Themes: All Themes
Themes: Coming-of-Age
In many ways, Milkman's journey mirrors a classic Bildungsroman, which is a tale of personal and moral growth of the protagonist. However, unlike typical heroes or heroines of such stories, Milkman reaches maturity at the age of thirty-two. Part of the reason for this delay is that Milkman enjoys the comforts of being the spoiled only child in an upper-middle-class family. Additionally, he struggles to embrace the connections and responsibilities...
Themes: Atonement and Forgiveness
Milkman's journey into adulthood is intricately tied to his pursuit of redemption and forgiveness. He starts to recognize his selfish behavior, realizing how much he has taken from his mother and sisters, and how carelessly he has dismissed his lover. He begins to understand that he hasn't earned the few things others ask of him. In his desire for gold, he was even willing to harm Pilate, a woman who has shown him nothing but kindness, a thought...
(Read more)Themes: Class Conflict
The novel's class struggle is vividly depicted through the interactions among its characters. Macon Dead experiences embarrassment about his lower-class status when compared to his wife and father-in-law. Milkman feels disconnected from other Black individuals due to his privileged upbringing. Macon perceives his sister as a threat to his newfound respectability. Guitar's intense anger is partly fueled by Milkman's inherited advantages and his...
(Read more)Themes: Language and Meaning
The novel frequently explores themes of language and meaning, especially concerning names and the act of naming. The Dead family name originates from a mistake made by an inebriated Yankee soldier, yet they choose to embrace it. Milkman uncovers his family's past by deciphering the words from a childhood game. Pilate's name is derived from the Bible, and she keeps it in a box hanging from her ear. The Black community in Southside attempts to...
(Read more)Themes: Transformation and Self-Discovery
In Song of Solomon, Morrison presents a solution through Milkman's transformation during his journey to find what he believes is gold that his father and aunt Pilate hid shortly after his father's passing. As a detached African-American teenager in 1960s Detroit, Milkman seeks wealth, a symbol of power and freedom in white culture. He desires possessions, control over people, and liberation from his father's materialistic influence. However,...
(Read more)Themes: Cultural Myth and Ancestral Legacy
His journey compels him to rethink multiple aspects of his life, each leading to a renewed appreciation for the role of narrative as cultural mythology. Upon arriving at his father's childhood home in Danville, he discovers through the tales of elderly men the significance his grandfather held as a cultural hero. Despite being a martyr, Macon I left behind a legacy of triumph over white competitors in agriculture and economics, and his death...
(Read more)Themes: Liberation and the Cost of Freedom
In Virginia, Milkman is shocked to discover that the very symbols of power and influence that benefited him in Detroit now highlight his sense of alienation. He must engage in fighting, hunting, bonding with the local men, and attuning himself to nature. This connection saves his life by alerting him to Guitar's initial attack and prepares him for the ultimate revelation about the pride and heritage of his ancestors. By interpreting various...
(Read more)Themes: Journey or Quest for Identity
A primary theme in Song of Solomon is the journey or quest for identity. Milkman is assisted by a number of guides as he seeks and discovers community, including Circe, who helps him in a symbolic...
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return to the womb, and the men of the hunt, who serve as elders guiding a youth to manhood. In the course of his journey, Milkman is initiated into knowledge. One critic has written that he “journeys from spiritual death to rebirth . . . symbolized by...
(Read more)Themes: Flight as a Metaphor for Freedom
Morrison acknowledges that flight, her central metaphor, is everybody’s secret dream. Flight, symbolizing freedom or escape and found frequently in African American writing, is seen in the Flying African, Milkman’s great-grandfather, who embodies the many folktales of the escaped slave. The novel opens with the failed flight from the hospital roof of a man wearing blue silk wings and closes with the triumphant flight of Solomon and the...
(Read more)Themes: Symbolism and Irony in Character Names
Character names are used both symbolically and ironically. Milkman—a name that suggests his immaturity and also his symbolic hunger—is emotionally and spiritually “Dead.” Guitar, through his desire for social justice, becomes an instrument of vengeance. The Dead women’s biblical names are allusive and sometimes ironic. The biblical Ruth is famed for her steadfast companionship; Morrison’s Ruth is a companion only to her father, for her husband...
(Read more)Themes: Symbolism of Circe and African Heritage
The ancient midwife Circe is an ironic counterpart to the beautiful enchantress of Greek mythology; in Song of Solomon, she is surrounded not by swine but by dogs with the eyes of children. The scent of ginger and sweet, spicy perfume, symbolic of Africa and the past, lingers around Circe, Shalimar, and the bones of Pilate’s father.
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