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.