Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Song of Solomon

In the end of chapter 9 Milkman gets confronted by Lena, and she accuses of him of turning into his father. Now that she has pointed that out are there any previous scenes that you can think of where Milkman resembles Macon and his bad qualities/traits? Do you think that it is inevitable for Milkman to turn into Macon because he hasn't been able to fly and be free? Why or why not?

9 comments:

  1. I think it is possible that eventually Milkman could turn into Macon if he does not get away. The only life Milkman knows is the one he is living now. He has lived a privileged life and has been taken care of by his whole family. Macon is also one of Milkman's only male role models; he has learned how to act and treat people by watching Macon. If Milkman does not get away he could end up like Macon or worse. Macon at least worked to be where he is, if the business and everything is just given to Milkman he could turn out worse. However towards the beginning of the book when Milkman is young there is a scene where he says that he doesn't want to be like his father. He says that he does things completely opposite of his father just to make sure they are not the similar. I don't think Milkman wants to end up like his father but if he doesn't get away he will have no choice.

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  2. I think this confrontation with Lena will cause Milkman to see his actions in a different way and it will draw attention to his similarities with his father. I think that without realizing it, Milkman has been turning into his father: the one thing that he was determined to avoid. Before this point, Milkman has not had the courage to leave his past and his family, because there really isn't anything else that is stopping him. Like Lauren said, being around Macon for his whole life and the dysfunction is caused his family, has affected how Milkman behaves towards his sisters and mother, and even other people like Hagar. Also like his father, Milkman is being held down by his family's past even though all he wants to do is escape it. I think that this conversation with Lena might push him over the edge and cause him to finally "fly away" and be free from his old life because he is so afraid of becoming like his father.

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  3. Today in class we discussed that the more Milkman tries to get away from Macon the more he ends up like him. Lena points this out when she describes Milkman hitting Macon. In this scene I originally thought that Milkman was defending his mom and standing up to Macon and by doing so it would be a defining moment when he would no longer be affected by Macon. Unfortunately that was not the case. The minute Milkman hit is father is when he started to become like his Father because, Macon was violent and in return Milkman was as well, when he hit Macon.
    At one point in the book Milkman told himself that money and wealth could not mean anything to him but then later when Milkman is introduced to the gold it is all that he can think about. Like Macon, Milkman also seems to be driven by gold. I know that later in chapter ten Milkman decided to go find the gold and I think that is when Milkman will "fly free", because Macon will not be there to subconsciously influence him.

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  4. i think that milkman and Macon II definitely have some similarities. Macon II has always tried to avoid being like his father through his wealth. Milkman is somewhat like Macon even in the sense that they're both trying to be different from their parents, as well as escape their past. I think that on some level it is inevitable that Milkman will turn out somewhat like his father because at their core they both want the same thing, which is to be their own person

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  5. i agree i think they are both similar and milkman is going to eventually turn into his father maybe not in everyway but in many ways. just like others have said since milkman has never been able to get away he knows nothing else but the way his father acts and behaves and he is bound to turn into his father because of this.

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  6. I think he will become very much like his father too. He is now on a trip to find the gold and that is all he thinks about. Macon is obsessed with money and Milkman seems to care a lot about the gold.

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  7. I also agree that if Milkman does not leave his house, Milkman will turn into his father. I like Laurens point that Macon is Milkmans only male figure and Milkman doesnt know any better but to follow Macons foot steps. Another scene that i thought is when goes looking for the gold. He is just as greedy as Macon, as in the way he tries everything to go and look for the gold.

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  8. I think Milkman is already too much like his father, that staying in his house wouldn't necessarily be the one thing to set him free. Milkman has been forced into the idea of the gold by his father, although he is trying to find his own way out of his family and the family business. The re-occurring theme of flight keeps coming up because we want to be exposed to what sets Milkman free and makes him able to "fly." By following in Macon's footsteps, we know that Milkman wouldn't be able to fly free and be his own person. At the same time, finding the gold for himself and his father will not set him free because therefore he is only focused on prosperity and not what makes him happy in life. At this point, we haven't found anything in the story that makes Milkman happy. Milkman needs to find his own way out of the family business and lifestyle, but he can never avoid his family history.

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  9. I think that some of the biggest similarities between Milkman and his father were revealed in chapter 10. Milkman's journey to the small towns while on his quest for the gold reveal a lot about his ignorance uncaring attitude. This is especially evident during his stay in Shalimar, in which he becomes involved in a fight after his car breaks down. After casually referencing his great wealth (relative to the other men), they become very offended, and speak of him as if he were a white man. It seems as though the life Milkman is used to, the life provided to him by his father, is the life of a white person. His disregard for other black people like his own sisters, mother, and many other characters closely mirror the actions of his father, and whites as a whole.

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