SURPRISINGLY I DID 5 BLOGS INSTEAD OF 4 AS EVERYBODY ELSE!!! WILL I HAVE A HIGHER GRADE? ONE BLOG BONUS?

p.281-282 Central Ideas for Milkman’s Development

In this part of the novel, Toni Morrison illustrates a special ritual, in which Milkman participates: dressing a bobcat. From the description of the bobcat, one may conclude that the animal is a symbol of the female characters: “The legs fell open. Such thin delicate ankles” (Song of Solomon, 281). Milkman is the one, who lifts out the bobcat’s heart from within its ribcage. In a similar way, Milkman ‘ripped out’ Hagar’s heart.

While the men skin the animal, Milkman thinks about his family and himself. He is self-examining himself. While looking at the bobcat, Milkman remembers a previous conversation. He is thinking of Hagar’s words: “Everybody wants a black man’s life” (Song of Solomon, 281). This sentence in relation to the scene in which it appears suggests that the life of a black man is similar to the life of a hunted animal. Milkman realizes that a black man’s life is being hunted by white men in order to take it away. In addition, black women want the whole life of a black man. Milkman becomes conscious of the fact that his whole life his father wanted his life, Hagar wanted his life, and his mother wanted his life. The dead bobcat may be a symbol of Milkman too. Milkman connects himself to the bobcat because he has previously been a prey: he was attacked by his best friend Guitar. Guitar has caused Milkman much pain because of his betrayal. Milkman feels as though his heart has been ripped out in a similar way he has ripped the heart of the bobcat.

Another interpretation of Milkman’s taking the animal’s heart in his hands, is that Milkman is getting rid of his previous life and his white mentality. This ritual illustrates Milkman’s initiation into the community of the Shalimar people. This scene suggests that Milkman is giving up his previous life in order to find hid identity and happiness.

In this chapter, the audience notices Milkman’s transformation. He is no longer indifferent and arrogant toward the villagers from Shalimar, but he gradually starts to feel intimacy toward them and define himself as part of them. Although at first, the villagers had difficulties accepting him because of his social status, in this part of the book, they accept him in their community. In addition, Milkman starts realizing that material possessions are not the most precious thing on earth. This transformation is symbolized by the image of the peacock: “A peacock soared away and lit on the hood of a blue Buick” (Song of Solomon, 283). The peacock that was unable to fly in previous chapters here is able to soar away. Therefore, like the peacock Milkman will soon be able to fly and feel happy.

Blue Song

Baby, please don’t go

(original by Muddy Waters)

Baby, please don't go
Baby, please don't go
Baby, please don't go, down to Shalimar
You know I love you so.

Before I be your dog
Before I be your dog
Before I be your dog
Let’s once again make love.

Turn your lamp down low
Turn your lamp down low
Turn your lamp down low
So I can easily stick the knife in your throat.

You brought me way down here
You brought me way down here
You brought me way down here
And now you treat me like nothing but a “third beer”.

Baby, please don't go
Baby, please don't go
Baby, please don't go, down to Shalimar
or I will get a heart attack.

Before I be your dog
Before I be your dog
Before I be your dog
Let’s once again make love.

I know you’re gone away
I know you’re gone away
I know you’re gone away
To the country farm, where your past and future lay.

Central Ideas Key for Milkman Development-p.266

In this part of the book, Milkman is put in a completely new environment, in which he does not fit. On the quest for the hidden gold, Milkman stops in a village named Shalimar because his car has broken. During his stay in Shalimar, Milkman finds himself surrounded by many unfriendly looks but cannot figure out the reasons for them.
When Milkman arrives in the village, all men and women stare at him. The village people immediately notice that the visitor is a lot more different from them. He is living in the city, having money to buy a new car, and wearing expensive clothes. In addition, this man does not bother to say his name nor ask for theirs. His manners seem arrogant in the eyes of the Shalimar people, and his actions remind the villagers of their poverty: “His manner, his clothes were reminders that they had no crops of their own and no land to speak of either” (Song of Solomon, 266). Milkman’s behavior insults the villagers, and they look with hatred at him. The Shalimar villagers see Milkman as a white man rather than as a black one: “They looked at his skin and saw it was black as theirs, but they knew he had the heart of the white men who came to pick them up in the trucks when they needed anonymous, faceless laborers” (Song of Solomon, 266). The people envy Milkman for everything he has and they do not. What is more, Milkman’s appearance causes the men in Shalimar to feel worthless and small: “He was telling them that they weren’t men, that they relied on women and children for their food” (Song of Solomon, 266).
The hostility of the Shalimar’s people seem inexplicable to Milkman. He does not realize that his behavior insults the villagers. Since he has not communicated much in his town, he does not know how to make a proper conversation with a stranger. No one has taught him how to behave in public. Therefore, Milkman is not being arrogant with the Shalimar people on purpose. He just behaves in the way he does at home.

