Chapter 9 Homework Assignment
This might be my favorite chapter in the whole book. 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.
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.
A Block: You've already been assigned to a character.
E Block:
Girls: Corinthians
Guys: Lena
Anyone (guys or girls) who fits any of the following criteria: Pilate
- Is left-handed
- Has naturally curly hair
- Is double-jointed
- Listens to Country 102.5 on a regular basis (at least 3 or more x a week)
- Has visited Kansas (at least one night)
- Has NEVER seen any of the Star Wars movies
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?
Corinthians
ReplyDeleteThe Dead family is unique from the other families in this society because they are the only wealthy black family. This social status brings certain expectations to the family, from both outsiders and Magdalene "Lena", First Corinthians, and Milkman's parents. As Corinthians reflects on her life of solitude, she realizes "it had been assumed that she and Magdalene called Lena would marry well...and if marriage was not achieved, there were alternative roles: teacher, librarian..." (188). Her parents, especially Ruth, expected her daughters to maintain their status as one of the wealthiest in that community. Corinthians even went to college, which increased her value in her parents eyes. Ruth grew up with that title (as the only black doctor's daughter), and Macon dreamed and worked towards monetary success his entire life. Now both his daughters remain single. Ruth wanted her "daughters...to marry doctors" (189), though those very people "wanted wives who could manage, who were not so well accustomed to middle-class life that they had no ambition, no hunger, no hustle in them"(188). The prospective bachelors for Corinthians did not scorn her, but they also did not think of her as suitable wife material. Corinthians life of luxury works against her in this aspect, because she has never had to struggle or work hard before. In this way, Macon is unique from this generation of men. Ruth was in the same position as Corinthians, yet Macon didn't "steer clear of a woman who had a better education than he did" (189). If the men aren't put off from Corinthians lack of "drive", they were intimidated by her higher status.
Corinthians would be the perfect wife for a character like Willy Loman. She is in every way the ideal housewife. Corinthians "knows how to sit down, how to dress, how to eat the food on her plate" (197), how to act and behave in a "proper" way. She also is very submissive to the will of her father and Milkman, which is exactly what Willy wanted. He hated when Linda tried to join in on conversations that he felt she had no part in (the future of the family). Corinthians is unhappy, because she now holds a maids job with shame. None of her or her parents expectations were filled, and the only way for her to feel fulfilled is to change. She begins living for herself when she starts courting Porter by making her own decisions about what makes her happy.
I agree with you on a lot of points. Corinthians is a submissive person by nature but, remember she grew up watching her father constantly beat her mother, and I think that is the only relationship she has ever known. She doesn't want to follow in her mother’s footsteps and have a man that will “beat his women, betray her, shame her” (201), much like Macon Dead II does to Ruth. Also, I believe that she is submissive because she had no other role models she “didn't know any grown up women” instead she only had examples of a “doll baby” (196) or people who are just like trophy wives.
DeleteI would also like to point out that Corinthian is an intelligent woman she is educated and she knows how to blend in. When she is working for Michael-Mary she blends in and plays the role of an uneducated maid though she “never let” her employer know that she had been to college. When Corinthian starts her job she claims “ may be naive, but she was no fool” (190). Which shows her ability to change role easily and her intelligence.
Also, she has huge character development working as a maid her she “flourished” and had her own “responsibility” which was what the bachelors who didn’t marry wanted, also, she “ exchanged arrogance” which is one of the main problems with Milkman and Macon Dead II for “confidence” something you need to become an individual.
It was interesting to see shame come up multiple times in this chapter, and it is even more noticeable that two different characters claim to be shameful. Corinthians “hated [Porter] a lot for the shame she felt” (194), which is not a common way to see a lover. She knows that Porter is no match for her in terms of social status, and she feels shameful that such things bother her. Milkman also feels shameful for the immaturity and foolishness in stealing the bones: “Something like shame stuck to his skin” (209). I once read an article describing the benefits of compliments when raising children, and it talked also about scolding kids for wrongdoings. The psychologist talked about the difference between shame and guilt: shame is feeling bad about yourself, whereas guilt is feeling bad about your acts. With both Corinthians and Milkman, they feel ashamed because they both feel unindividualistic for not being able to break free from the protection and oppression of their parents and relatives. According to the article, guilt does more good for kids because actions can be redeemed and changed, whereas a person cannot be changed easily because it is a vague combination of thoughts, actions, beliefs, etc. Although Corinthians and Milkman are both well into adulthood, it is interesting to see that they are going through character formation, as kids do, and I am curious to find out how they will learn to outgrow their own immaturities through shame.
