Thematic Analysis of Song of Solomon Essay Example

A bildungsroman, or coming-of-age novel, recounts the moral or psychological development of its protagonist from youth to maturity when the character recognizes his or her place in the world.  Select a single pivotal moment in the moral or psychological development of the protagonist.  Then, write a well-developed essay that analyzes how that single moment shapes the meaning of the work as a whole.

Milkman in Tony Morrisons’ Song of Solomon begins as a selfish, unadjusted young man struggling to find his place in the world. He hurts and discounts the world around him yet he believes the entire world revolves around him. He is an elitist, he plays with the emotions of others who love him and he discounts the horrific experiences others have had due to racism, even though he himself is an African-American man! However, later in the story, there is a pivotal moment that leads Milkman down a path of self-realization, which allows him to realize the fault in his ways and he grows into a more compassionate, more wholistic man. 

At the beginning of the story, Milkman is born in a hospital where a man just jumped to his death off the roof attempting to fly. At a young age, Milkman discovers only birds and planes can fly which makes him a peculiar child by his community. The author’s constant reference to flight seems to suggest that the idea of flight is actually a good thing. The man who jumped to his death was now free, while Milkman is isolated. His father is abusive towards him and his mother coddles him. The entire community knows this and gives him the embarrassing nickname of “Milkman”, this plays into the message that he is absolutely not free.

As he gets older he becomes insecure, he acts in opposition to his father, his legs grow irregular and he grows violent towards his father. He seems to want to subconsciously discover who he really is. His friends enlighten him to the tragedy of being an American American male in the United States by telling him about Emmitt Till - a young boy who was unjustly murdered, but Milkman dismisses this. Milkman is in stark contrast with the rest of his community, yet he is comfortable. The author shows this by describing that Milkman walks against the traffic, yet he doesn’t correct himself. 

Further in the book, we find a potential reason as to why Milkman feels so comfortable while being in opposition, it’s because he believes, on some level, that the people around him exist simply to serve him. We find this in both his relationship with his mother and with Hagar. He believes that it is perfectly natural for his mother to unconditionally love him, while he holds her in udder disregard, but when he finds that his mother may have had other motivations for her love, he becomes uneasy. When he tires of his relationship with Hagar he breaks it off in a letter, uncaring of how Hagar may feel. All this points to his self-serving and selfish nature, which serves as a potential explanation for his comfort in opposition.

This all changes once he is put in a situation where he is in isolation. Later in the story, our main characters find a treasure within a cave out of town, which Milkman intends to retrieve by himself. On the way, he finds relatives and family friends who reveal more information about himself and his family. This journey to the south serves as the character arc for Milkman. By learning more about his family and self he becomes a more whole person. He grows into someone who isn’t simply concerned about himself but also the people around him. This is proved in the events following after he found there was no treasure inside of the cave. He was starving, battered, tired, and angry, yet he was still able to care for the people around him. He offered to pay for a free ride and felt bad when the driver refused. He also helped a man lift a box while being heavily distressed. Both these actions are heavily out of character for Milkman and show a character change that stemmed from his isolation and self-discovery.

That moment where Milkman is battered, beaten-up, hungry, isolated, and angry is the first most significant moment where we see Milkman’s character change. After this pivotal moment, Milkman’s self-discovery is more explicit. While Milkman is on a hunting trip with a group of people he meets, he has an epiphany realizing that while he is away from his wealth, childhood friends, and status all he has is himself. From this meditation, he gains a new appreciation for the things he has and an apprehension for some of the selfish things he has done in his past. The rest of the story shows his excitement for his newfound self-discovery and his confrontation of his mistakes of his past. 

The moment sets the tone for the rest of the story and shapes the meaning of the story as a whole. This story is about a troubled man who goes on a journey to discover who he is, and how he affects those around him. Without Milkman’s character arch this book would simply be about how destructive selfish nature can be. Milkman’s journey from his hometown into isolation shaped the way the entire book is interpreted.