Dec 18, 2009

Song of Solomon | Characters

The special appeal of Song of Solomon is its well-developed characters, and the principal male characters articulate variations on the theme of materialism and transcendence. Minor characters, including members of the Days, the hunting party in Shalimar, and especially the old men Milkman meets in Danville, are deftly and effectively drawn.

The female characters also create an impressive enrichment on the roles of minorities in a white and male-dominated role. Except for Pilate, none of these efforts could be called successful, but Morrison offers them as sympathetic...