DeleteI think that it's easy to see the act of Corinthians laying herself in front of the car as both a "doll-baby" act or the act of a "grown up woman." For all of her life, Corinthians had blended in to her surroundings very easily and didn't mind doing so. She settled for the life that she has now and now she's looking for more. I saw the act of her laying on Porters car window as more of a "baby-doll" act even though it's easy to see it in both ways. This is because she knew that Porter wouldn't drive with her on the hood of his car, so she was stopping him from leaving until she got what she wanted. She left him alone after yelling at him so she should have expected him to leave. Instead, after she's done all of this she then realizes that it's a mistake and demands that he take her back. I think it was immature of her to prevent him from leaving until she gave him her way. Although she did act in a childish manner, I think that seeing porter was a good thing for Corinthians. She had always been okay living with the bare minimum and had never really known what she had wanted. First Corinthians relationship with Porter taught her how to take risks and break out of her comfort zone. I definitely think that it had made her into a much more mature woman.
DeleteI think the scene where Corinthians lays herself on the hood of Porter's car is definitely a childish moment because she does not really do it to be with Porter, she does it to feel better about walking into her parents' home with dignity. She definitely does not seem like a 45 year old woman throughout this chapter, with her looking down upon other women on the bus and hiding her job in order to appear better than "the only people she knew for certain she was superior to" (196). Her insecurity makes her seem really ridiculous. Also, the fact that she keeps thinking about her college education even though it happened more than twenty years prior shows how uneventful her life has been. I thought it was really interesting when Morrison said that "Bryn Mawr had done what a four-year dose of liberal education was designed to do: unfit her for eight percent of the useful work in the world" (189). Her parents spent so much time grooming her to be this refined, intelligent, high class young woman, but all they did was isolate her from the real world. She thinks she's "too good" for normal work. It's not practical for Corinthians in her life, and it stunts her maturity into a "real woman" that can live independently and without fear of what others think. When she returns home after spending the night with Porter, Corinthians is "no longer afraid to mount the porch steps," showing that sleeping with him was more for her self-confidence in the face of her family than for their relationship. She wants some sort of accomplishment to make her feel adult and to be able to have a life outside of her family.
DeleteMagdalene: (I didn't see that girls were supposed to do Corinthians...oops) Magdalene’s voice is central to her characterization. To Macon, she is the sister “to whom he had not said more than four consecutive sentences since he was in the ninth grade” (211). He does not speak to her as an equal, but rather speaks to her dismissively and tersely as someone beneath him and unworthy of his notice. When Lena raises her voice against him, she calls him out on “using us, ordering us, and judging us” (us meaning the women of the household) ever since he forced himself into their lives and usurped his sisters’ power and position (215). There is a “hint of steel in her voice” when she speaks to Milkman because she has developed a sharp tongue and thick skin as a result of the dismissive treatment she has received from Milkman and her parents. She has hardened her voice, and her personality, to adapt to a life of not being paid attention to. She is even neglected by the third person narrator for much of the novel as it revolves around Milkman. Normally she accepts this (or seems to) and maintains a semblance of being “resigned to her life” (189). In this confrontation, however, she snaps, “You’re not paying any attention to me” (213). This reminds me of the way in which Troy never listens to Rose, and says, “You say I take but don’t give!” without actually hearing what she said, and the way in which Willy always silences Linda. Lena is very aware of and resentful of the way in which she has been silenced. When she speaks of making the red velvet rose petals, she says, “It kept me...quiet. That’s why they make those people in the asylum weave baskets...they might find out what’s really wrong and….do something” (213). This resentment has been boiling up to the point of insanity. The way in which Lena says “I wanted to kill you” evokes the way in which Hagar tries to kill Milkman every month, showing that Milkman is a man who drives women to crimes of passion--in one case of love, and in the other of hate (213). When Lena recalls her life before Milkman drained the joy and attention out of it, her voice changes to “drifting, breezy music” (216). With Milkman in her life, her voice is harsh and her eyes are “very pale and cold” (216). Without him, she is light and airy, even full of “music.” This chapter emphasizes the ways in which Milkman has stifled and silenced women without even giving it a second thought. Without the repressive influences of Macon II and Milkman, Magdalene and Corinthians, and maybe even Ruth too, could have grown tall and strong, like Pilate. However, their growth has been stunted, like the maple sapling that Milkman has killed.
