described his cousin. It would be interesting to see how incest/interfamilial relationships were thought of when this book was written/where it takes place.
I agree with Audrey that at this point, Macon knows more about Pilate than we do, and so for now we have to trust him. However, I don't agree with his advice--as I stated in the previous assignment, I think that Macon has some sort of inferiority complex, and the only way he feels potent is to own things (shown by his keys). He likes having power over his family, and this advice shows this by showing his true idea of success
DeleteI agree with Audrey that Macon knows more about Pilate than the reader right now, and I think that his advice to Milkman is legitimate considering the fact that Macon has gone to great lengths to keep Pilate safe, like when he takes her to a caretaker due to their mothers death, "I carried her over there myself in my arms every morning" (51), so there is a paternal mature Macon has to Pilate. Macon also has pleasant memories assosiated with Pilate, like the cherry pie, before the two seemed to have undergone a major change, Macon marrying Ruth and Pilate growing up and having a daughter. There definitely is something unspoken between Macon and Pilate to change their relationship so drastically, that must have to do with her betrayal to him because of the metaphor of the "snake".
ReplyDeleteI thought that is really interesting how Macon reflects to Milkman about his family name, and reveals his fathers illiteracy and its major effect on the entire family. It is also interesting that his mother liked the new name, and tells us that the family had a rough past that needed to be "wiped out". It was relieving to see Macon finally open up to his son and explain the past and some of the reasons why he acts the way that he does, and I would like to see if Milkman takes his fathers advice about leaving Pilate alone or if his fascination grows and he develops some sort of relationship (romantic?) with this mysterious branch of his family.
I agree with Emma and Audrey that Macon knows more about Pilate than we do at this point in the book. Judging by the hostility Macon has towards almost everyone in his family it makes me believe he just has a chip on his shoulder from something that happended (or didn't happen) in his life. So, I'm sure some of what he has to say about Pilate is true, but their are deffinitley reasons for him to lie, his views on everyone are biased and shouldn't be taken as completely true. The contrast between Macon Dead's family and Pilates family are very clear- Macon 'Dead' just has the auroa of fear and hatred that he brings everywhere he goes, his entire house and everyone in it is cast behind the shadow his hatred towards them. Whereas in Pilates family, being joyful and being whoever you want, singing playing etc. is welcomed and almost expected.
DeleteTo be honest I think Macon II's advice that owning things, whether it be people or things, is a very valuable thing in life. It gives you power to decide your own life,and in a way, is a beneficial thing to know. But I disagree that Macon II context in which he tells Milkman, yes it is important to have money and own property, something to put your name on and reassure you with stability but I don't think it's something Macon should be telling Milkman in a way that it should drive you whole life and direct everything you do.
Anne Cabot (late for half credit)
I think that Macon's advice is very biased in terms of his views of Pilate. Remember, that Macon has a default grudge on Pilate for killing her mother -- the whole reason why she was named Pilate in the first place. Macon's advice is also proved wrong as Pilate has many good things and small things to show Milkman and Guitar. She teaches them how to be concise and get straight to the point when talking to somebody else, she teaches them how to act mature, she even taught them how to make the perfect soft-boiled egg which is probably insignificant but for me, pretty cool. But anyway, Pilate's teachings are not explicitly told, they are not revealed directly in the text. Instead, they require a little more "thinking on a small scale". The small things that she teaches them add up, as in general, she is teaching them how to be happier. The contrast between her family and Macon's family is like day and night. One is where happiness died, and the other is where singing is the norm. One has deathly food, the other one rendered soft-boiled eggs down to a science. I think it is really interesting how that each person's name is how they act. The Dead family's moods are unhappy and general displeasure for most things in life run high. However Pilate also explained how a man who was blown five feet off a fence died in her hands like the biblical figure Pontius Pilate.
