Please note, Quiz on Chapters 1-10 will be TOMORROW 6/4 for both classes, as it is long block.
SoS Chapters 11-12 Homework Assignments
—
For chapters 11-12, you’ll be following
many of the same themes. For each
of these 2 chapters, please choose 2 of
the following to answer in a post AND use
at least 2 quotations PER question in your response. Some of these questions are more
appropriate for some chapters above others, so read and choose carefully.
1)
To what extent do you see Milkman developing
as an individual, finding himself, discovering his moral center? (Are there places where he still doesn’t
“get it”?) Where and why? Do you
sympathize more with him as a character now? Why or why not?
How does Morrison suggest that one finds oneself? What are the critical components of
this journey?
2)
Keep track of Milkman’s discoveries and
realizations about his family’s past.
What are the significant people, moments, myths, stories, songs, that
are associated with his family?
Why, according to Morrison, is it important to recover one’s family
roots? How can your past teach you
about who you are? What do you
think is Morrison’s point or points by including all this stuff about family
history/mythology? Why is a
critical part of this history told through a children’s song?
3)
Milkman’s relationships with others—Continue
to track his developing relationship with Guitar, Hagar, and Pilate. Mark any significant moments in the
story lines of Guitar, Hagar, and Pilate and explain why they are important,
strange, or confusing.
4)
Continue to take note of developments of the
major themes, including Naming—especially the new names we meet, Byrd, Solomon,
Ryna, and Sing—and Flying.
5)
Why did Morrison title the book Song of
Solomon? Try to think of this
literally and metaphorically.
6)
How can we read ideas like “hunger” and the
quest for “gold” metaphorically?
Think back to the Hansel and Gretel story—how is Milkman’s journey (what
he wants, what he finds, what he comes to value) different than the fairytale.
7)
There are some really “weird” events and
ideas in these chapters. Pay
attention to them! The most interesting
and important thing you can do with this book is to write about what you think
seems odd or confusing or intriguing.
Write this down and explain why.
If possible, ask questions of your classmates!
2. In this chapter Milkman visits Susan Byrd, who lives near Solomon’s Leap. Milkman asks her and her friend Grace about Sing, who he thinks is his grandmother. Susan is really unfriendly, and Grace prompts her to be polite by saying “perhaps Mr. Macon would like some refreshment” (288) and calling her out to “give him some of those butter cookies” (288). Susan claims that her mother was not named Sing, but her father’s sister was named Sing. She says that Sing went to a Quaker school in Boston and then lost touch with the family. Susan thinks that “she didn’t want to be found after she left that school” (290) and that she didn’t marry. Milkman asks about Pilate, but neither woman has heard of her. He tells Susan that she has been helpful to him because “you have to know what’s wrong before you can find what’s right” (292), but responds to her question about how important it is to him to find his people by saying that it wasn’t important and he was just passing through. Milkman lies to Susan, possibly because of her superior attitude toward him and him not wanting to seem like he cared. He lists a bunch of questions on p. 293 about his family that he wants to know. Then, he hears the song on p.303 about his family and decides to return to Susan Byrd’s house to find out all that she knows.
ReplyDelete5. Literally, this book is called Song of Solomon because of the song that Milkman hears in Shalimar. The children sing a song that he discovers is about his family, and centers around a man named Solomon (Jake’s father). He realizes that the Ryna in the song is crying for Solomon and “not a baby...he must have been her lover” (304). There are a lot of nonsense words like “come booba yalle, come booba tambee,” (303) which I wonder if they will be explained later on. In addition, there are names like “Belali Shalut Yaruba Medina Muhammet too… Nestor Kalina Saraka cake.” (303) It is possible that these people are also in his family. The Song of Solomon in the bible is one of love (sexual). The song in the book is not about sexual love, but self-love and love for ones family. Milkman’s trip has been one of self-realization and separating from his father, who was destroyed by his own father’s death. He no longer really cares about the gold, but instead cares about finding his roots and his “people.” The song in the book is like gold to him- it is his greatest desire because the thing he wants most is to find his roots.
I think you made a really good point about the song being like gold for Milkman, because knowing his roots gives him the same sense of power that material wealth would. If you think about it, gold by itself doesn't have much purpose or value; it's only the power that Milkman would receive from freeing himself from his father that makes him want it. However, as you said, this trip of self discover has allowed him to separate from his father in an easier and more permanent way. He has, through learning about his heritage, felt the beginnings of an individual and independent life. Before he hears the song, Milkman is slightly disappointed with his lack of success in getting a full story from Virginia, saying that he "left the house feeling tired and off center" because "there's nothing here to know, no gold or any traces of it" (292). If you take gold to mean his connection to his roots, then this passage implies that Milkman is looking for a sense of identity and collection to a narrative. It's not enough for him to live in his previous life, where he constantly felt like an "outsider" (293). He wants to feel connected, and figuring out his connection through the song makes him "as eager and happy as he had ever been in his life" (304). Milkman wants to belong somewhere, but more importantly he wants to understand how he belongs somewhere. he wants to feel the lives of other people so he can understand his own identity. That's the main difference between living in Michigan and his true "home" in Virginia. He can find answers about why he and his family are the way that they are so that they can live better lives. That understanding of his place is the real satisfaction and "gold" that drives Milkman at this point.
