Symbolism In Toni Morrison's Song Of Solomon

The use of symbolism as a literary device can be a great component of a novel , and add a magical feeling to any work. In Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon; that is exactly what it did. The novel has many characters; however, only a few will be relevant in this paper. These characters are Milkman, Ruth Dead, First Corinthians, Magdalene(Lena), Macon Dead Jr, Pilate Dead, Freddie, and Guitar Bains. Milkman, or Macon III, is the main character and protagonist in the story.

The novel begins with a crowd watching as an insurance agent, Robert Smith, prepares to leap off the roof of Mercy Hospital in Michigan. This crowd contains a few of the important characters Ruth, First Corinthians, Magdalene, Pilate, and Guitar Bains. After Mr. Smith’s leap

Ruth gives birth to, the first black baby born in Mercy, her son Milkman. Milkman learns that he cannot fly at a young age. He grows up in a wealthy, but dysfunctional family. Macon Dead Jr, Milkman’s father, is a cold-hearted, and successful landlord. Ruth and Macon have an unloving relationship, and puts Milkman in there problems. Macon and Pilate are siblings; however, Macon does not associate with Pilate. He tells Milkman to do the same because he does not agree with her lifestyle. Milkman and Guitar become friends, and Guitar takes Milkman to Pilate’s house. There he meets, his cousin and later lover, Hagar. Milkman and Pilate grow to have a close relationship. Later, Macon tells Milkman about gold in a tarp in Pilate’s house. After that, Milkman and Guitar plan to rob Pilate of the gold. They find that she has no gold and what is in the tarp is human bones, which they later find out are Macon Sr’s. Eventually, Milkman sets out to Pennsylvania in hopes of finding the gold. He realizes there is no gold, so he began a new search to find his family’s history. He meets, Circe, the woman who delivered his father and Pilate. She tells him that his grandfather, Macon Sr, was married to a woman named Sing. She also tells him that Macon Sr’s real name was Jake. Next, Milkman goes to Shalimar where he learns more about his ancestors. He finds out about, his great-grandfather, Solomon; who is known for his escape from being a slave by flying back to Africa. This flight resulted in his wife being left alone with her twenty-one kids. These findings shape Milkman into a caring person. While Milkman is on the search for his family history, Guitar believes he is holding out on the gold. Soon, Guitar attempts to kill Milkman with a wire in the woods. After that, Milkman returns to Michigan to tell his family what he discovered. Next, he and Pilate go to Shalimar to bury Macon Sr’s bones on, Solomon’s Leap, the mountain where Solomon took his flight to Africa. After they bury the bones, Pilate is shot. As a result, she dies in Milkman’s arms. Milkman knows that it is Guitar so he yells out “You want me?—You want my life?—You need it? Here” (Morrison 337). He then jumps toward Guitar, and that is the end.
Symbolism remains from the start to end of the novel. It is an essential part of the story. In Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon the use of symbolism adds deeper meaning to specific objects in the novel, helps advance the plot, defines the traits of certain characters, and contributes to the theme and mood of the novel.
Symbols
Song of Solomon has several symbols that add deeper meaning to objects. These symbols are flying, the red velvet roses, the watermark, the keys, Pilate’s missing navel, the white peacock, death and ghosts, singing and song, the smell of ginger, and the cookie.
Flying
Flying is the symbol that appears the mosts in the story. According to Dr. Giselle Anatol, “flying away just signifies running away” (Anatol, “Language Matters II Reading & Teaching Toni Morrison”); therefore, flying is a symbol for escaping.
Red Velvet Roses
The red velvet roses that belong to Corinthians and Lena appear in the beginning of the novel. The University of Michigan’s Symbolism Dictionary states that “the first red roses are said to have arisen from the blood of Adonis for the love of Aphrodite; thus, they have become symbolic of love, and often resurrection. In Christian symbolism, the red rose stands for the blood shed by Jesus on the cross” (Protas, Dictionary of Symbolism). Basically, a red rose is a symbol of love; however, the roses in the novel are artificial. The fact that the roses are not real has an impact on their intended meaning. Kleyman believes that “the artificial roses symbolize any absences of love” (Kleyman, Song of Solomon: Toni Morrison). Based on the novel, this is an agreeable statement.
Watermark
The watermark on Ruth’s dining table is also in the beginning of the novel. Morrison says “the cloudy gray circle identified the place where the bowl filled every day during the doctor’s life with fresh flowers” (12). The doctor is Ruth’s father, so the watermark is a reminder of her father and how things were when he was alive. The Symbolism Dictionary states that “water popularly represents life”(Protas, Dictionary of Symbolism). The watermark is “some stable visual object that assured her that the world was still there; that this was life and not a dream. That she was alive somewhere, inside” (Morrison 11), so it also represents Ruth’s life.
Keys
The symbol related to Macon Dead Jr’s are the keys. The novel says “Macon Dead dug in his pocket for his keys, and curled his fingers around them, letting their bunchy solidity calm him. They were the keys to all the doors of his house” (Morrison 17). The keys are a symbol of ownership and wealth because they represent Macon’s properties which are also his source of income.
Pilate’s Missing Navel
Pilate’s missing navel is a symbol that represents her personality. Morrison says “her stomach was as smooth and sturdy as her back, at no place interrupted by a navel. It was the absence of a navel that convinced people that she had not come into this world through normal channels”. Pilate not having a navel represents that she is an alien compared to those around her. She is different from the rest of the community which makes her an outsider, or alien.
White Peacock
The white peacock relates to Milkman. In the novel Guitar describes the peacock by saying it has “Too much tail. All that jewelry weighs it down. Like vanity. Can’t nobody live with all that shit”( Morrison 179). He says this when he and Milkman are discussing Pilate’s gold. Morrison says “The bird set them up. Instead of continuing the argument about how to cop, they began to fantasize about what the gold could buy when it became a legal tender”. During this time Milkman fantasizes about material things. Therefore, the white peacock represents Milkman’s greediness, and obsession with wealth.
Death and Ghosts
Death and ghost are symbols that appear multiple times in the novel.