The Shalimar people perceive Milkman as a white man, who is egotistical and haughty. Therefore, they are hostile to him. Milkman, though, cannot realize that he is being rude to the villagers. He has to change his behavior in order to be treated in a better way by the other people.

p.124-From “…because the fact is that I am a small woman.” to “I am not a strange woman. I am a small one.”

Like most of the women in the 1930s, Ruth was subordinate to her father and later to her husband. Since Ruth was the daughter of the only black doctor in town, as a child she received much more than the other black girls. She was wearing beautiful, expensive clothes, living in a big, luxurious house, and eating only well-chosen food. That is why, the other black children from the town treated her as different. She did not make any friends, and no one was worried about her except her father: “I had no friends, only schoolmates who wanted to touch my dresses and my white silk stockings” (Song of Solomon, 124). Although Ruth was not living happily, she thought she was happy because she had her father to care for her: “But I didn’t think I’d ever need a friend because I had him” (Song of Solomon, 124). In the huge mansion, Ruth was feeling as though she was pressed “into a small package”. Throughout her childhood, Ruth has always acted in a way that pleases her father while he has controlled her as much as possible. He treated her like his possession.

Ruth was her father’s doll, and later she becomes her husband’s. Macon Jr. chooses to marry her only because of her class position, and then stops looking after her. He is too obsessed to earn money and does not have time for his wife. As a result, Ruth feels abandoned and sad. She defines herself as “a small woman”. This phrase shows that Ruth realizes that she does not have the strong will and character that Pilate has. Ruth is too dependent on Macon and was too dependent on her father.

Ruth serves as a symbol for women of the time, who were taught to be servile and fully dependent on their men. Ruth’s main duties are centered only around her home. Nowhere in the text has the author suggested that there is anything wrong with these duties, but Toni Morrison points out the dangers of living a life defined by society in a way that ignores one’s identity. Song of Solomon reveals Morrison’s concerns about the treatement and position of women in society.

P.157-158-from “Wait a minute, Guitar.” to “So the numbers have to remain static.”

In this passage Toni Morisson presents the strange philosophy of Guitar and his attitude towards white people.

Since Guitar was raised in a poor family and has witnessed the death of his father, he has stored much anger in his heart. That is why, at some point in his life, he decides to let this anger out. Unfortunately, Guitar chooses to direct his anger toward white people. He believes that white people are guilty for all evil in the world. In addition, Guitar calls them ‘unnatural’. The character thinks of white people as ill: “Nothing can cure them…”(Song of Solomon, 158). Guitar is so blinded by his hatred of whites that he cannot realize that he is the sick one. He is gradually turning into a serial killer.

In this part of the novel, Milkman’s views are in contrast to Guitar’s views. Milkman does not approve of his friend’s behavior and philosophy. Milkman cannot even understand Guitar’s reasons for murdering white people: “I’m not understanding you” (Song of Solomon 158). Milkman realizes that killing innocent white people does not solve any problem. Milkman is against the murders of people and wants to prevent future murders. Although Milkman tries to open the eyes of his friend, Guitar refuses to do so. He sticks to the belief that white people kill black people in order to have fun, to gain power, and gain public attention. That is why, Guitar participates in the organization Seven Days. He is going to continue killing whites in order to keep the ration of blacks and whites static.

Guitar is unable to cope with his anger, thus he allows the anger to control his life.

In this novel, Morrison wants to stress on the fact that the murders of white people that Guitar performs neither combat racism nor help the African-American community in any way. On the contrary, these drastic measures just hinder the Afro-American’s development.

Chapter 5

Coming soon...