DeleteThe colors red, white, and black are used heavily in this chapter in interesting ways. White and black have the obvious connotations of race, but white has the added significance of purity and old age. Blood has the clear symbolism of blood, but also of sexuality. When Milkman first enters Solomon’s General Store in Shalimar, he steps over “white hens” and asks for a “Red Cap” (261). Solomon informs him that he can’t purchase beer on Sunday. The word “red” in the name of the beer Milkman asks for can be read as symbolizing his skewed city morals (e.g. drinking on a Sunday) that stand out against the purity, or at least more traditional morals, of the small town. Solomon hands him a “cherry smash” soda, which is a “red liquid,” instead (261). It is interesting that Solomon has “red hair turning white” (261). I think the “red” symbolizes his youth, which he is losing as his hair turns “white” and he becomes (supposedly) wiser and more mature, but which hasn’t quite disappeared yet. The town has a number of “light-skinned red-headed men” like Solomon (263). The women have “full lips blacker than their skin, berry-stained” (263). This juxtaposition of black and red makes the women seem almost dangerous in their beauty, which makes me think of Hagar. She is dangerous in her beauty and in her love, and in her first appearance in the novel she is carrying berries and has berry-stained lips and nails. The women are also described as “swaying their hips under cotton dresses” (263). White is used throughout the novel to convey purity, or the exploitation of purity as a status symbol, like when Macon parades his daughters in their fancy white dresses like “virgins through Babylon” (216). These townswomen are also wearing white dresses, but they are “cotton” as opposed to more refined cloth, so the connotation of purity is lost. The dresses become more like an expression of sexuality. There is an interesting parallel drawn between Milkman’s memory of when Guitar saved him from bullies and Milkman’s present fight with Saul, in which he is alone. After Guitar defended him, he handed Milkman his cap, which Milkman “bloodied” and “returned” (264). As Milkman struggles to regain his composure after his knife-broken bottle fight, this time alone, he kicks at a “white hen” and tries “wiping the blood with his handkerchief” (268). His solitude and helplessness show how alone he is now that Guitar has turned on him. The dissection of the murdered bobcat mirrors the way in which Guitar and Milkman’s relationship “tore like gossamer” under the pressure of the Days (282). The friendship was fragile to begin with, like “gossamer” in comparison to Guitar’s violent, consuming “love” for his race and Milkman’s love for flight.
ReplyDeleteOn his trip to discover his family roots, Milkman does become more of an individual in some aspects, but remains unchanged in others. However, I do think that this trip is significant because it is very humbling for Milkman. Towards the beginning of the chapter Milkman finally feels free and in charge of his life. Morrison writes, “He was his own dictator-relieving himself when he wanted to, stopping for cold beer when he was thirsty...the sense of power was strong” (260). In the beginning of the book Milkman is denied a beer, but he feels empowered to get whatever he wants now that he is on his individual journey. Unfortunately, this empowerment extends too far, showing the ways in which Milkman remains unchanged. In Solomon’s store, Milkman makes a comment about all the pretty women in the street. He gets a negative response from the men in the store and says to himself, “What kind of place was this where a man couldn’t even ask for a woman?” (265). This is a possessive mindset, that a man can just ask for a women/sex, without consulting her. On the other hand, you see Milkman self-critique his treatment of Hagar and his family, “why shouldn’t his parents tell him their personal problems? If not him, then who?”. He continues about Hagar, admitting that he had “thrown [her] away like a wad of chewing gum after the flavor was gone-she had a right to try to kill him” (266). At this point, it seems that Milkman is really maturing into a more respectable man, hopefully he communicates this self-admittance to Hagar and his family. Another development is with Guitar, who Milkman now fears. He questions why he is, “afraid? They were friends” (262). Milkman feels guilty about his fear of Guitar but as he later finds out he has no reason to because Guitar attempted to strangle him. This near death experience also humbled Milkman. He is now, “exhilarated by simply walking the earth” (281). I’m curious what he does about Sweet because although he hires her as a prostitute, he treats her very well; better than anyone else in the book except maybe Guitar. Will he stay with her? Or is he just using her?
ReplyDeleteI agree completely that Milkman has grown a tom in chapter 11. He goes from city boy who can't fit I'm anywhere to country man, taking his own initiative and leading himself down whichever path he chooses. He finally starts to have realizations about his past and how he treated those around him. Milkman begins to understand his situation with Hagar by reflected on how he had treated her, " like a wad of chewing gum" that he just tossed when the flavor ran out. She had a right to be angry at him, and now Milkman finally accepted this. However, Milkman's encounter with Guitar is a little different. Guitar was the one person in Milkman's life who he really appreciated and enjoyed. As soon as Milkman begins to enjoy himself on his journey, his first thought is that he wished he could share it with Guitar. But Guitar turns on Milkman completely, telling him that "his day has come" and trying to end his life. I think this is a huge foreshadowing of their relationship and how it will fall out dramatically because the only partner that Milkman had has just been ripped out from under him, and that certainly deserves a dramatic counter reaction.
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ReplyDeleteLike Corinthians, Milkman is relieved when his reputation and class no longer follows him. He enjoys the hospitality and the “attraction” the Southern people offer him, yet he appreciates it more because “none of the pleasantness was directed at him because of his father, as it was back home, or his grandfather’s memory, as it was in Danville” (260). Milkman gains the independence from his family that he wanted, yet he also, at least to some degree, learns that he, not his class or reputation, represent himself, and that he himself is responsibility for how he is portrayed to the world.
On the hunting trip, Milkman is finally able to think freely about the effect he has on others, and realizes that he does not deserve to take and be “loved at a distance” without caring for others. Milkman’s realizations came “obstructed by other things, by people, even by the sight of himself. There was nothing here to help him- not his money, his car, his father’s reputation, his suit or his shoes. In fact they hampered him” (277). Devoid of dysfunctional relationships and values, Milkman is able to transform as a person and realize his past faults. This provides him with freedom. After Guitar’s assassination attempt, Milkman lets go of his own insecurities that stem from his inability to live up to the skewed value system his father imposed on him. The symbol of this maturity is that Milkman walks like “he belonged on [the land]; like his legs were stalks, tree trunks, a part of his body that extended down down down into the rock and soil, and were comfortable there- on the earth and on the place where he walked. And he did not limp” (281). Milkman’s psychosomatic limp resulted from his desire to not be like his father. Therefore, his limp going away represents Milkman’s recognition that he does not have a limp represents an understanding that he will never be like his father, and that he must stand on his own feet, without excuses, and take ownership of who he is. It also represents the connection Milkman has to the land in Virginia, both literally and metaphorically, as he is attacked to the culture and value system that defines it as well.