The family’s last name is Dead, so death is no stranger to the novel. The symbolism behind the name related to how the family is dead inside. Dr. Giselle Anatol believes that “ Macon has not only died but creates death , the strangulation of his wife and daughter, and the death that permeates the house” (Anatol, “Language Matters II Reading & Teaching Toni Morrison”). This is also true because Macon is the reason for the atmosphere of the household and the relationship they have with one another. Ghosts are used as a symbol in the novel as well. One of the most significant encounters with a ghost happened with Freddie’s mother. In the novel, Freddie tells the story of how he mother was killed by a white bull ghost while giving birth to him. Kleyman believes “The bull’s interference with Freddie’s birth represents white people’s devastating interference with the African-American world.”(Kleyman, Song of Solomon: Toni Morrison). This true because the issues between whites and blacks are prevalent in the novel. According to Dr. Giselle Anatol, “Anything that has to do with whiteness and whiteness as the ultimate goal, the ideal, is damaging to people.” (Anatol, “Language Matters II Reading & Teaching Toni Morrison”). This statement is also true because in the novel whites are killing blacks, and the white bull ghost killing Freddie’s mother is another form of

that.
Singing and Song
Singing and songs are also a reappearing symbol. The element of song is used throughout the novel. Historically, African Americans have used singing as a form of storytelling. Kleyman says “singing is a means of maintaining a link to a forgotten family history” (Kleyman, Song of Solomon: Toni Morrison); therefore, singing must represent the family’s story.
Smell of Ginger
The last symbol is the smell of ginger. Morrison says:
The ginger smell was sharp, sharp enough to distort dreams and make the sleeper believe the things he hungered for were right at hand. To the Southside residents who were awake on such nights, it gave all their thoughts and activity a quality of being both intimate and far away. The two men standing near the pines on Darling Street—right near the brown house where wine drinkers went—could smell the air, but they didn’t think of ginger. Each thought it was the way freedom smelled, or justice, or luxury, or vengeance (185).
From this passage the smell of ginger makes the men think of other ideas besides ginger, such as freedom and justice. According to Marie, “ginger has been associated with passion, success, wealth, and power” (Marie, Sacred Spices). The connection can be made that ginger represent the “good” in the town; whether it be the idea of freedom, or the justice that blacks need.
Advancing the Plot
Symbolism played a great role in advancing the plot. It connects to the scenes and relates to the emotions of characters in the scenes. In the novel, singing is used to tell a story. When Milkman is in Shalimar he hears the children sing a song that says: