The Role Of Race In Toni Morrison's Song Of Solomon

In Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison, the idea and value of race can be explored through the analysis of African American characters’ mannerisms. The story takes place between the years of 1931 and 1963, which was a time when racial issues were undeniably in the face of every African American family. The characters that Toni Morrison created have extremely complex and unique motives for their behaviour which stems from individual perspectives on race. She thoughtfully articulated the differing effect of race on people by showing not only their resulting actions, but also their motives to do so. The reputation and traits of the white race entices these characters because they realize they can benefit from adopting such qualities that don’t

exist or belong to the African American race. While this happens, the white race also brings out the worst side of people that shows their true intentions. Three of Morrison’s African American characters faced the racial pressure from society, but it was taken in contrasting ways. Toni Morrison uses race in the novel Song of Solomon to influence each African American individual’s behavior. Race motivated Hagar to strive to be as white as possible out of desperation for attention, Macon Dead to possess a strong desire for wealth and superiority, and Guitar to murder white civilians.
In the novel Song of Solomon, Hagar is an African American that strives to be the whitest version of herself.

In her eyes, being black was not helping her accomplish what she desired, which was the dying love between her and Milkman. Hagar is Milkman’s cousin and lover of fourteen years. She devoted everything to Milkman in the beginning of the relationship until it had plateaued and he no longer found it exciting or spontaneous enough to stay. Milkman had lost interest and fascination with the mysteriousness of Hagar, which lead him to suddenly break up with her. Instantly after the division between the pair, Hagar fell apart. In a state of depression, madness, and desperation, she used race as an excuse as to why Milkman would not stay with her. Hagar’s perspective on her appearance and race flipped immediately, so that she believed being black is what turned him away. She was under the impression that he wanted a white woman, so her mission to become as white as possible was set in place. Hagar quickly learned to hate her black skin, hair, and African American characteristics because they marked her as a black woman. Instead, she latched onto the idea of having white women characteristics and imagined what it would be like to fit the universal image of beautiful. Hagar murmured to Pilate, “He don’t like hair like mine… silky hair the color of a penny… curly, wavy, silky hair. He don’t like mine” (Morrison 315). Here, she is saddened from the thought that her hair

could be a reason Milkman left her, however it is more likely the significance behind the emphasis of the hair would be that she knows he was no longer interested in black women like her. As Hagar becomes more frustrated, she describes a white woman which would catch Milkman’s eye. Hagar says, “And lemon-colored skin… and gray-blue eyes… and a thin nose… He’s never going to like my hair.” (Morrison 316). This whole image of a light skinned and light eyed woman implies that Hagar knows she will never be able to adopt these qualities, yet she wants to in order to obtain Milkman’s love. Hagar is blinded by her overwhelming obsession with him that she wishes she could be a white woman to make her life easier.
In Song of Solomon, race is manipulated by Morrison so that Macon Dead has an intense aspiration for wealth and superiority.

Macon Dead was already at the top of the hierarchy in the African American community. His numerical value was beyond that of any other character’s, which is something he was very aware of. Macon Dead looked at the other members of the black community as inferior to him and attempted to squeeze money from whoever he could. His presence was also dreaded by everyone since he neglected his African American culture for the more Americanized culture. Macon Dead can be described when it says, “It was not peaceful, for it was preceded by and would soon be terminated by the presence of Macon Dead…. Macon kept each member of his family awkward with fear,” (Morrison 10). With his power-obsessive qualities, it is clear he could not control the intense greed that had taken over his entire life; meaning, every opinion and decision he made was based off of the money related benefit. Despite being an African American, he did not want to live in a community with those of his own race, but instead with an upper class white community. He thought he was the most powerful man in the world because of his money, which shows when it says, “He had come to believe, after years of creating respect and fear wherever he put his foot down, after years of being the tallest man in every gathering, that he was impregnable” (Morrison 67). Macon Dead viewed himself just as equally