Milkman’s relationship with Sweet exemplifies his changed personality. While Milkman uses Hagar and consequently discards her, Milkman’s relationship with Sweet is reciprocal. When she bathes him, “he soaped and rubbed her until her skin squeaked and glistened like onyx. She put salve on his face. He washed her hair. She sprinkled talcum on her feet…” (285). The simplicity and directness of Morrison’s descriptions shows the fairness and equality of Milkman and Sweet’s relationship. While it is somewhat odd that the most functional relationship in the novel is one of prostitution, it shows that Milkman has grown emotionally to the point where he can support others, rather than just taking.
I agree with you about Milkman taking a significant step towards self-realization in this chapter. In terms of Guitar, he expresses that he "really understood him now" (278) and he also sees Hagar in a different light as she sees her right before he 'dies.' Though she see's her in a sexual position he explains how he realizes how he should appreciate his family, as they have given so much to him. Also, for him to be in the future and to be able to listen into the language around him is impressive as he is able to look outside of himself (not self-centered). And just as Ella said, Milkman's relationship with Sweet is a big difference from his treatment of women in the past: it is significant that she is a prostitute as he is not expected to give back, yet he is willing to do this. Even as Sweet says that she does not want a bath, he insists saying, "Then let me give you a cool one" (285). Before, he did not even give back when it was expect for him to do so.
DeleteCh. 12
ReplyDelete2. In terms of Milkman’s family past, in this chapter he is first disappointed and disheartened when he hears that “His grandmother would have been ‘too dark to pass’” (292). After thinking about how he has not made much progress and planning to return home the following morning, Milkman makes two new discoveries, first one about himself, and then another about his family. He thinks, “It wasn’t true what he’d said to Susan Byrd: that it wasn’t important to find his people” (293). I think that here, Milkman realizes that it is much more important to him to find his roots and his family than it truly is to find the gold. He makes another connection to his family later in the chapter with the song the children sing and when he decides to learn more about the story that the song tells, he concludes, “He was as eager and happy as he had ever been in his life” (304). This further supports the point that uncovering his family’s past is more important to him than discovering the gold.
3. I think that Milkman’s reflection on Hagar in this chapter deepens our understanding of how he has changed since coming to the countryside. He is finally coming to terms with the fact that he is using others rather than being used himself. Milkman realizes that he felt that her anger and hatred “made him a star, a celebrity in the Blood Bank” (301). He never truly loved Hagar, but used her love for him and goaded her so that she would make him look better in the eyes of those around him. Milkman himself even realizes, “she stood there like a puppet strung up by a puppet master who had gone off to some other hobby” (301). In this quote, Milkman is taking responsibility, as he knows that he would be the puppet master, and Hagar the used and no longer wanted puppet. I think that this is the first step toward Macon realizing that he does have an effect on others and that his feelings are not the only ones that matter.
I completely agree with everything that you said about Hagar. I think that being away from home has really given Milkman a chance to explore himself and his identity without having any influence or social pressure from anybody else. I thought that it was interesting how after Milkman met Susan and Grace, he explains a connection that he feels with the people that he's meeting. Milkman feels "as though there was some cord or pulse or information they shared. Back home he had never felt that way, as though he belonged to anyplace, or anybody" (293.) By being around people who are polite and genuine, Milkman is beginning to show growth as a person because of his improving social skills. Milkman also seems as if he's developing more respect and gratitude towards the women in his life. Upon hearing the song of Solomon, Milkman immediately thinks of Pilate and begins to feel "homesick for her" (300.) He also thinks about his mother and her "apologetic smile" (300.) I think it's interesting (but in no way surprising) how being away from home makes Milkman realize how lucky he is to have people in his life that care about him. Although he has a long way to go, Milkman shows great improvement in the way that he thinks of and treats women, especially through his interactions with Sweet.
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DeleteI agree with what’s been said about Hagar, and I think it’s interesting that song lyrics break up the passage of Milkman’s revelations about her. After Milkman reflects on his relationship with Hagar, he hears the children sing, “O Solomon, don’t leave me here” (301). Shortly after, the children singing “Jay, the only son of Solomon” (302) prompts Milkman to realize that all of the town’s inhabitants are named Solomon. I think that this is significant because in Milkman’s relationship with Hagar, he abandons her, and is the “Solomon”, while she is the “Ryna”. In that way, the name “Solomon” represents the abandonment of one’s family, which seems to apply to all of the male characters in the book. At this point, Milkman notices that all of the townsmen are named Solomon, which represents a realization that abandonment and dysfunction characterize the relationships of all of “his people”.
Even beyond what the song actually says, I think it is more telling of Milkman’s transformation is that he learns about and becomes interested in his family history through oral tradition. Oral storytelling was an integral part of slave culture, as slaves were often prevented from becoming literate by their masters. Thus, stories and family histories were passed down from generation to generation. The fact that Milkman suddenly becomes open to learning from the song, while he “had never played like that as a child” (264), shows that he is beginning to see himself in the context of others, within his family, gender, race, and the world as a whole. Shortly after listening to the children sing the song, Milkman “was ashamed of having been frightened or suspicious of Guitar’s message” (265). This shows that Milkman is finally beginning to accept his connection to his roots, and his enthrallment by the song is a symbol of that.
