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.
Macon's advice for Milkman is hysterical. He is advocating, for the boy, to gain his happiness through materialistic means rather than through internal means. Internally, we are referring to the improvement, of one's condition, by seeking productive relationships and achievement, in the field that most interests you. Macon Dead II is not providing good advice because he himself is unhappy, through his treatment and attitude of others.
ReplyDeleteStating, "Own things. And let the things you own own other things. Then you’ll own yourself and other people too” (55), is problematic because he is telling Milkman to take advantage of his people, his community. This is evident, through Macon's treatment of Mrs.Bains, when he threatens to throw her out, with her two sons, if they do not pay the rent in a few days.
Milkman's interaction, with Pilate and her family, makes him happy because he is able to have a casual and fun-loving conversation. This is very different, from his interactions from his mother and father. In regards to his mother, her intentions are equatable to lust and molestation. His interactions, with his father, are cold and more often than not, Mr. Dead is authoritative.
Pilate is a mother and grandmother, who does act as the authoritative figure, but welcomes questioning and discussion. One thing that was surprising was her reaction to Hagard's remark, "Some of my days were hungry ones."(48) She and Reba breakdown and show the upmost concern, for the young lady, and this is a contrast to the Macon household, who fail to open up to one another or understand each other.
*There is a social observation that many know or, at least, have heard about that finds the poorer to be happier, though they struggle, and compassionate while the wealthy will be or at least appear to be further detached and feeling empty; despite their vast possessions. (materialistic)*
-Sales Mbaga Kayondo
Block A
Hope you all having a good day
peace out.
Macon’s advice at the end of the chapter seems somewhat unethical. He is, like Sales has mentioned above, suggesting that Milkman take advantage of his people and community. Though it may seem that Macon is teaching selfish and greedy values by saying that Milkman should “own things” in order to own himself “and other people” as well, through this passage, I felt some pity towards Macon. It seemed to me that his desire to “own” things stemmed from his traumatic experience as a child of having seen his father’s hard earned property be taken away unjustly. To Macon, his harsh treatment of others, such as Mrs. Bains, and desire to “own” property is a way to feel secure and assured that he does not suffer the same way his father had.
DeleteI agree with you, Sales! In the final scene of the chapter, Macon reminds me a lot of Willy Lowman in that he's pushing his values onto his son and trying to convince him that he can achieve complete happiness through acquisition of material goods. While Milkman is with Pilate, Hagar, Guitar, and Reba it says, "Milkman was five feet seven then but it was the first time in his life that he remembered being completely happy" (47). Rather than achieving happiness through “owning things” he finds complete happiness through being around people that care about him. However, at the end of the chapter Milkman's father insists that he comes and works for him to teach him to “own yourself [him] and other people too” (55). That last passage left me questioning whether or not Milkman is going to do what his father says. Since the idea of flying away on ones own wings and being independent is a common theme in the book, I’m wondering if that’s what Milkman is going to end up doing.
ReplyDeleteI agree with both of you guys, I think that there’s a big contrast between the way Pilate and Macon approach life, even though they grew up together and had similar experiences. I also found interesting the references to naming throughout this chapter and how Macon finally reveals some of his history and the name’s history. I believe that what makes Macon Dead an important name is mostly because Macon II’s mother “said it was new and would wipe out the past. Wipe it all out” (54); after all, the past has been partly wiped out, as Macon “had not even reminisced about it recently” (51) and as Milkman doesn’t know much about his grandfather, but the history is still in that name and how it got changed, which is part of why Milkman suddenly feels proud about his last name, and connects with the way he always have looked in the back window of the car, seeing only things that are already past, and the reason why he falls in love with his cousin just looking her from behind.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what all of you guys said, but I think that Pilate values materialistic things well, as do Reba and Hagar, although they have to do so due to their financial situation. For example, how in chapter 1 Morrison narrates that they always had something to eat, and how they ask Hagar if she ever went hungry. That kind of forces them to value materialistic, however basic, things such as clothes and shelter, but Reba shows off the ring she won much like Macon Jr. shows off his "hearse".