ReplyDeleteThe big idea I took from the story of Magdalene called Lena is the structure and ecosystem of the Dead family. Lena claims that the only interaction Milkman ever really has with the women in his household are for his own purposes, such as laundry or coffee. I don't think Lena is lying because earlier on in the chapter, he says he is "too tired to get up and fix" (206) himself some coffee, so he decides to just wait until his mother comes downstairs to do it for him. What's even worse is that he doesn't even call for her. He knows his father sent her back upstairs when she initially came down and he knows she will return to see if he needs anything. That is very telling of the ambience of the family. Even though he is the youngest in the house, Milkman is second in power only to his father. The two men are the obvious leaders since they are the ones who are not afraid to speak their minds. Until now, almost every woman in the book, except for Pilate, has only been able to open herself up to reveal her true feelings when she is in a one on one conversation. Ruth never spoke up over Milkman and Macon. No, she only finally let herself speak in Milkman's sole presence. Same thing with Lena in this chapter. Only when she is alone with Milkman is she able to address all her preoccupations. The women outnumber the men in the family three to two, yet they are powerless. Morrison seems to be relaying the message that the only way women can ever truly become empowered is with advocation from a man, like when Milkman strikes his father in protection of his mother. Lena, however, claims the hit was not for protection, but actually for a drive for power. Milkman was "taking over" and saying he has the right "to tell [Ruth] and all of [the sisters] what to do" (216). Women can only become empowered with the help of men, but the men don't seem to be aware of the women's issues. If they are not aware, they definitely won't go out of their way to stand up for women. Instead, the only time men will stick their necks out is when they are trying to gain power from other men, like Milkman did with his father.
DeleteMagdalene called Lena (and a little bit about Corinthians)
DeleteThe artificial rose metaphor encapsulates the significance of Lena and Corinthians (and, to some degree, Ruth). Roses usually symbolize love, and especially the natural quality of it. The fact that the roses in the Dead family are fake exemplifies the lifelessness of the Dead family relationships and the absence of real love in them. The women in the family are the rose-makers, the maintainers of the defunct relationships. Lena rebukes Milkman for not knowing his sisters, and comments, “we made roses; that’s all you knew” (215). The Dead family operates by utilizing the women as maintainers of the family whilst not requiring the men to put any real effort or love into the relationships. The consummation of the women’s lives with being rose-makers shows how the divisiveness by gender in the Dead family condemns the women to unfulfilling and loveless lives.
Lena was the original rose-maker, which she started before Milkman was born. However, after the events of his birth, Corinthians makes excuses not to make roses anymore, and Lena becomes the principal rose-maker. However, Corinthians is forever “unfit for any work other than the making of red velvet roses” (187). Although Corinthians has a college degree and other impressive qualities, a life of being regarded solely as a rose-maker has ruined her for honest relationships and employment of substance. Even when Porter gives Corinthians real flowers, she is unable to recognize the value of a relationship with him,
Lena reminisces about Milkman’s birth and Mr. Smith’s suicide, and the artificial roses play a significant part in that day. Lena remembers that “they were laughing, Lena and she; collecting the roses, looking up at the man, and laughing from fear, embarrassment, and giddiness. It was all mixed together- the red velvet, the fear, and the man crashing down on the pavement” (198). The emotions that surround the suicide and the roses, most notably giddiness, seem odd given the situation, as does the fact that Lena so closely relates the roses to the suicide. I think that it is the intense emotions that Mr. Smith expresses that Lena and Corinthians cling to, and they become giddy at the chance to observe true emotions rather than lifeless relationships, as represented by the roses. Another odd aspect of this passage was when Lena recalled, “There was no blood. The only red in view was in their own hands and in the basket” (198). The connotations of having blood on one’s hands or being “caught red-handed” are primarily accusatory. Lena and Corinthians being implicated rather than Mr. Smith, a mass murderer and man committing suicide, exemplified Morrison’s view that acting out of love, even despite the action, is preferable to acting out of apathy or obligation.
