Analysis Of Milkman's Relationship With Hagar

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1. Now, at the age of thirty-one, Milkman is planning to end his relationship with Hagar. He remembers how he felt about her when he was twelve and seventeen. Why is she now “the third beer”? Milkman considers Hagar the "third beer" because now in their relationship Milkman only stayed with Hagar and made love to her because she was there. Milkman no longer had any feelings or desire to pursue Hagar, only remaining with her for their sexual relationship. Hagar is like the third beer because she no longer produces that excitement and satisfaction for Milkman, comparable to the effects of a first bottle of beer. The second bottle 's effect confirms the pleasure felt from the first and extends it, but the third bottle brings no effect. The …show more content…

As Milkman reflects on his relationship with Hagar, he remembers the crisis he walked in on when he was seventeen. Pilate was threatening a man who had acted violently toward Reba. Why does he remember the incident now? What might it foreshadow? 
 Milkman remembers this memory because in it Pilate protects Reba after she was beaten by one her boyfriend. Now that Milkman wants to end his relationship with Hagar, he may fear that the breakup will end up hurting her, causing upset to Pilate or Reba. This might foreshadow Hagar 's retaliation against Milkman, or the tensions and conflict that may arise between Milkman and Pilate or Reba. After Reba, Pilate 's daughter, was injured by her boyfriend, Pilate threatened him and caused him to never return, so if Hagar affected negatively against the breakup, Milkman might fear the retaliation from Reba or Pilate. 3. In chapter 3, Guitar had given Milkman the following advice: 
The cards are stacked against us and just trying to stay in the game, stay alive and in the game, makes us do funny things. Things we can’t help. Things that make us hurt one another. We don’t even know why. But look here, don’t carry it inside and don’t give it to nobody else. Try to understand it, but if you can’t, just forget it and keep yourself strong, man. 
In writing Hagar his goodbye letter, has he followed Guitar’s advice? …show more content…

The "insults, violence, and oppression" that Guitar and the barbershop men face are significant and integral issues that effect how the men live their lives, which is why they are frequently discussed and talked about. Milkman, however, does not understand the importance of these topics and the effects that they have on Guitar and his friends because he cannot relate his wealthy and affluent upbringings to their lives from the Southside. Milkman is dissociated from these racial problems so he believes them to be boring and trivial, he also lacks the understanding of its impact on Guitar 's and others ' lives, which is why I disagree with Milkman 's

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