DeleteMacon and Pilate have very different outlooks and ways of thinking. Macon advises Milkman to "Own things. And let the things you own own other things. Then you'll own yourself and other people too" (55). The way Macon speaks is right to the point and direct. Macon doesn't speak with flourishes or try to candy coat things. It reminds me of black and white thinking, like what he says is the only right way of thinking. Pilate is completely different in her way of thinking. In her first conversation with Milkman and Guitar, she informs them that "you think dark is just one color, but it ain't. There're five or six kinds of black" (40). Pilate argues that things are not clear cut and there are varying shades. When people are given ultimatums, most will fall in the middle (the gray area). Pilate is in favor of this way of thinking, while Macon would force you to choose one side. This is Milkman's first time really meeting Pilate, but he had heard of her before. He remembers that "he hated [her] because he felt personally responsible for her ugliness, her poverty, her dirt, and her wine" (38). Milkman had only heard his dad's side of the story, and so far we know that Macon and Pilate's relationship is nonexistent. Milkman naturally adapts his father's thinking, but he is also curious about his aunt. Pilate might expose Milkman to a more flexible mindset and way of thinking.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with the fact that Macon's phycology and point of view on life is extremely "black and white". From the time of the death of his father while he was protecting his property Macon is now obsessed with material possessions, and his obsessive personality is terrible. He is also influencing Milkman a lot but its bad advice to be like Macon because he himself has isolated himself from society through his mean-spirited selfish ways. Through Milkman's interactions with Pilate he understands that there is more to the world than just the close minded selfish ways of his father which helps him understand more of the world.
Delete-Nikita B
I find it interesting how Macon Dead and Pilate ended up with such different ideals despite them growing up together. While Pilate seems to do things in her own unique way, as shown by her weird way to make soft boiled eggs, Macon instead does things deliberately and without fun. Even his fancy car isn't a fun thing for him, as he "never went over twenty miles an hour, never gunned his engine...the Packard had no real lived life at all" (33) The way Macon treats his car shows a lot about how he treats life. He doesn't do things for fun, as even his car rides where he shows off to the town are described as "rituals much too important to Macon to enjoy"(31). Meanwhile his sister Pilate seems not to be bothered by anything, even though she is poor and doesn't have any of the amenities that Macon does. I think it will be interesting to see whether Milkman will heed his fathers wishes and focus on material things or if he will go the opposite route and adhere to Pilate's philosophies.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe contrasting philosophies and lifestyles of Macon and Pilate are interesting because they both were raised by the same father. It's quite unusual that two siblings who grew up together are so impossibly different from each other. Macon represents the close-minded, strict, proper, and successful side of society while Pilate is the more free-spirited and alternative side; each one is the antithesis of the other. I think this is great because offering the main character such a wide spectrum of ideas early on in the story will surely develop a complicated and intricate story.
ReplyDeleteAs for the differing messages Macon and Pilate each present to Milkman, I don't think it is very fair to immediately shun either one. Is Macon's advice good? The easy answer would obviously be no because as Sales pointed out, material wealth can only take someone so far. I do, however, want to take it a little deeper than that because I don't think that's every part to the story. Sure, Pilate seems to be much happier than Macon, but I'm not sure if Macon would be able to live as Pilate does. Certain people are not accustomed to live like Pilate, and vice versa. Each person is influenced by his/her environment every day in such a way that molds them to live the way they do. I think something substantial happened between Macon and Pilate when they were younger. Macon brings up a story about a snake who backstabs the person who cared for it since it was a baby. Although Milkman claims "his father had explained nothing to him" (55), I believe the story is very telling. Macon cared for Pilate and took her over to the same farm "in [his] arms every morning" (51). Despite this affection, Macon seems to have been betrayed by Pilate in some way. What was it?
I strongly disagree with Macon’s advice and have a couple of thoughts about it. First of all I think Macon gave a horrible advice. It once again represents his terrible personality and shows how much of a greedy person he is. At the same time his words “Pilate can’t teach you a thing you can use in this world” (55) make me feel bad for Macon. It looks like he whether never had a person in his life who tried to help Macon and teach him something or Macon was simply not able to recognize that help. Either way he missed out on an experience. Also the fact that he is telling all that to Milkman makes it look like he is trying to influence him. He says that “starting monday, i’m going to teach you how”(55) wanting Milkman to get a feel of a life of a businessman and hoping he will like that and become just like him. But in reality the only thing he can teach him is how to turn into a greedy, unsympathetic person, just like himself and forget about all the other values.