I think Katherine, JK and Ella did great analysis, opening my eyes to connections that I wasn’t able to make alone. I think one thing we haven’t looked at yet the turning point that Milkman established himself as superior, perhaps even without knowing it, and when the women realized that he was just turning into another Macon in the household. As Lena speaks back to the time when Milkman hit his father to ‘protect’ his mother, she sees right through his intentions. As we saw in his narration, he did not hit him for his mother’s good, Milkman hit his father out of his growing frustration towards his father for all the wrongs he had done to Milkman. In the end, everything was about himself. To Milkman’s surprise, the women were not happy with Milkman hitting Macon. We now know that was because the women saw this actions as him “taking over,” that it was his way of letting them know that he “had the right to tell her and all of [them] what to do” (215). It is much like how, in a pack of lions or wolves, the new alpha male would prove his dominance by defeating the old one. This idea of “peeing” on everyone and everything parallels how animals pee on whatever they want to be seen as their ‘property.’
Delete(CAUTION: I talk a lot about the references to genitalia Lena mentions at the end of Chapter 9. If that makes you at all uncomfortable, maybe skip down to the next one.)
DeleteI loved everything about Magdalene called Lena’s diatribe against Milkman and his mannerisms towards his female family members. Lena’s main point (as previously mentioned) is that Milkman has been urinating on Ruth, Corinthians and Lena their entire lives. She remembers the incident where, on a Sunday drive with the family, Milkman ends up peeing on Lena after she leaves the car to supervise him. Lena spent some of the time finding flowers and tree twigs and picking them, but as soon as she returned, Milkman was startled and turned behind him, causing him to pee on Lena. She dropped her finds in disgust, but finds later that the tree twigs that Milkman urinated on were growing into a tree that is now dying. Lena, watching the tree die, calls Milkman in to tell him that, “I thought because that tree was alive that is was all right. But I forgot there are all kinds of ways to pee on people” (214).
Anatomically, men are the only gender able to pee standing up and also control the trajectory of their urine (hence the invention of the urinal). Women don’t have that liberty, thus in saying “there are all kinds of ways to pee on people,” Lena makes her statement sex-specific. Men can pee on women, other men, their children, strangers, and friends alike—either physically or metaphorically—but women aren’t able to do the same as a result of their suffocating gender roles. Lena specifies the ways in which Milkman has done so to Ruth, Corinthians, and Lena: “You’ve been laughing at us all your life. Corinthians. Mama. Me. Using us, ordering us, and judging us….you have never asked one of us if we were tired, or sad, or wanted a cup of coffee” (215). Urinating on someone, closely comparable to spitting on someone, is one of the ultimate forms of disrespect. Lena accuses Milkman of the ultimate form of disrespect for her: apathy, punctuated by him telling Macon about Porter and Corinthian’s relationship. Milkman has spent innumerable hours thinking about his relationships with other men —he fought Macon, resented Macon, hit Macon, worked for Macon, spent time with a myriad of other men—yet, when it comes to the women of his life, he can hate Ruth, he can beat up/resent Pilate on a whim, he can ignore/verbally abuse Hagar, and decide the futures of his older sisters in a couple facts shared with his father.
Milkman, trying to protect himself from Lena’s blame, tells her “I don’t carry no stick; I live and let live” (214). This reminds me of Theodore Roosevelt’s diplomatic strategy of “Speak softly and carry a big stick”: the big stick being the might and force of a bat when trying to come to agreements in a soft voice doesn’t work. Milkman does in fact carry a stick: his genitals. Milkman defends himself by saying that he has no weapon to use against the women he pretends to love. Lena disagrees because his “hog’s gut that hangs down between [his] legs” is the answer to her question “Where do you get the right to decide our lives?” (215). It’s a question of privilege; people born male can use their genitals as a weapon, a threat to demand the respect and deference of the women around them. And when it doesn’t quite work, men can always use them as an actual weapon by “peeing” on women to mark territory/possession.
Pilate
ReplyDeleteWhen Pilate entered the Police Station she was described as looking "short and pitiful" (205). She addressed the cops as "boss", kind of kissing up to them. She changed her voice and is compared to a snake because she could, "drop her skin in a split second" (205). I think this comparison is used to say that Pilate can change her appearance and even identity when she needs to, in order to get what she wants. In this case she was trying to get her bag of bones back primarily. To do this she appears weaker and smaller. Her hands "were shaking" and "her eyes, those big sleepy old eyes, were small" (207). Pilate appears weak here, but personally I think she's just smart, doing what she has to do in order to get the bones back. Her behavior is uncharacteristic but reflects how society expects women to act. Weaker women receive sympathy and make men feel needed for their comfort. I can almost guarantee that if Pilate had gone into the station demanding the bag of bones that she wouldn't have gotten them. She lies, claiming the bag is full of her husbands remains when oddly enough it is full of the dead white man from the cave that she feels responsible for, stating, "A human life is precious...you responsible for it" (208).
At the end of the chapter I couldn't help but think of "Fences" when Magdalene called Lena tells Milkman that he has been "pissing" on them for all his life. She continues, "You've been laughing at us all your life. Corinthians. Mama. Me. Using us, ordering us, and judging us: how we cook your food; how we keep your house" (215). This reminded me of when Rose tells Troy that he always talks about what he sacrifices but never takes into account what he is sacrificed for him. It's the same idea of being selfish, thoughtless, and possessive.
I agree with the majority of what Eli said, although I disagree on two details. I think that in addition to doing what she has to do to get her bones back, she is also helping Milkman and Guitar get out of their responsibility for the bag of bones, and make sure it is clear that they did not commit the crime that led to a bag of human bones. He explains that she did “whatever would be useful to her and to himself” (210). In addition to this, I think that not only was Pilate playing on her assumed weakness as a woman, but as a black woman. She did not just refer to the police officers as “boss,” but she said, “Yassuh boss” (205) repeatedly. Using this form of dialect like speech that is uncommon for her, showed how she was playing on her race as well as on her gender.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI admire the way Pilate is able to clear Guitar and Milkman’s names and regain her precious bones. She understands that since she is an elderly black woman, most of the society that surrounds her sees her as weak. However, instead of being bothered by this, she uses it to her advantage in this chapter by creating a believable story to invoke pity and understanding in the police. I believe that even though she acted weak in the police office, she felt strong and clever, because through her act she was able to save her beloved grandchild.
ReplyDeleteMilkman seems to be ashamed of his aunt and shocked at the way she degraded her status in front of the police. He notices with surprise that Pilate “ was both adept at her act and willing to do it-for him”(209). I think that Milkman may now think of Pilate as yet another character that becomes weak because of love for him. This bothers Milkman because Pilate has always been a strong and sturdy figure in his life and he didn’t expect her to become frail in order to save his life.
Lena
ReplyDelete"I'm going to make...about peeing on people?"(214)
Milkman thinks he owns the lives of Lena and Corinthians since he says "I'm going to make some allowance for your sherry." This tells Lena that Milkman is not willing to give her money for any other reason than to be quiet. Milkman wants to show dominance over her sisters by making them depend on him and make them find ways to please him. But Lena is sick of this and says "Where do you get the right to decide our lives?"(215) after she went on a rant of how she took care of her life and how she deserves more respect from him. In this scene it shows the power struggle between brother and sister but also the role of gender. Since Milkman is a male it does not matter that he is youngest member of the family, he can easily take over the family household with little resistance. Lena was in the female gender role of being uneducated and doing only house work because she was scared of the men in her lives but she was pushed over the edge. She could not watch her family taken over by her little brother.
I also found that Milkman disrespects Ruth in many ways. As Gavin said above he disrespects her by putting her into a restricting gender role and tends to dominate her in the house hold. One way that I though he gets leverage over he is by cutting her short when she speaks, similar to the way that Willy would keep shutting his wife down every time she would speak. Lena complains that everyone is "not paying any attention to {her}"(123) which shows that she is being disregarded. I feel like Milkman is implementing a similar tactic to the one of Willy because he is subordinating her and forcing her to respect him in the most atrocious way possible. But I liked the way that she actually calls him out in it by saying "Where do you get the right to decide our lives?"(215). This shoes a lot of promise in her character because not every individual would be able to stand up so boldly to such an oppressive figure in their lives.
DeleteIn chapter 9, age is mentioned repeatedly. More specifically, the wastage of time occurs on Corinthians part in chapter 9.
ReplyDeleteFor starters, on page 189, “Corinthians woke up one day to find herself a forty-two-year old maker of rose petals.” She has had three years spent in college and she’s been a maid for 2 years. (pg 189) Then Toni Morrison states, “For two weeks afterward the man was not on the bus.” On the same page she states,“…On subsequent days.” (Pg. 193) These quotes can be read as evidence to the futility of Macon and Ruth’s parenting; however that would be doing disservice. Ruth and Macon Dead raised Corinthians to strive for the best rather that be through a husband or occupation and to strive for a higher education. Stating that this type of parenting philosophy is wrong is downright sexist and ignorant. Corinthians has not willingly wasted the last 20 years of her life but has been forced to because the men she has encountered have found her to be intimidating. Similar to Joe Starks, the men Corinthians meets want have a Trophy wife. They do not want to marry a woman as intelligent as they might be. Corinthians isn’t willingly to play the part of a trophy wife either. There are times when people fit their stereotype to make others feel more comfortable; however, Corinthians does not do this. For this, she must suffer and at the same time one must not forget that the man she does meet is beneath her social status and expectations but his ideas, morals, and intelligence seem to pair with Corinthians well. There is much to be seen in regards to how the relationship between Mr. Porter and Corinthians will play out but one thing that all she could keep in mind is that Toni Morrison explained that her primary focus while writing this book was to introduce the mentality of men by writing “such an overly, stereotypical male narrative…’’ (pg. XII)
*Milkman serves as a gender medium for he holds several of the female character’s traits such as self-awareness and a longing desire for something while drawing ever closer to becoming his father.*
ReplyDeletePilate—
ReplyDeleteI think Anna is right about the reason behind Milkman’s emotions. Milkman has a tendency of looking down on the women in his life who show their insecurities to him, taking their love as an excuse for their dependency. Milkman does not want the strongest person in his life to go down the same path. But I think Milkman knows that Pilate’s strength is what allows her to put up the act. In my opinion, he seems to be more ashamed with himself for making Pilate do the act; “nothing was like the shame he felt as he watched and listened to Pilate”(209). This is because Milkman knows and knows that he has always known how Pilate is the only one who truly loves and understands him. When Milkman says he “would have knocked [Pilate] senseless”(210) he seems to be afraid of himself just as he had been afraid of Guitar for his story about the Seven Days. I found it interesting how, despite all of this, his “left [leg] looked just as long as the other”(209) in the bathtub. It seems odd that his inferiority complex disappears while he is feeling ashamed of himself. However, the uneven leg was something that had set him apart from Macon. This connects to how Milkman’s desire to separate from his oppressive family has actually made him similar to Macon in many ways. I think the parallel between Macon’s shameless grope for gold after killing a man and Milkman’s shameless betrayal for the same “gold” indicates this.
The expectations that Macon and Ruth have of Corinthians are what cause her to have a unsuccessful love life. Corinthians is unable to find a husband because she is preoccupied with her social class, and she obsesses with whether or not her parents will approve of a husband from a different social class. This is unfortunate for Corinthians because she comes from one of the only wealthy black families, this results in a lack of socially suitable partners for her. Corinthians speaks of a "problem" on page 195 that inhibits a legitimate relationship between her and Porter. I personally think that what divides Corinthians and Porter is much deeper than Macon's disapproval, I believe that it is the division of classes. Corinthians tells porter that "He {Macon} never wanted us to mix with . . . people. He's very strict."(195) I think Morrison is using Corinthians as a character to critique the division of social classes in America.
ReplyDeleteJason F
Pilate
ReplyDeleteI believe the main reason Milkman feel so ashamed is because he stole from Pilate, who has always been there from him even after he stole the "gold". Milkman was prepared to "knock her down" if she tried to stop him from stealing the gold (209). He was going to hit Pilate who loves him and is the main reason he was able to get out of jail. She even made herself seem weak for him after he had just stole from her. In this moment, Milkman realizes how much he owes to Pilate. She has done so much for him, and he was wiling to hit he in search for "gold' that wasn't even there. Once Milkman realizes how much Pilate means to him he wants to talk to Guitar about the way he looked at her. This is the only time in the book Milkman has ever really wanted to do anything for someone else. He wants to protect Pilate, making sure that she gets the respect she deserves. Milkman's protection of Pilate is unlike that of Ruth. When Milkman was "protecting" Ruth he had a ulterior motives, but here he is actually sticking up for Pilate.
Corinthians
ReplyDeleteCorinthians is different from a lot of other people we have met in the book in that she is highly educated. However, this education actually hindered her rather than giving her more opportunities. Because of her degree, she believed that, "she was a prize for a professional man of color" (188). She thought that she would get married because she was sophisticated and intelligent, but no suitors came around. The reason that none of these men wanted to marry her was because, "They wanted wives who would sacrifice themselves and appreciate the hard work and sacrifice of their husbands. Corinthians was a little too elegant." (188) Black men in this time are not looking for intelligent, high brow women but rather a housewife who appreciates what they are doing. Corinthians education has given her a sense of entitlement that men are going to marry her because she is intelligent, but it is in fact something that makes them shy away from her. This reminds me of Death of a Salesman because Willy and Biff and Happy never talked about how smart a girl was, but always talked about their looks. It shows what values some people were looking for in women at this time.
As we have discussed in class, Pilate is the only woman who truly loves and understands Milkman. Instead of appreciating that, Milkman breaks into her house and steals what he thinks is gold. Quote where the narrator says "nothing was like the shame he felt as he watched and listened to Pilate"(209) shows that Milkman feels bad for what he has done, and the fact that"nothing was like the shame..." means that Pilate does have some special place in his heart, since he feels the most ashamed to her. I like that Milkman feels so ashamed, not only to Pilate, but everyone else too. It's a good kind of being ashamed and the fact that Milkman feels bad for his actions shows that Milkman still has some true values left and is not completely lost as a person.
ReplyDeleteLena
ReplyDeleteLena is one of the most quiet characters in the book and in this chapter we see why.Lena seemed resigned to life (189). Here we see that life beat Lena down to the point of resignation. She seems to understand that her life is not going to be very bright at all. Unlike Corinthians or even Milkman she does not have much ambition and does not seem to think too highly of her self. When she tells Milkman that making roses "keeps her quite" kind of like they give "people in asylums rag rugs" (213). This shows just how badly she thinks of herself. She is comparing herself to people in asylums as she is making little roses because it keeps her sane. However I do not think she was always like that. I think it is due to her family that she is the type of person that has been resigned to life. She was surrounded by Milkman who is the only other male and the companion to Macon, and on the other side she has Corinthians whom is a relatively big presence having gone to France and having studied at Bryn Mawr compared to them she is practically a noone and her family sees her that way as well. When she is forced to take Milkman to pee because Corinthians is above that and Macon does not want to. Even now Milkman does not have respect for his sister. He blows off everything she tries to say and ignores her. Lena is in general a very sad and forgotten character.