ReplyDeleteIan Chin
Realistically Macon's advice is not original, it is in essence the key to success in a modern world. However in terms of the advice and how simple and basic it is, leaving no room for personal happiness of self expression in life, it can only hurt Milkman in the long run (and has already hurt the dad as can be seen by his awful relationship with his family). Boiled down the advice is to put work before anything else and to try and be as successful as possible, it goes without saying that the comparisons to Willy Loman's advice in "Death of a Salesman" are everywhere, but both authors, by showing the reader this course of life, do it in a way to highlight how it is the WRONG path. I am also skeptical of Macon's distrust of Pilate, perhaps we as readers know too little to pass judgment, however it's my belief that it would take a lot for me to completely distance myself from my sisters, and the crime they would have to commit would have to be egregious (something I don't feel that Pilate is capable of). Milkman however, from his interactions with Pilate, is clearly shown to not be of the same character as his father (and also the advice he preaches) but to be a more impulsive and free spirit, a quality that in the end will pay off much better than any job.---Dan Harris
ReplyDeleteMacon thinks his advice is good because it’s what he learned as a child but I don’t think it’s good advice. It seems from what details the book includes so far that when he was young everything was taken from him so he feels that owning things will give him power and control. However, owning things isn’t really how you come to own yourself or be in control of your life. Things don’t matter all that much past the surface. I think when he says “then you’ll own yourself” he means that owning things allows you to be in charge of yourself and not dependent on others by giving you a way to support yourself. If he owns things than he will never have to feel lost again or worry about people taking his things away from him like what happened to his father.
ReplyDeleteMacon so far seems like a bitter, disappointed, and angry person so I read his viewpoints as not entirely accurate. I don’t think that his perception of Pilate is correct, based on what I've seen of her. He used to care about her and I think something happened after his father died that changed his feelings towards her and made him angry at her. He’s clearly never been able to let it go. He now views everything she does as disgusting. I also think it's interesting that Pilate is Macon's opposite in so many ways. She is open, nonconforming, and full of life. She's also direct and doesn't hide things like Macon does.
This same anger about what happened to him as a young boy has stuck with him and I think it taints how he lives now. He’s generally closed off, except with Milkman at the end of the chapter, and even then he’s vague and becomes closed again very quickly. He doesn’t seemed moved by other people’s emotions, like when the man is threatening to kill himself or when the woman comes in to ask him not to evict her. He’s angry so his viewpoint on life will be cynical and tainted with distrust and unhappiness.
I think Macon's advice is problematic because now that Macon built his way up to be successful, his possessions own him and take control of his behavior- forcing him to be stern in both business and family. Everything Macon does seems to have a calculated purpose. I think the advice would be a lot better if Milkman could realistically follow in his father's footsteps- and I don't believe he can. I trust what Macon has to say about Pilate, but again we know too little about what Macon knows about Pilates past to make judgments. He gives the analogy of the snake to Milkman to scare him away from Pilate, saying the snake was wounded and the man cured it and it grew and it bit the caretaker. This leads me to believe something similar happened and Macon is slightly true. However, from the Milkman's visit to Pilate's house there is a lot of "deceptive" imagery, like blackberries, "velvety" eggs, thorny stems, etc.
ReplyDeleteI think one of the most clear things I found when Milkman visited Pilate was when Pilate stood up she appeared as tall as Macon (feminism?) and that made Milkman "feel tall too" (50). In the beginning of the chapter when Guitar and he goes over to Pilates house it says that Pilate is the woman who will "liberate" him. In Macon's household, Milkman feels out of his element, uncomfortable and passive, whereas in Pilate's household, he learns to be a bit more outspoken and courageous, making him feel better about himself. Macon seems to teach him more practical lessons, like being a fine businessman, while Pilate seems to emphasize honesty and self-confidence.
INTERESTING STUFF
-Page 41 and Page 52: The name Circe- in The Odyssey, Circe is the woman Odysseus is "forced" to sleep with in order to escape her island and return home. Is Circe in Song of Solomon the mother? A servant?
-Page 38: Milkman feels personally responsible for assumptions about Pilates character and is teased by his classmates, as if he carries some sort of burden.
-Page 35: "no future to be had." foreshadowing Milkman failure in the future?
-Page 32: Milkman can only see the "winged woman" on the nose of the car, again with wings representing freedom from oppression.
-Page 39: Eggs to come out wet like velvet? luxury...?
--Mike Jabour
Passage on page 38 Re: shame is really important.
DeleteMilkman's anxiety about only seeing the past flying behind the car, also important.
1) I don't really think this is good advice, because he is so biased. Some individual conflict between Macon and Pilate might have caused him to believe this about his own sister, but that does not mean he should generalize about her and tell his son not to talk to his own aunt. Also I don't think what he says about "owning things" is particularly good advice either, because the amount of success someone has in life is not necessarily determined by how much stuff they have. I do agree with him that people should be in control of their lives, but I don't think that someone's power over others should be that important-- you should not control others, just control yourself.
