Song of Solomon Chapters 1-5

Flight  Pilate sings the titular song at Mr. Smith’s flight, just before Milkman’s birth  “O cleave the air fly away home/My gran, he, flew back to Africa”  Pilate’s father tells her “You just can’t fly off and leave a body” (147).  Pilate sings the titular song at Mr. Smith’s flight, just before Milkman’s birth  “O cleave the air fly away home/My gran, he, flew back to Africa”  Pilate’s father tells her “You just can’t fly off and leave a body” (147). (Hayden)

Flight  Canonical Afro-American folklore legend of the “Flying African”  Loss and disappearing  Transformation and revolution  Nostalgia and return  Canonical Afro-American folklore legend of the “Flying African”  Loss and disappearing  Transformation and revolution  Nostalgia and return (Hayden)

Flight  Mythological basis in Icarus and Daedalus, father and son  “O Daedalus, Fly Away Home” Drifting night in the Georgia pines... ”  Icarian heights overreach  Daedalus is successful  Mythological basis in Icarus and Daedalus, father and son  “O Daedalus, Fly Away Home” Drifting night in the Georgia pines... ”  Icarian heights overreach  Daedalus is successful (Hayden)

Flight  Milkman is born the day after Mr. Smith’s flight  “O Sugarman done fly away/... Sugarman cut across the sky/ Sugarman gone home” (6).  Milkman loses interest in himself when he learns he cannot fly (9)  If Mercy were Montgomery, he’d buy a plane ticket  Milkman is born the day after Mr. Smith’s flight  “O Sugarman done fly away/... Sugarman cut across the sky/ Sugarman gone home” (6).  Milkman loses interest in himself when he learns he cannot fly (9)  If Mercy were Montgomery, he’d buy a plane ticket

Identity  Naming has the power to form identity  Who has the power to give names?  “Niggers get their names... the best way they can” (88).  Naming has the power to form identity  Who has the power to give names?  “Niggers get their names... the best way they can” (88).

Identity  Macon Dead = drunk Yankee’s mistake  Milkman = unnaturally prolonged childhood  Guitar = passion  Bible names = Providence (Pilate, Ruth, First Corinthians, Magdalena, Rebecca [Reba], Hagar)  Macon Dead = drunk Yankee’s mistake  Milkman = unnaturally prolonged childhood  Guitar = passion  Bible names = Providence (Pilate, Ruth, First Corinthians, Magdalena, Rebecca [Reba], Hagar)

Identity  The white world gauges worth by money and possessions  “A nigger in business is a terrible thing to see” (22).  “Own things. And let the things you own own other things” (55).  Milkman leaves Hagar a note and money  The white world gauges worth by money and possessions  “A nigger in business is a terrible thing to see” (22).  “Own things. And let the things you own own other things” (55).  Milkman leaves Hagar a note and money

Coming of Age  Milkman is the victim of a prolonged childhood  Nursed by his mother for tool long  Kept out of WWII by his father’s influence  Held back by father for 31 years  Milkman is the victim of a prolonged childhood  Nursed by his mother for tool long  Kept out of WWII by his father’s influence  Held back by father for 31 years

Coming of Age  Milkman senses the restlessness of change  Concentrates on things behind him, “[a]lmost as though there were no future” (35).  Walking in a different direction than everyone else  Milkman senses the restlessness of change  Concentrates on things behind him, “[a]lmost as though there were no future” (35).  Walking in a different direction than everyone else

Fathers and Sons  Macon Dead is orphaned at a young age  Father had been a slave  Father had established “Lincoln’s Heaven”  Tricked by the white man’s greed  Macon Dead is orphaned at a young age  Father had been a slave  Father had established “Lincoln’s Heaven”  Tricked by the white man’s greed

Fathers and Sons  Milkman is born into purposeless privilege  Father attempts to abort him  Milkman follows his father’s business  Milkman strikes out against his father  Milkman is born into purposeless privilege  Father attempts to abort him  Milkman follows his father’s business  Milkman strikes out against his father

Fathers and Sons  Guitar is fatherless, raised by a grandmother  Father is killed in a grisly sawmill accident  The white man gives him candy as recompense  Finds identity and purpose among the Seven Days in the barber shop  Guitar is fatherless, raised by a grandmother  Father is killed in a grisly sawmill accident  The white man gives him candy as recompense  Finds identity and purpose among the Seven Days in the barber shop

Singing and Songs  The “flying African” folklore is preserved in song  Macon is drawn to Pilate’s siren song  The ghost of Pilate’s father tells her to “Sing. Sing” (147).  The “flying African” folklore is preserved in song  Macon is drawn to Pilate’s siren song  The ghost of Pilate’s father tells her to “Sing. Sing” (147).

Female Roles  Wife and mother = life giver and sustainer  Ruth nurses Milkman for too long, yet she cannot cook  Pilate gives birth to herself and is marked as preternaturally different  Hagar sees Milkman as “my home in this world” (137), yet she tries to kill him  Wife and mother = life giver and sustainer  Ruth nurses Milkman for too long, yet she cannot cook  Pilate gives birth to herself and is marked as preternaturally different  Hagar sees Milkman as “my home in this world” (137), yet she tries to kill him

Female Roles  Sorceress and healer = power over creation  Pilate gives Ruth an elixir to seduce Macon and create life  Pilate protects Milkman with voodoo sorcery  Both Ruth and Pilate derive meaning from the (D)ead  Sorceress and healer = power over creation  Pilate gives Ruth an elixir to seduce Macon and create life  Pilate protects Milkman with voodoo sorcery  Both Ruth and Pilate derive meaning from the (D)ead

Female Roles  Queen or courtesan = powerful empress of men’s fates  Macon jealously kills Dr. Foster to possess Ruth  Pilate nearly kills Reba’s lover  Hagar is paralyzed and unable to kill the resigned Milkman (D)ead  Queen or courtesan = powerful empress of men’s fates  Macon jealously kills Dr. Foster to possess Ruth  Pilate nearly kills Reba’s lover  Hagar is paralyzed and unable to kill the resigned Milkman (D)ead

Works Cited Hayden, Robert. Collected Poems. Ed. Frederick Glaysher. Noew York: Liveright, 1985.