Song of Solomon (Masterplots, Revised Second Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Toni Morrison
- First Published: 1977
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Bildungsroman
- Time of Work: 1869-1963
- Setting: Detroit, Michigan
- Principal Characters: Milkman Dead, Macon Dead, Ruth Foster Dead, Pilate Dead, Hagar, Guitar Bains, First Corinthians, Lena
- 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
The Story:
Milkman Dead, so called because his lonely mother, Ruth Foster Dead, nursed him until he was six years old, grew up hating his family. His mother clung to her faded glory as the only daughter of Detroit’s first black doctor. His father, Macon Dead, was a ruthless landlord who built a successful realty business by exploiting his black tenants in Southside (the black section of the city, also called the Blood Bank for its frequent eruptions of violence), and who abused his wife.
At age twelve, Milkman met Guitar Bains. Guitar introduced him to Milkman’s...
[The entire page is 2605 words long]
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