ReplyDeleteMacon is a materialistic man. He values money and property instead of family and happiness. I think that the advice he give Milkman about owning things and letting the things you own own other things is not good advice for Milkman. I think that he's just telling Milkman what worked for him, not thinking about the fact that maybe Milkman is different than him. (which he definitely is) I think that Macon's warning to Milkman about Pilate is very untrustworthy. When Milkman asks him why he should stay away from Pilate, all he can come up with is that she is a snake with no evidence as to why. I feel like Macon is keeping a secret from Milkman about Pilate and that's why he distances himself from her, but I still see no reason in why he warns Milkman to stay away.
ReplyDeleteI find it incredible how Pilate and Macon are so different. Considering the fact that they came from the same father, one would think they would be quite similar, however it is all the contrary. At a young age their mother died, and then a couple years after their father died. They were left on their own to live life how they wanted to, without much parental influence. So when Macon and Pilate separated, they took two different paths to take on live. Macon wanted wealth and property in order to be happy (which we can see when he fondles the keys to the houses he has) and Pilate lives life in the search for happiness, so she does what she like, she makes wine, sells it, lives in a house with her daughter and her grand-daughter happy and poor. I think that Milkman is much more influenced by Pilate than he is my Macon because Macon is very materialistic and when he tries to explain why he must stay away from Pilate, he does it in a way that makes no sense. When Milkman asks Pilate about her father and her life, she too is pretty vague, but she exentually tells them everything and explains everything. She teaches Milkman and guitar how to soft boil eggs and make wine, while Macon teaches Milkman to own things.
1.Macon's advice for Milkman reveals how he has coped with his rough upbringing. Macon sees taking advantage of others in his community and making money as the only means of attaining his personal worth. The reader can infer that the advice principals Macon has used to achieve happiness and self worth have not worked to well for him. Macon has a tumultuous relationship with ruth, he is ashamed of milkman, and he even views his own sister as a snake. This idea of "owning things" is potentially problematic because material items can be taken away from you. Whereas, with Pilate, her happiness comes from within. Although Macon is rough around the edges, I feel as though we can sympathize with him to a certain extent. He had a very rough upbringing and the only thing he feels he can hold on to are his material possessions.
ReplyDeleteMacon values the idea that those who do not "own things" are morally defeated, and he estranges and separates his family from the poor lower class blacks. Milkman, enters Pilate's house and doesn't see many material items. Thus he expects Pilate to not have great self-esteem and personal worth. Her external image is just as his schoolmates predicted, dirty and unkept etc. yet "And while she looked as poor as everyone said she was, something from her eyes should have confirmed it."(38) The "something in her eyes" to milkman, is a defeated, sad look that he expects all of the lower-class to have. Pilate combats his pre-conceived notion that material possessions and happiness are inseparable.
I agree that Macon teaching Milkman to “own things”(55) is wrong. Though I also, feel it’s out of fear, similar to Troy in Fences. Macon’s father was a slave, and is always acutely aware of his race. When he describes his mother he says she was “light skinned” as well as “pretty” then Macon continues to tell Milkman that she “looked like a white woman” to him (54). Here, being white is being equated with actual beauty, as it was often in the time. Macon is afraid to end up like his father who was taken advantage of so instead he “owns things” (55)and tries to get the upper hand on the people who would manipulate him, just like they did with Macon’s father.
ReplyDeleteAlso, he tells Milkman that Pilate and their father that they looked like the “pictures” people see of “Africans” (54). This leads me to believe that, to Macon, Pilate symbolizes the history of slavery that Macon, who is quite superficial, does not want and hates with a passion. Yet Macon also, “afraid of them” (47), or afraid of what it means to be a slave. He has been shown as being hyperaware of himself when he is with the white bankers.