Chapter 11:
ReplyDeleteMilkman took on his trip down South to return with gold, but he is really going on a journey to find himself and discover family history. Magdalene called Lena criticizes him for not doing any work in the house and leaving it for the women. It is true that Milkman takes advantage of the women in his life, although he was in denial for a while. Even in Shalimar, he is indignant when “he’d struck a wrong note. About the women, he guessed. What kind of place was this where a man couldn’t even ask for a woman?” (265). Milkman is looking for prostitutes or call women, which isn’t a dignified profession. He acts like he’s entitled to women whenever he wants it, though Shalimar seems to have more respect for their women. As he reflects alone in the woods, he does admit, “he’d thrown [Hagar] away like a wad of chewing gum after the flavor was gone” (276-277). When Guitar confronted him earlier, he became defensive and acted like he had the right to treat Hagar the way he did. However, now he acknowledges that he used her and was heartless in his actions when he got tired. Milkman is in a contradictory state, where he realizes he does have faults but then tries to justify them. His wealth has become a flaw in the south. The way he throws money around insults the townspeople, “but so what? What business was it of theirs what he did with his money? He didn’t deserve…” (276). Milkman has identified what they’re mad about, but he isn’t willing to understand why. They see Milkman with skin “as black as theirs, but they knew he had the heart of the white men” (266). In this way Milkman still annoys me, because he wants them to “share your happiness with me but not your unhappiness” (277). This seems childlike, because he must know that you can’t just enjoy life. Happiness is always paired with unhappiness, and it’s selfish for him to turn his back when others are suffering. We often say we find our real friends when we’re at our worsts, because they’re the only ones who are willing to stick around. Milkman hasn’t learned the reasoning behind this yet.
This might also be a reason why Guitar has tried to murder Milkman. I don’t know why Milkman was targeted, because the Seven Days are supposed to kill random white individuals. Milkman is neither one to Guitar. When Milkman first learns that Guitar was following him, he gets nervous and antsy. However, he reflects on their childhood and all the good Guitar did by him. Therefore, “Milkman was ashamed of having been frightened or suspicious of Guitar’s message” (264-265). Milkman still values their friendship, even though he disagrees with what Guitar is doing. In many ways Milkman is stuck in the past by valuing the relationship he had with Guitar when they were kids. Something changed in Guitar, because Milkman was supposed to leave “this world at the fingertips of his friend” (279), the very friend who saved Milkman from bullies when they were younger. I was surprised with Milkman’s reaction. He knows it’s Guitar, his best friend tried to kill him. And while Milkman does manage to escape, he doesn’t seem devastated at this fact. This is the ultimate betrayal, and Milkman doesn’t even know why. He seems at peace with Sweet, remaining in denial over Guitar’s new life. Guitar couldn’t send a clearer message to Milkman that their friendship is over, because there isn’t another way to betray him in a worse way.
As Milkman continues to develop as a character into chapter 12, it becomes more and more evident that his desire to connect with his family and his roots outweighs his desire to attain the gold. When Milkman leaves his watch at Susan's house, he contemplates returning to get it back, yet he finally "decided finally that a watch was not worth worrying about"(295) instead, Milkman is preoccupied with "finding his people". As Milkman starts to gather more and more information he catches a glimpse of himself in a window, he notices that "He was grinning. Hit eyes were shining. He was as eager and happy as he had ever been in his life."(304) This quote reiterates the fact that Milkman is Milkman's passion for his past and family is far more fulfilling than his hunger for gold.
ReplyDeleteMilkman is starting to display way more sympathy for his family back home than he has displayed up to this point in the novel. He thinks of his mother Ruth, and wonders what is must have been like for her to be sexually deprived from age 20 to age 40. He notes that "He hadn't thought much of it when she told him, but now it seemed to him that such sexual deprivation would affect her, hurt her in precisely the way it would affect and hurt him."(300) Milkman is finally starting to put himself in shoes of other people and understanding their flaws through this reflective process. His mind later turns to Hagar, he wonders "why did he never sit down and talk to her? Honestly."(301) This passage solidifies the fact that Milkman is considerate to the women in his life, and no longer only thinks of them as sexual objects or "third beers". He truthfully feels remorse for the way he treated Hagar and knows that he "used" her, " He had used her- her love, her craziness and most of all had used her skulking, bitter vengence. It had made him a star"(301) I think the debate we had in class over whether or not Milkman is truthfully reformed in his thinking about women can be settled with quotes of 300-301.
As I was not in class today, I'm lumping the two chapter responses into one post:
ReplyDeleteChapter 11--
It’s invigorating to see Milkman begin to accept the people around him, especially after the entire first half of the book being devoted to descriptions how insufferable he was. On his hunting expedition after being attacked by a group of men in Solomon’s store, Milkman tells himself he “had done nothing do deserve their contempt” for his wealth, reminding himself of how he didn’t deserve his parent’s disturbing stories and threats on his life by Hagar (276). But he quickly reveals a more thoughtful side of his personality that he hasn’t really exposed for the entire book: while mulling over the word he uses so often—deserve—he realizes that he always acted as if “he deserved only to be loved—from a distance, though—and given what he wanted....I am not responsible for your pain; share your happiness with me but not your unhappiness” (277). Milkman exercises powers of self-reflection that he has never exhibited before; furthermore, seemingly out of nowhere. In the poor black community he’s placed himself in, his privilege is so apparent that he can’t avoid thinking about it anymore. It’s interesting, though, that he has this epiphany alone in the middle of the woods—which makes me think that as much as Milkman is learning about the people he belongs to, he still fundamentally misunderstands them. After being beaten up, Milkman calls the perpetrators a series of pejoratives, including “Neanderthals” and “savages,” both of which are names that were once used by white people to describe African-Americans. Although he eventually comes to terms with their resentment, he describes the men he’s hunting with with similar ideas: that they use “Language in the time when men and animals did talk to one another, when a man could sit down with an ape and converse” (278). Stereotypically, the genre of humans that are depicted as living during such a time are of darker skin; so isn’t Milkman still calling the people of Shalimar primitive humans, just with an air of admiration rather than resentment?
