Song of Solomon

Violence plays a huge role in shaping character's lives.

Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison tells of the life of Milkman Dead. The novel is set in the northern United States during the late 1960’s and early 1970’s when discrimination between Whites and Blacks was a big issue. In this novel, Blacks are portrayed as poorly educated and are in the lower class of society. Discrimination led to hatred between races, mistreatment, and even acts of violence. “Ain’t no law for no colored man except the one that sends him to the chair”. Violence could be heard of or witnessed almost daily in Milkman’s life, and helped shape him into the person that he was in the end.

After coming home from a Catholic Communion, Ruth and Macon get to talking about the embarrassment that she went through that day. By the end of this conversation, Ruth is talking about being her dad’s daughter. As soon as this was said, Macon came across the table hitting Ruth in the jaw. Milkman didn’t know what to think, and couldn’t stand it any longer. “Before his father could draw his hand back, Milkman had yanked him back of his coat collar, up out of his chair, and knocked him into the radiator. You touch her one more time, and I’ll kill you”. After this fight between Milkman and his dad, Milkman learns about where his name came from, knows now that his dad is not invincible, knows that he is a man, and finally realizes that he has no more feelings for Hagar.

All his life, Milkman had one friend that he could talk to about anything. Guitar and Milkman were friends for a very long time, they knew everything about each other, and they even trusted each other. “It all started in 1920, when a private from Georgia was killed after his balls were cut off and after he was blinded when he came home from France in World War I.” Guitar belonged to a group called the Seven Days, which