Pilate teaches Milkman some valuable lessons about family and happiness. The first lesson which is sharply juxtaposed with Macon’s attitude is how to treat family. Macon does not even tell Milkman that he has Aunt who she is. Instead, Macon “doesn’t want” Milkman “over there” (54), without any explanation. Macon says “over there” as if they were not family and there is an invisible line drawn between the two families. Contrary Pilate tells Reba that there isn’t any difference between a brother and a cousin in terms of the way “you act toward ‘em” (44). Also, as previously stated by SaraAnn this was the first time in Milkman’s life “remembered being completely happy" (47) also, showing a contrast between Macon’s and Pilate’s life, because in Milkman’s whole life he had never been completely happy with the superficial way of Macon’s life, but just one afternoon in Pilate’s world and he the happiness.
-Priya
To start out with there was a clear difference in Macon’s personality and the rest of the family’s. As the family rides through town in their fancy car Macon proves to himself “that he [is] indeed a successful man...[Although,] for Ruth, her to display her family [is important]. For the little boy it was simply a burden”(31). Clearly Macon gets pleasure out of flaunting his money, Ruth gets pleasure out of flaunting her family and Milkman doesn’t get pleasure out of flaunting anything. Later Milkman goes to his aunt’s house and when he greats his aunt with a “hi” she replies, “‘You all must be the dumbest unhung Negroes on earth. What they telling you in them schools?...When you tell a human being ‘Hi,’ he ought to get up and knock you down’”(37). Pilate is trying to instill into Deadman that he should respect all people the same way. If his father expects a certain amount of respect, if his schools requires a certain amount of respect, then so does Pilate. Pilate is also trying to shock Milkman and make clear to him that she isn’t dumb and she isn’t to be looked over. The advice that Macon gives is not good. Pilate clearly instilled good values into Milkman in the short time she talked to him; whereas Macon decides that he will tell Milkman to “Own things”. Owning something doesn’t make the world go round, being polite and respectful does. Working hard makes the world go round, but no one needs to “Own” anything in order to do well.
Delete-Cecelia
I think that in this chapter, Macon is trying to tell Milkman that there are two worlds, the life that he is currently living and the afterlife. He tells Milkman that Pilate is useful in terms of heaven or the afterlife. He tells Milkman that in this life on earth, the most important thing to do is to own things and get possession of things any time you can get them. He thinks that only when he tries to get things that eh desires, will he understand who he truly is.
DeleteIn chapter two of the book, we begin to learn more about Pilate and how she connects to the rest of the story. When Milkman sees Pilate for the first time, he is struck by her tall, powerful appearance. Although she is unkempt, she does not seem dirty, and her fingernails are as white as ivory. When Milkman asks Pilate if she is his father’s sister, Pilate mysteriously responds that they’re “ain’t but three Dead’s alive.” This quote seems interesting to me because she never answers Milkman’s question but I think that what she was trying to tell him was that so many of her brothers have died that she has no idea if one of them is still alive.
(If Pilate and Macon Dead II count as 2 of the 3 “Deads” WHO is the 3rd ??)
Pilate is a very tall and powerful-looking woman, and she seems to care more about Milkman than his father does. Macon seems more worried about shaping his son to become a successful man in real-estate business. They both seem to reminisce about their life growing up on a farm in Montour County, PA. At one moment in the story, they claim that After Macon Dead I’s death, Pilate claims, she and Macon Jr. wandered the countryside and once saw their father’s ghost sitting on a stump in the sunlight, an experience that left them shaking like leaves. Macon is a man who sells real estate and can give property to people, and property was the Jeffersonian idea of freedom. Pilate, however we do not know much about in this chapter besides the fact that she seems to have a strong presence of hope and love whenever she is in mentioned or in a scene in the book.
I think that the naming of Pilate seems a little strange, because she seems to be one of the protagonist in the book. personality does not resemble Pilate, the man who sentenced Jesus to death. However, I think that the name “Pilate” is supposed to sound like “Pilot,” a man who helps others fly.
--Greg
Ok, I'm closing question #1---Let's move on:
ReplyDeleteI'd love to get some of you to weigh in on:
1) What lessons does Milkman learn from Pilate?
2) What seems odd or bizarre or meaningful to you about chapters 1 or 2 so far? Let's think more about Milkman's relationship with his sisters for instance. Or why/what happened to make Macon so suspect of Ruth that he won't even let her son sit on her lap in the car?