When Milkman momentarily resigns himself to death as Guitar suffocates him, he “saw a burst of many-colored lights dancing before his eyes. When the music followed the colored lights, he knew he had drawn the last sweet air left for him in the world” (279). This is a direct reference to a vision Milkman had in the previous chapter after leaving Circe, when “he smelled money, although it was not a smell at all. It was like candy and sex and soft twinkling lights. Like piano music with a few strings in the background” (251). Finally, he realizes that this imagery, to him, is what it feels like “To win. There was nothing like it in the world” (251). Milkman equates the “smell” of money, quiet lounge music, and city lights (all chiefly status symbols of wealth city dwellers) to winning—why, then does he see these images as he realizes he’s dying? And then as soon as it’s apparent Guitar won’t be able to kill him yet, why do those symbols flick out? A chain of symbolism is forming: love is closely related to death, and Milkman sees wealth as he’s dying, so are love, money, and death three things that are supposed to be intertwined throughout the novel?
Chapter 12--
DeleteMilkman undergoes drastic attitudinal change in Chapter 12. The conversational dynamic between Guitar and Milkman was often that of mentor-mentee, or wise man-inexperienced boy, respectively. Milkman struggles to firmly state his opinions or arouse enough inner fervor to even invest himself in their conversations, yet, in Chapter 12, Milkman finally decides something: that “can’t let him direct and determine what I do, where I go or when. If I do that now I’ll do it all my life and he’ll run me off the earth” (295). The dynamic changes; Guitar starts to sound paranoid and vicious in the ensuing interaction and Milkman seems rather level-headed. And he continues to be firm about his positions, despite not always expressing them verbally: “he willingly, spontaneously, had helped an old white man life a huge, heavy crate. But it was true. It was true. And he’d prove it” (296). These changes in attitude also pervade his opinions of his family, realizing that “Hating his parents, his sisters, seemed silly now” (301). He even discovers some shame he has regarding how he inexcusably disrespected Hagar. Despite his personal metamorphosis, the childrens’ song diverts his attention from this growth and focuses his attention on finding out more about Jake and Sing and, as a result, finding the gold. Putting together the pieces of the song excites Milkman, realizing that, as if he were a child on Christmas, “Somewhere in the pile there was a gift for him,” which is a thought that betrays his selfish motivations despite his apparent changes in opinion apropos of his loved ones (304).
Chapter 12: Symbols and colors are also used in interesting ways Chapter 12. Susan Byrd’s house has a “white picket fence,” which is an image heavily tied up in the American dream (287). It has connotations of normalcy and white middle-class suburbia, but that stability is often superficial, and the fence serves to guard the secrets of the family within the house. In the case of the Byrds, the white picket fence is an attempt at Americanizing and “passing” as white (290). Little details reveal how shallow the normalcy Susan presents to the world really is. She serves Milkman “wide pale cookies,” which are standard and relatively bland fare (289). These butter cookies fade in comparison to the pervasive smell of “gingerbread baking” (287). Ginger is dark and has exotic connotations, while butter is white and all-American. As Susan serves her guest the more normal cookies, the smell of the gingerbread, which she doesn’t offer him or acknowledge, hints that the family has secrets and hidden roots. When Grace pressures Milkman into taking home the cookies he doesn’t really want, she wraps them in “white paper napkins” (292). This seems like a very normal, housewife-y thing to do, but the napkins also hide a secret, as Grace tucks up a slip of paper with her address on it in with the cookies. It’s all about keeping up appearances in the Byrd household, as a sort of inherited pride that has been passed down from the grandmother Heddy, who was too proud to let her children mix with black children. Susan has thus been brought up to conceal her emotions and present a somewhat haughty, untouchable exterior. Her “words were as mechanical as her smile” (292). In trying to conceal her discomfort and annoyance at having Milkman in her home, she ends up making her feelings very clear because she is so stiff and repressed. This theme of trying, but failing, to appear “normal” is also evident in the changes in the family name. Milkman realizes that they “had mixed their Indian names with American-sounding names” (304). Yet he can still easily realize what their true names are: Singing Bird became Sing Byrd, Crow Bird became Crowell Byrd. Their names didn’t change completely, as Jake’s did when he was named Macon Dead by the drunken Yankee, so they couldn’t truly assimilate into their society. The Byrds’ pride, which manifests itself in their avoidance of mixing with African Americans, further alienates them from the people of Shalimar and prevents them from truly becoming Americans.
ReplyDeleteI also noticed that trees were heavily used in this chapter, but I wasn’t sure what to make of their symbolism. When Milkman sees Guitar, he is “outlined in cobalt blue,” leaning on a “persimmon tree” (295). These bright colors stand in sharp contrast to the bland whiteness of the Byrds’ house. As Milkman watches the children play their endless Solomon game, he “leaned against the cedar” and feels a deep void because he never really got a chance to play as a child. As Milkman begins to unravel his family history, he feels “as excited as a child confronted with boxes and boxes of presents under the skirt of a Christmas tree” (304). After hearing Akane’s fascinating interpretation of the sweet gum tree in class today, I’m interested to hear if anyone has any thoughts on the significance of these trees.
Persimmon is a tree whose fruit is bitter and inedible when young, but turns sweet and nutritious as it ages. The moment when Milkman leans against a persimmon tree, “surprised at the calm, steady beat of heart” with “a complete absence of fear” as he faces Guitar, marks the transition between Milkman’s bitter youth and his maturity as now an individual. A symbolism of persimmon tree is overcoming prejudice and rigidity to attain sweetness and compassion; Milkman’s new understanding of his perception of Guitar can be compared to this persimmon symbolism.
DeleteMilkman leans against a “huge cedar” as he watches the children play their endless round games. Cedar trees are evergreens and have the connotations of being youthful and strong; thus, it connects to the childhood that Milkman thinks back to. A cedar tree is symbolic of protection, and in this scene, the children play under the huge cedar as if they are protected by the evergreen. Although not necessarily cedar, family trees have the word “tree” in it (for the physical shape it ends up acquiring as the names branch out), and it is under a tree that Milkman thinks dearly about his family: “hundreds of miles away, he was homesick for [Pilate];” “Owning, building, acquiring - that was his [father’s] life, his future, his present, and all the history he knew;” “His mind turned to Hagar;” etc, as if Milkman is starting to think about his family tree. In fact, it is under this very cedar tree that he pieces together his family tree as he meticulously listens to the children’s song.