ReplyDelete2) Macon appears to be much stricter, harsher, and cares very much about how others perceive him, in comparison to Pilate, who is much more laid back and does not care much about what others think of her, as she seems very self assured. Pilate seems much closer to her daughters than Macon is with his immediate family. Milkman even mentions in this chapter that he saw for the first time Macon actually being nice and expressing interest in talking to Milkman, when they were talking about Macon's parents. What I got out of Milkman and Pilate's first interaction was that he realized that he shouldn't believe everything that others tell him, b/c he saw how she was much more than the "ugly, dirty, poor and drunk" (37) woman that everyone warned him about.
3) Things I thought were worth noting:
-p. 35 "Almost as though there were no future to be had" could foreshadow failures Milkman will have later in life, or at least shows his pessimistic attitude
-p. 45 "She was, it seemed to him, as pretty a girl as he'd every seen" Milkman talking about Hagar. Why are there so many references to incest like feelings in this book??
-How Reba is lucky, always wins things
-It's made clear that Pilate was the singing woman from the beginning (they both sing the sugarman song
-Jessica Lu
Yes, singing woman=Pilate.
DeleteWorth thinking more about the incest/cousins stuff.
The biggest problem that I see in Macon's advice is that he says that you can own other people. After talking about how his father was a slave, and how he is a black man living in a repressive society it is awful that he would make it his goal to own another person. It is an interesting build off of what I read last night when Mrs. Bains says that it is sad when a negro is successful and owns a business. This phrase proves her point because now he wants to be just as bad as the whites who held them in slavery. I thought it was fascinating the way that Pilate seems to build Milkman up, and make him feel happier and better, I love the line in response to how tall his dad feels to him Milkman says, "But today he had seen a woman who was just as tall, and made him feel tall too" (50). In addition Pilate is very hurt by the thought that her daughter would go hungry, while Macon has his working all day and does not seem to take good care of his children. In fact talking about Pilate seems to bring out the best in Macon. I wonder if Pilate did something to make Macon feel so betrayed by her, and if Milkman's crush on his cousin will lead to something inappropriate.
ReplyDelete-Theo
Good point, Theo; Pilate's strength nourishes Milkman; Macon's strength diminishes and overpowers Milkman. Connection re: Chaewon's point that Morrison seems to be giving Pilate "manly" qualities? Is Morrisons saying that one is "the bigger man?"
DeleteAlso, one other thing. I find it fascinating that things like breastfeeding a child who is far to old for it was in a recent comedy movie where I thought it was very funny. Also having a crush on your cousin you might have laughed at in Arrested Development. But both occur in Song of Solomon and I think that neither are very funny now.
ReplyDelete-Theo
I think Neethi is right in comparing Macon’s advice to the ideas of success in Death of a Salesman. The advice is harsh and, in many ways, realistic. But it is extremely biased and will only help Milkman achieve success if money and property are what he desires in life. I think Milkman’s interaction with Pilate and the girls was really interesting. I got the sense that being surrounded by these women was the first time he ever felt like he was truly part of a loving family. On page 47 during his visit to there house it says, “Milkman was five feet seven then but it was the first time in his life that he remembered being completely happy.” It seems that Pilate can teach him how to love and be loved, how to enjoy the little things in life and not take everything for granted. As said before, she seems much more self-assured. She is not concerned with being the most influential, powerful, or well-liked person in the neighborhood. She aspires to be happy and doesn’t let the opinions of those around her bring her down. Milkman could use some of these “lessons”, as these are things he will never get from his father.
ReplyDeleteSomething I noticed: I think that Macon’s character is a lot more complex than I originally thought. From first impressions of him, its easy for the reader to automatically assume that Macon is a horrible, angry person that has lost any essence of good that was ever in him. But in his last interaction with Milkman we see that he is still a human being with feelings and real emotions, and it makes him seem less evil. He doesn’t want Milkman to feel the way he felt as a child. He can be softer and has a more open side to him. I think we can’t ignore his feelings towards Pilate. His anger and fear towards her and her family must have sprung from somewhere.
-Laura Gumpert
Macon's advice is really biased. I feel this way because Macon isn't a people person and most of the other characters fear him. Although Macon is this biased character who is giving Milkman his advice, basing off his own morals and successes. As a parent I don't see anything wrong with the advice given to Milkman, because it is a parents duty to set the example even if his teachings are morally wrong. Macon isn't all that bad though because you can see that there are some soft spots to Macon when he does reveal to Milkman the stories of his childhood. Personally I think that Milkman took more from Pilate because she was more opened up to him and was more warming than Macon is. Pilate is respectable and is more friendly to Milkman than Macon. I think that the other reason why Macon is really biased is because he tells Milkman to basically not trust Pilate. This makes him bias because of much he dislikes his sister.
ReplyDeleteAlthough on one hand I agree with Jessica's comment that how much stuff you does not necessarily determine how successful you are in life, I believe that the ability to have a lot of stuff shows control. It shows control over the amount of money you make, have, and spend. This is definitely a significant thing, especially to a character whose ethnicity historically prevented him from being able to do so. It is similar to the naming theme of the book and how the father wanted to name them just because he had the power to do so. So sure, it is potentially problematic, but it symbolizes something more. Another thing to consider is the contrast between Pilate and Macon. Pilate is much less involved with other people and their opinions of her. Rather she is independent of both other people and society as a whole. Because of this she is able to be closer with her Reba and Hagar. Despite this independence and freedom about Pilate, Milkman feels more comfortable in Pilate's home than he does in Macon's. Another difference in values is that while Macon seems like an unhappy person, Pilate seems like a generally happy one, so anything instilled into Milkman by either of them also has this subliminal message of personalities included into it.
ReplyDeleteOverall, I do not think this is a good advice because the advice itself is very one-dimensional. Macon takes into account only his experience and does not consider other possibilities as a solution. He is a very stubborn character and he has a tendency to think that he is always correct. As a result, he does not consider what Pilate can actually offer. Although Pilate may not be the brightest or the most moral character, she is able to share her own valuable ideas that are good life lessons for her family. After Guitar and Milkman come over to visit Pilate, she starts talking about how her father was killed and during that narrative, she says, "You think dark is just one color, but it ain't. There're five or six kinds of black. Some silky, some woolly. Some just empty. Some like finger. And it don't stay still. It moves and changes from one kind of black to another" (40-41), which shows that we should not be took quick on our judgments or conclusions because there are many different interpretations to one idea like the concept of "dark". From this, Milkman is able to learn a valuable life lesson that his father, Macon, cannot offer. Pilate also goes on to bring in the idea of the color green and how there are different shades of the color (41). After that she says, "Well, night black is the same way. May as well be a rainbow" (41). Her choice of bringing up the concept of darkness and black has to do with the racial component of the novel. There is a clear segregation between the white Americans and the black Americans and she is telling Milkman that black is not just one shade of color, which basically means that black Americans are all different and individualistic. So the difference is not really white and black where people are put into those groups; the difference exists in individuals. This is a life lesson that Macon cannot offer but Pilate can to Milkman and others. Milkman needs a global view in order to be successful "in this world" and that means he will need lots of perspectives. Macon's idea of just owning things is only one idea out of many and solely listening to him will not work. Also this connects back to the Death of a Salesman where Willy tries to implement salesman ideal into his sons but that is not what Biff exactly wants. Milkman may want to do other things other than just owning things like what Macon says, which would be problematic.
ReplyDeleteOwning things is potentially dangerous because it may become immoral. Slavery had to do with "owning things" and that was a very unethical aspect of American history. Owning things and people have a dehumanizing effect, which is like Willy's orange peel reference from the Death of a Salesman; devaluing life will eventually just hurt Milkman and those around him.
Some interesting things to consider:
- When Pilate starts singing on page 49 (which is the same song mentioned in chapter one), who could represent the "sugarman"? Pilate and Macon's father? Could it represent multiple characters or does it not represent anyone specifically in the novel?
- "She was as tall as his father, head and shoulders taller than himself...her unlaced men's shoes...as she walked up the steps she looked as though she were holding her crotch" (38). --> What is the significance of suddenly giving Pilate masculine qualities? (Her name itself since Pilate was a man in the Bible? Adding on to the spiritual theme?)
Great question about who is the Sugarman and the idea it might be someone in the Dead family tree. Keep this in mind.
DeleteYes, exactly. The problem is Macon's advice is that he's all about not just owning THINGS (aka materialism) but owning OTHER PEOPLE. This makes an obvious paralell to slavery, as Chaewon and others have said. He needs to feel control of other people, ownership over other people's lives, in order to feel like a man himself.
As others have said, it is very important to understand that Macon's attitude stems from his disenfranchisement as a boy (when his father is tricked out of their family farm and then killed).
Macon is someone who manipulates others to get what he wants, and he does so as to remain in control of others, especially in his family. He believes that wealth will lead to power, and power gives him status in a society that supplicates people like him. For Macon, owning concrete possessions means he has proof of strength and status. In Jim Crow America, this is seemingly the best he thinks a man can do, given the situation. The prospect of building this development of beach houses for "high class" blacks also reenforces his idea of challenging the notion of supplication, that he by definition doesn't belong in a beach house. I think Pilate would help Milkman more in the long run because she is teaching him life skills and valuing education more than strategy or manipulation.
ReplyDeleteThings to note:
There is a reference to the Mayflower Restaurant and its white consumer base, modeled after the ship that began America as a white society
The "Blood Bank" neighborhood is ironically name as such because so much blood runs in the street as a result of violence, but it is also where Doctor Foster had lived.
The "Blood Bank" is where Pilate lives NOT where Doctor Foster lived and the Deads currently live on Not Doctor Street. This is important to know: Pilate and most of black community live on "wrong side of tracks" in South side or Blood Bank. The Deads live on "right side of tracks" nearer to white communities.
DeleteMacon's advice for Milkman is a harshly realistic way of looking at things. Macon disregards the idea that there is more to life and being happy than simple materialistic goals. For Macon, in order to feel successful he needs to feel wealthy, and prominent in society's eyes. I do not trust Macon's opinion on Pilate because he judges people entirely off of how financially successful they are or how successful society perceives them to be, and is a very one dimensional. His goals are a lot like those of Willy in Death of a Salesman. The problem with owning things is that if that is the only goal you shoot for, you leave other parts of your life unattended to and it leads to living a hollow life.
ReplyDeleteMilkman gets to see anther point of view when he visits Pilate. He understands that everything Macon says isn't true, and you can't base your reality entirely on what someone else says.
What Macon says about Pilate is definitely biased as anyone's opinion would be. However, there has to be some truth behind Macon's perception. There was some event that caused Macon and Pilate to stop talking to each other and become estranged.
ReplyDeleteMacon's advice to Milkman regarding "owning things" is harsh, but also has some positive aspects to it. If someone owns something, he or she is essentially the authority figure and is in control of whatever he or she owns. Also, someone can't just simply own something--one must work his or her way up to ownership and overcome obstacles. When Macon says "And let the things you own own other things," he is refering to the children of people who own things, including Milkman. As a father who owns property and rents homes to people, he wants Milkman to follow in his footsteps. If Milkman follows in Macon's footsteps, Milkman will also own property to rent to other people and essentially, be in control of others and themselves.
After reading chapter 2, I have mixed feelings about the advice Milkman is given from his father. I agree with the bunch of people who said that the world in a hard place to live in and we must fight for our lives. However, I sympathize with the students who said that Macon is trying to tell his son that you must be rich and become materialistic to be happy. Macon’s views are more traditional than others. The following quote, “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 other things. Then you’ll own yourself and other people too” (55) shows how tightly binded he is to traditional life. He is unwilling to accept that others can teach his son. I admire that Macon is making an effort to connect and help his son but the way he is going about it is poor. I do not trust Macon’s view of Pilate. Pilate is a non-conformist that has taught Milkman to become more spiritual. Pilate understands the importance of color, and the different shades it can come in. She is trying to teach Milkman to look deeper into people and really understand them before you can judge.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteEveryone's covered most things (since I wasn't here on Thursday.) One thing I found very interesting was when Pilate was greeting Milkman- "I know your daddy. I know you too." Again Guitar spoke up. "You his daddy's sister?" "The only one he got. Ain't but three Dead's alive." (39) This quote made me wonder who she meant as the third "Dead." It's clear that she and Macon are the only two left alive of their family (since mother died in childbirth, father was shot, and they have no other siblings). Milkman reacts angrily to her not including him, his sisters, and Ruth as Dead's (if she were including them, she wouldve said 6 Dead's alive) So I guess my question is, who is Pilate including? Herself, Macon, and Milkman? Or Herself, Macon, and her father (who she believes is a ghost? What are the implications of family line, who deserves a name, and living vs. death here?
ReplyDeleteawesome questions...not sure I've figured out the answer to the question of who is the 3rd dead. I think this is perhaps another instance in which Pilate has access to the supernatural? Or is Milkman the 3rd Dead (as he is male, he will carry on the family name? he shares the same skin color as Pilate and Macon, while Ruth and two sisters are "lemon colored")? Endless possibilities...
Delete