A key lesson that Milkman learns from Pilate is that names themselves don't matter, but the meanings behind them. This can be seen from when Pilate tells Reba there is no need to specify if Milkman is Hagar's brother or cousin because, "they ain't no difference".Milkman would act the same way towards Hagar no matter if he was her brother or cousin because they would still be family. To Pilate the name or word for something doesn't matter, but what it means. So if two words mean the same thing why not just use one of them like "brother" or "cousin". Pilate's views on naming can also be seen when she talks about colors.Pilate explains that colors can not be expressed in words, "saying something is pitch black is like saying something is green" (41). There are so many different types of black that calling something "pitch black" means nothing. The word alone is no enough to distinguish a color because of how much a single color can vary. Pilate cares more about what is meant behind the word rather the word itself, and is why she wants people to be clear when they are describing a color. This view of naming can also be seen when Pilate describes a blue "like my mothers bonnet" to Milkman (42). Rather than leave that up to interpretation she points to the sky where the same blue she is talking about can be found. Pilate wants to be clear what she means to Milkman because there is no way he would know what color blue Pilate's mother's bonnet is. She wants Milkman to know exactly what she means. The same reason why she uses brother instead of cousin because they both have the same meaning. Pilate's lack of interest for the names or words for things is in contrast with Macon's who stresses that people should use the proper names for things. I wonder why Pilate and Macon are so different on this issue.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Pilate teaches Milkman that names themselves don’t matter or show the meaning behind things. The split between Macon and Pilate shows in the way that Milkman reacts when Pilate says, “Ain’t but three Deads alive” (38). Macon has trained Milkman to be possessive and attach great significance to small things like names. When Pilate takes away his status as a Dead, he becomes “defensive” and “possessive” of the name, even though he has always hated it, and he feels liked he has been robbed of his “exclusive rights” (39). This shows the influence of Macon’s materialist values and proprietorship on his son. Milkman feels like he owns his name, because his father has told him that things only have value if you own them. Pilate, however, doesn’t feel that people are entitled to or defined by names. She says of her mother, “I’d know her ribbon color anywhere, but I don’t know her name” (43). It’s interesting that in this case she knows her father’s name but not her mother’s, because when we talked about the epigraph we mainly focused on children not knowing their father’s names.
DeleteMilkman also learns from Pilate not to judge by appearances or worldly possessions. Pilate, in his eyes, “looked poor” but “something was missing from her eyes” that makes her not quite fit into his definition of “poor” (39). At the same time, Pilate’s name seems to fit her. She is described as a “tall black tree,” which matches the description of her name as a tall tree hanging over smaller trees. She is “strong” and “tall” the way her father wanted her to be, and wears men’s shoes, defying easy gender classification.
Toni Morrison shows that a character does not always have to be introduced with a name. It is revealed in this chapter that Pilate is the singing woman in Chapter 1 when she begins to sing “Sugarman done fly away” and the sun puts into shadow “a slow smile of recognition” on Guitar’s face (49). If the singing woman had been named as Pilate when she first appeared, she would not have the same mystery. Having her appear first, nameless, gives more meaning to her name and her character when her identity is revealed. She seems destined to play an important part in Milkman’s journey because she appeared just before his birth, disappeared, and is now appearing again to teach him a lesson. Morrison makes a different statement when she introduces Mr. Smith as the life insurance agent rather than by his name. His note reveals his name, but the initial characterization is by his profession. This shows that the people in the community do not see him as a person, but rather define him by his profession. They associate him with loss of money, so they treat him with contempt and frustration.
On a random note, I am interested to find out more about the character named Circe. Most of the names are Biblical, but Circe is a sorceress in Greek mythology who turns men into animals. I wonder how this will be reflected in her character.
I agree that Pilate stresses the importance of the meaning and the specificity of the shades of color. Another instance we see this is when Pilate asks Guitar where he gets his name from: "That why they call you Guitar?" (45). I found it interesting, and somewhat random, that Pilate points out Reba's uncanny luck as "she ain't never lost nothing" (45). I guess it's to show the racism at Sears when the media refused to publicize that a black woman like Reba wins the diamond ring. It might be just me, but I often forget that the Deads are African Americans, so a story like this reminds me of their race. The reason why the Deads seem more white (at least to me) is because of their privileges and "exclusive rights" (39) even over some whites in the community, and also the speech pattern; in all other books we read about African Americans, the characters speak with distinct accents, whereas in this book, the Deads all speak more like Huck.
