It is not hidden that Toni Morrison finds names and naming very important in her novel Song of Solomon. Declaring the importance of names from the start, the epigraph to the novel reads “The fathers may soar / and the Children may know their Names” (Morrison). When first reading the novel people may be surprised by the large quantity and obscurity of characters names. Names like “Milkman”, “Guitar” and “Empire State” sound odd and meaningless but as readers explore the novel they see the importance of these name and how they further benefit the story. We see the value of these names in different ways. We see both how other perceive one another through their names as well as how characters see there self through the identity that is their name. Morrison also uses name extensively as a source of symbolism and intertextuality, naming characters after their biblical similarities as well attributes of oneself. Morrison expresses the importance of naming throughout Song of Solomon through characters perception of themselves and one another’s through their name as well as the meaning behind ones name.
Morrison names each character with a reason, using both intertextuality as well as symbolism. Characters such as First Corinthians and Magdalena names come from the bible and are used as further characterization. The two most important biblical character in the novel are Pilate and Hagar. Hagar’s biblical counterpart was a concubine from Genesis. This is a reference to the way she is treated by Milkman, used only for her sex she longs for his love. She is unaware of the meaning of her biblical name unlike Pilate. Pilates name was chosen by her illiterate father by choosing “a group of letters that seemed to him strong and handsome” (18). H...
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... it in her writing. We see her use it as a literary tool through the use of intertextuality in names such as Pilate and Hager to help conveying characters more fully. We also see Morrison appreciation of the power of names in how characters identify themselves and one another. Ultimately Song of Solomon is a story about finding one’s self. Morrison
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Davis, Cynthia A. "Self, Society, and Myth in Toni Morrison's Fiction." Contemporary Literature. 3rd ed. Vol. 23. N.p.: University of Wisconsin, n.d. 323-42. JSTOR. Web. 17 Apr. 2014. .
Dreifus, Claudia. "CHLOE WOFFORD Talks About TONI MORRISON." The New York Times. N.p., 11 Sept. 1994. Web. 10 Apr. 2014.
Morrison, Toni. Song of Solomon. New York: Knopf, 1977. Print.
ames are one of the first identifiers a person is given, and yet as infants they are given no choice in this identifier that will be with them for the rest of their lives. In Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon the use of the biblical names Hagar and Pilate serve as a means to show the importance of defining the path of one’s life for one's self, as supposed to letting one's name define it for them. Through juxtaposition and parallels, Morrison teaches a universal lesson of the importance of self definition.
The book called Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison, deals with many real life issues, most of which are illustrated by the relationships between different family members.
Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon tells the life story of Milkman and his family. The novel is well written and complex, while talking about several complex issues such as race, gender, and class. Although the novel makes reference to the several issues, the novel primarily focuses on what people’s desires are and their identities. Specifically through the difference between Macon Jr. and Pilate, Morrison illustrates that our most authentic desires come not from material items, but from our wish to connect with others.
McKay, Nellie, editor, Critical Essays on Toni Morrison, G.K. Hall, 1988. Morrison, Toni. Song of Solomon. New York: Penguin Books, 1987. Rigney, Barbara.
Toni Morrison, in her novel Song of Solomon, skillfully utilizes symbolism to provide crucial insight into the story and to help add detail and depth to themes and character developments. Fabricating a 1960’s African American society, Morrison employs these symbols to add unspoken insight into the community that one would feel if he or she were actually living there, as well as to help the reader identify and sympathize with the characters and their struggles. By manifesting these abstract concepts into tangible objects such as gold or roses, the author is able to add a certain significance to important ideas that remains and develops further throughout the story, adding meaning to the work as a whole. Pilate’s brass box earring, containing
Toni Morrison's novel “Song of Solomon" is an evident example of literary work that utilizes the plight of the African-American community to develop an in-depth and complex storyline and plot. Not only does Toni Morrison use specific historical figures as references for her own characters, she also makes use of biblical figures, and mythological Greek gods and goddesses. When evaluating Toni Morrison’s “Song of Solomon” you can relate each and every character to a specific historical figure or mythological being in history. But to focus on a specific character you would look towards one of the protagonists. Guitar and Milkman can serve as main individuals that can be symbolic of other political and civil rights activist involved in history.
In Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon, the character of Milkman gradually learns to respect and to listen to women. This essay will examine Milkman's transformation from boy to man.
Freedom is heavily sought after and symbolized by flight with prominent themes of materialism, classism, and racism throughout Toni Morrison’s novel Song of Solomon. The characters Milkman and Macon Dead represent these themes as Macon raises Milkman based on his own belief that ownership of people and wealth will give an individual freedom. Milkman grows up taking this idea as a way to personally obtain freedom while also coming to difficult terms with the racism and privilege that comes with these ideas and how they affect family and African Americans, and a way to use it as a search for an individual 's true self. Through the novel, Morrison shows that both set themselves in a state of mental imprisonment to these materials
In Song of Solomon Toni Morrison tells a story of one black man's journey toward an understanding of his own identity and his African American roots. This black man, Macon "Milkman" Dead III, transforms throughout the novel from a naïve, egocentric, young man to a self-assured adult with an understanding of the importance of morals and family values. Milkman is born into the burdens of the materialistic values of his father and the weight of a racist society. Over the course of his journey into his family's past he discovers his family's values and ancestry, rids himself of the weight of his father's expectations and society's limitations, and literally learns to fly.
Song of Solomon tells the story of Dead's unwitting search for identity. Milkman appears to be destined for a life of self-alienation and isolation because of his commitment to the materialism and the linear conception of time that are part of the legacy he receives from his father, Macon Dead. However, during a trip to his ancestral home, “Milkman comes to understand his place in a cultural and familial community and to appreciate the value of conceiving of time as a cyclical process”(Smith 58).
Pruitt, Claude. "Circling Meaning in Toni Morrison's Sula.” African American Review 44.1/2 (2011): 115-129. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 14 Apr. 2014.
When one is confronted with a problem, we find a solution easily, but when a society is confronted with a problem, the solution tends to prolong itself. One major issue that is often discussed in today’s society that has been here for as long as we’ve known it, is racism. Racism is also a very repetitive theme in Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon. Almost every character has experienced racism whether it be towards them or they are the ones giving the racism in this novel. Racism is a very controversial topic as many have different perspectives of it. In Toni’s novel, three characters that have very distinct perspectives on racism are Macon Dead, Guitar, and Dr. Foster. These characters play vital roles throughout the novel.
A name symbolizes what that person means and stands for. Renaming is an act of changing who you want the world to see you as. Naming and renaming is an important concept throughout Toni Morrison’s Beloved. A name is an identity that allows one to identify as a human being. A name is full of history, culture, and individuality. In Beloved, a name is both a source of freedom and a source of degrading history. Naming transforms and alters one’s future and history.
Toni Morrison does not use any words she doesn’t need to. She narrates the story plainly and simply, with just a touch of bleak sadness. Her language has an uncommon power because of this; her matter-of-factness makes her story seem more real. The shocking unexpectedness of the one-sentence anecdotes she includes makes the reader think about what she says. With this unusual style, Morrison’s novel has an enthralling intensity that is found in few other places
“Toni Morrison.” American Women Writers. Taryn Benbow - Pfalzgrat. 2nd ed. of the book.