valuable as a wealthy white man which built up his ego to the point where he thought it was impossible to defeat him. The need for property and wealth to his name is the underlying factor which plays into every decision he made, causing him a lack of real identity besides desperation and greed. Dead did not look at himself as someone who was dissimilar from a white man, considering the amount of land and money attached to his reputation. However, he certainly did not look at himself as someone who was anything alike the black members of society. He looked down on them as if they were a completely different race who he shouldn’t be associated with. Dead considered himself to be so wealthy that it automatically rid the discrimination and racial injustice from him. Contrary to this belief, Dead did not receive any advantages or privileges within the white race due to his status. He only saw the success in the lives that the powerful white men lived and aspired to achieve it. Macon Dead realized that the key to more economic power and affluence was to push his neighboring African Americans away, while obsessing over the white race at the same time. His thought process was that if he could strive to own as much property and valuable items as possible, it would symbolically remove him from the black community and place him further into the white.
The influence of race on Guitar is a drastically different influence than Hagar’s or Macon Dead’s. Guitar has natural revenge-driven tendencies which are enhanced by the fact that white people have the power to oppress and manipulate African Americans, at any time. The influence of race affected him the most because the stigma he associated with white people impelled him to kill white civilians. Whereas Hagar and Macon Dead took the influence of race and acted upon their somewhat harmless desires, Guitar became malicious, violent, and evil-minded because of the white race. His childhood was essentially non existent due to the fact that he witnessed his father’s death at a very young age, which paved way for a life of uncontrollable grief. This is where the hatred for white people began, because he decided revenge was necessary. Guitar’s every conversation and almost every thought is consumed by racial issues. Morrison writes, “The racial problems that consumed Guitar were the most boring of all. He wondered what they would do if they didn’t have the black and white problems to talk about. Who would they be if they couldn’t describe the insults, violence, and oppression that their lives were made up of?” (Morrison 107). Guitar somehow incorporated his hate for white people into his everyday life, which meant joining the Seven Days organized society. This group of seven men each had assigned days to kill white people that were left unpunished for their crimes, and Guitar was happy to be a member. He justified venturing into the world of murder and crime by saying, “You can’t stop them from killing us, from trying to get rid of us. And each time they succeed, they get rid of five to seven generations. I help keep the numbers the same.” (Morrison 154). Here, Guitar used the excuse of keeping the ratio of the white population to black population the same, when in fact, he reveals the underlying reasons he wants to murder whites later. Guitar told Milkman, “There are no innocent white people, because every one of them is a potential killer, if not an actual one.” (Morrison 155). Guitar loathed the idea of the white race and the influence white people have on African American culture, so he generalized them all to be cold blooded killers that were extremely privileged within the criminal justice system. If the white race was equal to the black race, Guitar would be at peace and have the ability to regain his sensibility, yet society during this time period was crammed with racial issues- disallowing him to do so. Guitar didn’t know what it was like to be able to handle his emotions, therefore causing this built up detestation which was on his mind every second of the day. Morrison purposefully uses the racial problems of the time to take advantage of Guitar’s vulnerability and turn him into a malicious, merciless character.
Toni Morrison cleverly incorporated race and racial problems into the novel Song of Solomon to create a force that affected the characters Hagar, Macon Dead, and Guitar. All three people are African American and a part of the same tight knit community. Nonetheless, when faced with the issue of race, each black character all reacted differently as a result of the impact. Hagar realized she wanted to be a white woman in order to attract Milkman, which was impossible. Her desire to adopt white qualities such as a thin nose and “lemon-colored skin” was not achievable, yet neither was Macon Dead’s. Macon Dead saw the white, wealthy men at the top of the hierarchy where he stood, but in the black community. He decided he would strive to be as white as possible if that meant he would acquire as much property, money, and reputation as them. Contrasting to the influence that race had on Hagar and Mr. Dead, Guitar actually put his words into actions. Guitar possessed an overwhelming hatred for the white race as a whole and joined a secret society to murder them. The impact that racial issues had on the three individual African Americans differs in extremity, but it shows just how willing Hagar, Macon Dead, and Guitar were to act upon their desires when the white race was involved.