DeleteWhat struck me as bizarre was the sudden change of attitude of Macon towards Milkman: "Maybe it was time to tell [Milkman] things" (51). Before this scene, even on the previous page, Macon is described as "imposing" and "bigger even than the house they lived in" (50), yet Macon instantly becomes empathetic. I thought this was a very unnatural shift of attitude, and the "smile" (51) he let come on his face as he dreamily recounts his family history seemed even creepy. His voice suddenly becomes "less hard" and "comfortable," and "his speech was different" (52). I understand that Milkman's questioning of Macon's empathy compels Macon to stand in Milkman's shoes, but the fact that Macon is able to become so understanding suggests that he is in fact a sympathetic man, unlike how he is perceived by the family and the community. After this chapter, I'm beginning to think that he sincerely wants the best for his son, yet is only starting to understand what would actually do Milkman good.
I actually feel the opposite when reading the book. It has seemed to me that the idea that they are both black and privileged is something that Toni Morrison stresses throughout and is something that is hard for me to forget because it comes up so frequently. When they are driving in the car, for example, it is evident that they are privileged to be able to own a car and that others who see them are marveling at the idea, but they also discuss race for the entire car ride. They first discuss how Macon wants to build houses and Lena says, “Those are white people’s houses” (33). It is clear that although they are privileged among other African Americans, they still are not shown on a n equal playing field with whites both economically and socially. They then discuss how not many African Americans have money to buy a second home. I think that these subtle details make me hyper aware of the Dead’s race rather than blend it in. -Sophie
DeleteI agree with you, Sophie, that Morrison emphasizes the Deads’ privilege. When the family talks about owning a second home, Corinthians says that “Negroes don’t like water”, to which Macon replies, “They’ll like it when they own it” (35). This relates to the advice Macon gives Milkman about owning things and people. Macon strives to assert his economic power, and sees it as a symbol of racial validity and power.
DeleteWhat I found particularly interesting was the degree to which Milkman is infatuated with Pilate when he first meets her. He describes every specific action she takes, and as Milkman observes her, seeing “the brass box dangling from her ear”, he realizes that “not the wisdom of his father nor he caution of the world- could keep him from her” (36). The word “wisdom” is used ironically in this passage, as Milkman does not truly believe it s wise to quarantine him from Pilate. Only by observing Pilate closely is Milkman able to see that she was “unkempt, yes, but not dirty” (38). The details Milkman picks up on, such as the mysterious brass box and that “the whites of her fingernails were like ivory” (38) display the meticulous cleanliness and purity that would not ordinarily characterize someone who is socially stigmatized. Pilate’s purity is manifested in the small details of her appearance, which shows that it originates from the honesty of her personality and values. This starkly contrasts the beauty that Macon strives to project onto the rest of the world with the family’s weekly drives. The family’s weekly drives exemplifies Macon’s desire to display his family’s beauty to the world rather than protect its value within his family.
I agree with Matt that Pilate’s insistence that being a cousin and a brother are the same thing shows that she believes that one should treat a sister and a cousin the same way, but more than that, it alludes to the “Song of Solomon” story in the Bible. Solomon gets married, and what follows is a lengthy passage in which Solomon compliments his bride, beginning each line addressing her as “my sister, my bride”. Solomon’s wife is not actually his sister, but what he means is that she is the same as he is- her equal. By calling his wife his sister, he affirms his duty to treat her as an equal in their relationship. Similarly, Pilate calls Milkman out on his objectification of Hagar, and rebukes Reba for objecting to her point. Pilate asking “don’t you treat them both the same?” (44) shows that she and warns him not to demean her. Pilate continues to be my favorite character in the novel because of her morality and contrasting values to the other abusive, resentful, and burdened characters.
I don't think that Macon's advice for Milkman is the greatest because it will teach Milkman to assess himself based on what he owns, rather than the relationships he develops or what he does for others. It creates an idea of a very materialistic lifestyle. At the same time, I completely understand why he does give this advice. Macon Dead (Macon Dead II's father) was enslaved, " and had to struggle for rights, such as the ability to own property. These were fundamental rights for white people and should be for all. Macon Dead II's relative despair drives him to make sure his children can own property. On the other hand, I think Pilate values material wealth far less. She is poor and "unkempt". Rather than wealth Pilate seems to value relationships with people and providing for her family (regarding the who "hungry days" incident). What I'm curious about, is why Macon's relationship with Pilate turned sour.
ReplyDeleteThere were two instances that I found when Macon acted strangely towards the relationship between Ruth and Milkman. First was when Milkman had to squish between his parents as opposed to sitting in his mother’s lap, “not because she wouldn’t have it, but because his father objected it” (32). The other instance was when Milkman had to go to the bathroom and Macon refused to let Ruth take him even when Ruth “fiddled with the door” Macon sternly says “Not you” to her (35). Both these instances were strange, because as a mother these seem like normal things for Ruth to do: allow her son to sit in her lap, or take him to the bathroom. Not allowing Ruth to do so signals that he finds something that is wrong. This goes back to many of the things that occurred in the first chapter, when it is explained that Ruth and Macon have had no sexual history for the past twenty years and he has to begin imagining things and “even fabricate them…he depended on the memory of her underwear, those round, innocent corset eyes now lost forever”(17). The relationship between Ruth and Macon has lost that passion and tension that Macon once described. Macon knows that there is a “some filthy connection and it did not matter at all to Macon Dead whether anyone gave him the details or not” about Milkman’s name and his wife (17). For Macon it seems to be a subconscious thing, as he seems to want to hear as little as possible about Ruth breast feeding her son, because that distorts the image that he has fabricated in his mind. He cannot see Milkman in Ruth’s lap or taking him to the bathroom, because deep inside he knows that they have lost the connection, and that these moments will just ruin whatever he still holds on about those days with his wife.
ReplyDeleteI found the “hungry” incident peculiar as well, but I think it shows a contrast between Pilate’s family and Macon’s. Reba and Pilate are concerned because they think they have not fulfilled one of their basic responsibilities as parents. They are hurt and ashamed because they think their circumstances have made Hagar unable to act like the child she is without their realizing it. Then they realize that “she don’t mean food”(49). I found Reba’s reaction to this interesting, because it is completely different from the reaction I imagine Macon to have if Milkman tells him he is “hungry” and “doesn’t mean food”. Instead of showing relief and telling the girl that she asks for too much, she falls silent and starts to sing the “Sugarman” song. This song is Pilate’s song of mourning and inner-strength, the song she sang at Mr. Smith’s suicide (this is also apparent in the lyrics). Reba and Pilate can empathize with Hagar feeling of wanting, because they too are outcasts of society with a less than stellar way of life. Although they laugh it off, Reba’s story of the Sear’s prize is not something the audience can laugh along with. In contrast, Milkman has everything he can want in his household but empathy. If a similar scene were to occur in Macon’s house, Macon would have lectured him about how feeding him food is a responsibility of his as a father, but his job is not to fulfill the wishes of his son. I thought this was strangely similar to Troy’s lecture to Cory about his “responsibility”.
ReplyDeleteWe have analyzed the problem with this lesson of ‘owning things’ through The Great Gatsby. We saw Gatsby, a materialistically wealthy character, lose everything he had through the course of the book. I think Milkman find a kind of sensation that he never had in his household, after all it was “the first time he remembered being completely happy” (47). And he thinks this is why “his father was afraid of them” (47), as he associated his father with someone furthest from happiness, showing that this lesson may be dangerous because, with the wrong intentions of his father’s intentions, Milkman will feel more inclined to disobey him and perhaps interact with Pilate’s family more often.
ReplyDeleteRyan Kilday
ReplyDeleteMacon's advice for Milkman regarding the owning of things and letting those things own other things hints at Macon's roots in slavery. When he encourages Milkman to "own other people too" he is advocating slavery, something many people, especially black southerners would not normally do. I don't think it is good advice because we have seen the effects of owning things in The Great Gatsby and the lack thereof in Death of a Salesmen, and both end with the pursuit of wealth leading to death. Macon's thought on Pilate seem untrustworthy, because he had grown up with her without their father, you would assume that they would be close, but he desperately wants Milkman to avoid her.
Macon Dead seems to value keeping his wealth over his community, as shown with the scene on the roof with Porter, and Macon valuing the rent due to him over Porter's life. But he also wants to keep Milkman away from Pilate, which could be on moral grounds since she makes wine, or most likely it could be due to a past conflict that drove them apart. Pilate is much more easy going and relaxed, and has a stronger sense of freedom. She teaches Milkman about his father more than his father has, which shows how reserved Macon is.
Pilate seems to Milkman to become a free spirit and ignore what people think of him. When Pilate from meets Milkman and Guitar she makes fun of what they teach in school. "You say 'Hi" to pigs and sheep when you want'em to move. When you tell a human being 'Hi,' he ought to get up and knock you down."(37) Milkman feels embarrassed being told this by a woman "who was ugly, dirty, poor and drunk."(37) She should be the one who is embarrassed but she does not care what people think of her and speaks her mind. Milkman lacks that skill and he is hesitant meeting her and scared of what his dad will do to him. When Pilate talks about his family saying there are "ain't but three Deads alive"(38). Milkman get suddenly angry and defends his family's name even though he says hates it. Milkman show that sense of being a free spirit through his rebuttal with Pilate.
ReplyDeleteCarla Yacoub
DeleteI agree with the fact that Milkman learns valuable lessons from Pilate about how to be a "free spirit" and enjoy himself. Just by looking at the people around him and hearing the three women sing together, he felt a satisfaction and happiness that he hadn't felt before, "Milkman was five feet seven then but it was the first time in his life that he remembered being completely happy"(47). These are the first couple moments of bliss that we see from Milkman in the novel, and they all are a result of being invited in by Pilate. However, I think the main point of this meeting is more about how it makes Milkman feel to be around Pilate and less what she specifically teaches him. At the end of their meeting, Milkman says, "Delicious as he day turned out to be for Milkman, it was even more so because it included secrecy and defiance..."(49). This pleased Milkman just as much as the behaviors of the three women because he was going against his father. This moment brings some new light to Milkman's relationship with his father and how he simply doesn't feel nearly as happy at home as he does with Pilate, Ruth, and Hagar. This act of being with Pilate showed Milkman just how much (or little) he connects with his father. It sparks his interest even more to know why Macon wouldn't want to be around someone who Milkman enjoys so much, especially given the sibling's past.
I think that it's pretty obvious that Milkman likes spending time more with Pilate's family than with his own. When he is in the car with his family, it "was simply a burden" (32). But when he's with Pilate and Hagar and Reba, "Milkman was five feet seven then but it was the first time in his life that he remembered being completely happy" (47). I see a similarity between his reaction to his time with Pilate, and how Macon reacts when he describes his time with Pilate. When Macon Dead II (Milkman's father) starts telling Milkman about his childhood with Pilate, "his voice sounded different to Milkman. Less hard, and his speech was different. More southern and comfortable and soft" (52) and "Milkman felt close and confidential now that his father had talked to him in a relaxed and intimate way" (54). I think this shows that Macon might be afraid that Milkman would feel the same about Pilate as he did, and then (by saying Pilate is a snake), he might be afraid that Milkman would become so close to Pilate that Pilate would start teaching him "incorrect" morals and lessons, and in his mind, this will lead to Milkman not being successful in life, resulting in Macon warning Milkman that "Pilate can't teach you a thing you can use in this world" (55). During their childhood, Pilate and Macon seemed really close, and then it seemed something happened. Then Pilate seemed to have turned against Macon in Macon's mind. I don't think that this necessarily was a bad thing though because many things that people do, Macon thinks are bad, but are not actually that bad. We know that Macon wouldn't let Pilate continue to live with him because of how she portrayed herself to society, so maybe her acting like a "snake" had to do with the fact that he raised her from a baby, and she turned against his values. Maybe that is also why he is "training" Milkman to do work like him--so that he won't turn into Pilate and turn against him (and his parenting).
ReplyDelete-Hannah