Song of Solomon (Masterplots II: Women’s Literature Series)
At a glance:
- Author: Toni Morrison
- First Published: 1977
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Bildungsroman
- Time of Work: The early 1930’s to the 1960’s
- Setting: Michigan and Virginia
- Principal Characters: Macon Dead, Macon “Milkman” Dead, Ruth Foster Dead, Pilate Dead, Reba Dead, Hagar Dead, Guitar Bains
- Genres: Long fiction, Bildungsroman, Impressionistic literature
- Subjects: African Americans, Family or family life, North America or North Americans, Self-discovery, United States or Americans, Racism, Twentieth century, Nineteenth century, Midwest, Oppression, Folklore, Michigan, Flight, Terrorism or terrorists
- Locales: Detroit, MI, Danville, PA, Mercy, MI, Shalimar, VA
Form and Content
Song of Solomon, winner of the 1978 National Book Critics Circle Award for fiction, is an intricately woven, thematically complex novel that addresses ancestral history, class-versus-race bonds, and sexism. Milkman Dead begins searching for gold and freedom from familial ties; in the process of searching, he discovers his family history and learns about his own tribal power. Although the opening scene occurs in 1931, the characters tell stories that date back to the late nineteenth century, when Milkman’s great grandfather, Solomon, flew away from a...
[The entire page is 2630 words long]
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