Chapter 12
ReplyDeleteAs Milkman's trip continues he appears more and more as a humbled individual. The day after Guitar's attempted murder on him, Milkman claims that he isn't scared of Guitar anymore. He faces a man who attempted to take his life, this is a new strength that Milkman did not have before. Milkman is becoming more of a gentleman. Guitar thinks that Milkman shipped the gold away because he "had never seen Milkman give anybody a hand"(296). Earlier, Milkman is described as selfish by his sisters and that's what Guitar sees when Milkman helps a man load his truck, but Milkman is genuinely more caring. Guitar still has a soft spot for Milkman because he left a warning that he was looking for him instead of catching him completely off guard. He says, "You're my friend. It's the least I could do for a friend" (298). This trip has made Milkman closer to his family back home. He seems to understand his parents' "scarring" struggle and is more empathetic. He misses Pilate too :"he was homesick for her, for her house, for the very people he had been hell-bent to leave" (300). The most intriguing realization Milkman has is his mistreatment of Hagar. What will he do about his wounded relationship with Hagar?: "He had used her-her love, her craziness...It made him a star, a celebrity in the Blood Bank; it told men and other women that he was one bad dude, that he had the power to drive a woman out of her mind" (301). Milkman needed Hagar not just to be in love with him but desperate for him in order to feel secure. He thought it made him appear powerful and desirable.
Chapter 12
ReplyDeleteMilkman's relationship and maturity seem to be constantly changing throughout the last few chapters. With Guitar he realized earlier that he was pretty crazy, however now he has confidence, "If he did confront him he was sure he could take him" (286). This is new confidence I had not noticed before. He always seemed to see Guitar as a sort of Big brother. I always had the feeling that Milkman was somewhat intimidated by Guitar, however now in the woods he seems to have grown, and also his relationship with Guitar has almost completely deteriorated. Now instead of having Guitar as a friend Guitar is a person who wants to kill him. Also his relationships with other people also change, "He did feel connected as though some cord or pulse they shred" (293). Back in his hometown due to his family's reputation he was never connected to anyone. This also has to do with the fact that he was spoiled and never really needed to interact with anyone. Now that he had to go out into the world and meet other people he was able to feel connections. Once he has left his bubble and comfort zone he is forced to grow to a period where it actually reflects his age. He can no longer do nothing and get everything.
Chap 12
ReplyDeleteMilkman learns a lot about his family history in this chapter, which Morrison implies in extremely valuable through the character of Susan, who may not have been much help to Macon in his search for his family history, but certainly helped teach him the importance of it. She tells him "It's a sad thing, Mr. Macon, when you're left without any people to claim you...but my family is very close.' She gave him a meaningful look." (291) While Milkman's poor social skills could have limited what he got out of this interaction, Morrison is obviously saying something about the importance of family, especially with the plot of the book, more so in part two, centers around Milkman finding out about his family. Milkman did get something out of his visit, as "He didn't feel close to them, but he did feel connected, as though there was some cord or pulse or information they shared."(292-293) This is also foreshadowing Milkman's discoveries that he will make at the end of the chapter, be he is learning to feel connected to people, which during the first part of the novel would be a stretch to say the least. When his "scalp began to tingle" (302) as he realized his family history through the children's song in the town, Morrison is making a statement of how his family is deeply rooted in the town, yet left, which raises some questions since his family was clearly revered.
3) Throughout the last two chapters Milkman has become much less self-centred than before. Developmentally, Milkman has been acting like a child until he has left the city and even though he is yet to act his age, he is acting older and seeing how he fits in the world rather than how the world should fit him in. That attitude change also affects the way he views those around him. For example, when he is about to die after being strangled (279) he sees Hagar hovering above him in “perfect love” and “the most intimate sexual position”. Despite him still viewing her as an outlet for sex, Milkman still sees her physically above him, and, in a way, she is saving him as after he sees her he does not, indeed, die. Milkman also proclaimed that he needs to be “loved from a distance” (277) and the fact that Hagar is so close to him proves that he sees her differently as she is very close to him. It also shakes off the disgust he expressed for her earlier when she expressed her sexual desire for him freely, which was a large part of him ending their relationship. As for Guitar, I think he sensed Milkman’s attitude change. Earlier in the book he was angry at him for not caring about racist actions around him, but as the book progressed he seemed to realize how immature Milkman was and let it go for a while. It does, however, seem like he deemed his actions so unforgivable that he decided to kill him later on, once he understood how bad his crime was. What I find really confusing is Pilate’s disappearance from Milkman’s mind. I find that out of all the women in the book, despite being the most independant, she is also the most used by Milkman. In class we have concluded that she is the most understanding of Milkman and his biggest support, as she wants nothing in return and views him for who he is (unlike Ruth). However, Milkman is so desperately infatuated with Macon’s approval that he sacrifices everything he had with her to steal from her (even though she comes to bail him out of jail later) and once he leaves town he virtually forgets about her part in both his and Macon’s lives and focuses only on the latter.
ReplyDelete4) Guitar - “plucked” by the events around him, and more recently, the 7 Days. The Civil Rights Movement in particular was full of music, coming from the African American community as well as outside of it (ex. Bob Dylan) detailing the struggle of the movement. Guitar is like one of those songs, as well as like the Song of Solomon in the sense that he is detailing a story, and he is really our eye into how people reacted to the movement at the time as Milkman does not care.
Pilate - Pronounced “pilot”, the most connected to flying (except for Mr. Smith) as she tends to leave quite abruptly (ex. after Reba’s birth) and refuses to settle down (ex. marry Reba’s father). Pontius Pilate was a judge in Judea under Tiberius, and was the one who authorized the crucifixion of Jesus. It’s an interesting contrast because if we view Milkman as the “Jesus” of this story (ignoring the fact they don’t share any qualities), she is the only one protecting him. However, Guitar shares a lot more with him - helping and protecting his people, despite being much more violent - than does that foreshadow her letting harm happen to Guitar in order to save Milkman?
Sweet - I think that despite the fact that there is some more equality in this relationship than with Hagar, Sweet is in all ways Milkman’s subordinate. She agrees to take a cold bath because Milkman used up all the hot water, and their love is a one way street because he is still paying her to have sex. Her name within itself, Sweet, is a proof of this inequality - you can’t just live on sweet things, you have to get nutrients. It is also a contrast to the fact Guitat can’t have sweets.
The encounter between Guitar and Milkman in Chapter 12 is an interesting one. Guitar has been trying to kill Milkman, yet they share a casual conversation. Guitar's first words to Milkman are, "My man" (295). This is a reference to the friendship they share that is still showing even though Guitar is trying to kill Milkman. Guitar even admits that the reason he wanted Milkman to know he was going to kill him was because , "It's the least I could do for a friend" (298). Even though Guitar knows him and Milkman are the best of friends he is willing to look past that for the gold that he thinks Milkman shows. This shows how irrational Guitar is being. Not only is he angry about gold that isn't there, but he is willing to kill is best friend for it. The reason for Guitar being so irrational is his anger which Guitar admits to. When Milkman calls Guitar crazy, Guitar responds, "Angry. Never crazy" (295). Guitar is aware that his anger has taken over him so much so that he wants to kill Milkman. From this we can see that it is actually the anger inside of Guitar that drives him to kill. Before he has said that he feels nothing when he kills for the Seven Days. Now we know that he was lying. Guitar is consumed by his anger. It blinds him causing him to search for the gold that Milkman knows is not there.
ReplyDeleteChapter 12:
ReplyDeleteI found it very interesting how Milkman discovers the majority of his family's history through spoken word and song. The question I want to pose to Milkman is why he did not try to go through official records to trace his family lineage like we would. I think that the fact Milkman was only able to piece his family's story together by consulting people and hearing it told orally is yet another aspect of race Morrison decided to add to the book. While white people can simply go through records, whether they be official or homemade, to trace their family lineage, black people cannot. At this time, more often than not, black people did not even really exist in records. And even if they did, the records may be completely false, which is the case with Macon Dead I. Instead of relying on official records, black people rely on stories to tell their family's ancestry, like how Milkman gathers pieces of his lineage through stories from Pilate, Macon, and Circe. In Africa, family roots are most likely traced through generations of stories or maybe even songs, which is the case with Milkman and the song of Solomon the children sing. The song is a call and response of English and, what I assume to be gibberish (I hope I'm not making an offensive assumption), which reminds me a lot of the stereotypical view of an African ritual or ceremony. They might tell a story through song, but also fill the song with random sounds like "Come konka yalle" (303).
Milkman's "scalp [begins] to tingle" (302) when he hears the song. He has this physical response even when he is unaware the song may be about his family. There is something spiritual and indigenous about this part, which correlates with Milkman being destitute of his material wealth.
Another part I found interesting is Guitar and Milkman's encounter. Until this moment, Milkman was clearly the immature one in that friendship as he is physically younger than Guitar. Guitar initially accuses Milkman's life of being "pointless, aimless" (107), but now it seems as though Guitar is the immature one. Before, he claimed he killed for love, that his "whole life is love" (159). When he attempts to kill Milkman, however, it is out of personal greed and gain, maybe even jealousy. He feels betrayed that Milkman would take all this material gain for himself, and so Guitar decides to try to kill Milkman. Seems pretty immature to me. I feel like Milkman and Guitar's individually respectively seem to be inversely proportional. As Milkman discovers himself through the loss of material greed, Guitar strays away from his integrity.
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ReplyDeleteQuestions 5 and 7.
ReplyDeleteI think that the book is named "song of Solomon" because i think that Morrison wants us to start connecting the dots and the names to build up this big family. He starts off the book at the bottom of the family tree and throughout the book he goes up and as the book progresses, Milkman and the reader are both finding out new things and new connections. For example, in chapter 12 Milkman sits out on the porch and listens to the kids singing. "Jake the only son of Solomon...Heddy took him to a red man's house...solomon and Ryna Belai Shalut...Twenty one and the last one Jake" (303) It took Milkman a while but after a while he notices that this song is the song of solomon and that it was the song of his own family. This connects to the songs that Pilate sang "Sugar man done fly away, Sugarman done gone, Sugar man cut across the sky, sugar man gone home" (6) And this sugarman is a replacement for the Solomon the kids used in their song. The fact that Pilate sings that song makes me think that either she was in Virginia when she was young but by a different name, or that Macon I probably sang this kind of lullaby to Pilate.
The distrust that Guitar has in milkman during the two chapters is incredible. At first Milkman thought that Guitar was in trouble and that Guitar wanted to find him but in fact Guitar thought "You took the gold" (295) and that the big box that Milkman helped a man carry onto a train was the gold. Guitar thought that Milkman was shipping it away and that in Virginia he would pick it up. I don't know what made Guitar follow Milkman and I also do not understand why Guitar, Milkman's best friend , wouldn't even try to talk to Milkman before killing him or intercept him at the train station. Guitar has no evidence that Milkman "Stole" the gold and I feel like the seven days group has made him indifferent to killing people and Milkman foreshadowed this happening when they were talking about the seven days group earlier when he tells Guitar "You can off me" and guitar responds with "we don't off Negroes" (161) This foreshadows that Guitar was going to do something to Milkman because the fact that he didn't say "I could never kill you" and the fact that it's literall just a rule separating him from killing "Negroes" is crazy. Guitar was blinded by the gold while Milkman just used the gold as an excuse to find out about his family.
Chapter 12:
ReplyDeleteWhen we discussed the differences in Part I and Part II in this book, one difference was Milkman's motives. Milkman is not an individual in Michigan, but as his journey in the South continues, he discovers more about himself and his family. Milkman originally takes on this journey to bring home gold that will free him, only to find that the gold never existed or was taken by someone else. Nevertheless, Milkman does find information that frees him. Milkman learns more about his family history, and "ever since Danville, his interest in his own people, not just the ones he met, had been growing" (293). This contrasts his feelings in Michigan, where “he’d always considered himself the outsider in his family” (293). While there are still many questions Milkman has, his family history can explain the existing relationships (between Pilate and Macon II, how their personalities developed, etc). This understanding created “some cord or pulse or information they shared” (293), which almost admits Milkman into the family (so he feels like less of an “outsider”). When Milkman had left Michigan, he wanted the gold so he could start his own life. As he leaves for Susan Byrd’s house again, “he was as eager and happy as he had ever been in his life” (304), which reminded me of when Milkman first when to Pilate’s.
A major part of this chapter is Milkman’s interaction with Guitar. Both of them know what happened in the forest, yet the emotions aren’t as strong as I thought they would be. Questions and replies are short and there isn’t the familiar passion behind each statement. I don’t know how much I trust Guitar, because he tells Milkman he tried to kill him “because you ripped us off! You are fuckin with our work” (297). At first I thought it doesn’t make sense for Guitar to use the Seven Days phrase, because this crime has nothing to do with the group. Milkman is not a stranger or a white person, so he doesn’t fit the criteria. However, I did notice guitar use “us” instead of “me”. He needed the money for his job at Seven Days, and the gold was supposed to provide him with that. It surprised me how fast Guitar turned on Milkman, though we knew there was tension before Milkman even knew about the Seven Days. The end of this scene confuses me, because Guitar tells Milkman “You’re my friend” (298). He uses present tense, even though he just tried to kill him. They both use sarcasm at the end, and it’s an unsaid end to their friendship.
Chapter 11:
ReplyDeleteI believe that Milkman is truly developing and maturing as we continue through the story. This change shows up explicitly while Milkman is dying, with him saying, "His life flashed before him, but it consisted of only one image: Hagar bending over him in perfect love." (279) Here Milkman describes Hagar by using the term "perfect love". This is particularly important as before he only thought of Hagar as an object that he used, but now he realizes that he did in fact have a connection with her that her took for granted. He also shows awareness of his previous actions, as he says, "Hagar, who knew him and whom he'd thrown away like a wad of chewing gum after the flavor was gone- she had a right to try and kill him too." (277) Milkman saying that she has a "right to kill him" means that he understands what he did to her was wrong. We finally see Milkman showing remorse for his past actions, something that didn't happen in Part 1; even when his own sister chewed him out for being entitled he didn't ever say sorry or realize he was wrong. This shows serious character development on his part.
Chapter 12:
In Chapter 12 Milkman continues his search for information on "his people". Milkman seemingly becomes more and more interested in what happened to his people as the book goes on. He talks about his search when he says, "His interest in his own people, not just the ones he met, had been growing. Macon Dead, also known as Jake somebody. Sing. Who were they, and what were they like." (293) This passage shows that Milkman is growing more intrigued by his past. He thinks that it is important to recover his family roots as he wants to known the stories of his ancestors. This also shows Milkman taking an interest in something, something that we didn't see him do before. He never seemed to have a hobby or be captivated by anything before this.
In this chapter we also get more insight into Milkman's change. When Guitar questions him about gold saying that he saw him move a crate of it, Milkman responds that he was helping out an old man by doing this. However, Guitar is skeptical as, "Guitar had never seen Milkman give anybody a hand." (296) This shows Milkman's change as he now helps out others rather than only helping out himself. As the book goes on, Milkman gets less self-centered and grows into more of a likable character.
In chapter 12 we see Milkman begin to empathize with people including his family. He is now “homesick” for the very place that he tried to run away from, the very place he did not consider his home. (300) He also, begins to sympathize with his family more and he has begun to evaluate his relationships with other people. He is making “connections” to the people he is meeting even though “he didn’t feel close to them”. (293) demonstrating that Milkman is finally getting the interactions he never had before for proper development. Also he always use to be bored, now though he is “curious” (293) and showing interests of other things and people, unlike before where he was completely apathetic to everything.
ReplyDeleteAlso, the song of Solomon was a very interesting part of this chapter. The fact that the children “sang” in a way that “memorized”(303) Milkman and became something ended up being apart of his whole history. I think that the reason that Milkman is so intraced is because he has found the metaphorical gold that he was looking for. Milkman thought that by figuring out that the song was about his family that he was “confronted with boxes and boxes of presents” as if he is still searching for his gold, and he knows that somewhere there was “a gift just for him” (304) as if he is still hunting for something as precious to him as gold.
In Chapter 12 Milkman is starting to empathize with his family instead of part 1 where he tries to distance himself away from his parents. He tries to find out more about family from Susan Byrd. Even though he did not find out new things about his family, he thanks her for her help. As Susan tells Milkman he must really think his family history is very important, he responds by saying, “No. Not really. I was just passing through, and it was just just an idea. It’s not important.”(292) His constant repetition of denying that he does not think that his family’s past is important shows that he is lying and he does not want to admit about caring for his family. He even later admits, “his interest in his own people, not just the he met, had been growing.”(293) This shows a very big difference between part 1 and part 2 and that he actually cares about his family.
ReplyDeleteIn this chapter he also starts thinking about what he did to Hagar. He starts to question why did he not do anything nice to him. “Why did he never sit her down and talk to her? Honestly. And what ugly thing was it he said to her the last time she tried to kill him.”(301) He starts thinking about t things that Guitar told him. He starts to think it is his fault instead of blaming her craziness. He starts thinking that he should have changed to make himself less of a bad person.