Reading "Song of Solomon" has made hungry, and you might be a bit confused because of the wide assortment of confusing characters. So, as a helpful classmate, I have decided to assign some of the main characters a type of food so it is easier for everyone to comprehend this wild story.
Milkman is an egg (even though his name has "milk" in it). Everyone handles eggs carefully, and Milkman is no different. He has been babied his whole life like how people normally care for an egg. Plus an egg has a hard shell that protects it from its surroundings, just like Milkman, who was protected by people like his father, Ruth, Pilate, and Guitar. He has also been shielded, like an eggshell, from racism because of his father's money. This is why he never had to deal with the struggles of a "normal" African American at that time. His racism shell partially cracks, however, when he is pulled over by the police for no apparent reason. It later cracks fully when Magdalene called Lena opens his eyes as to how he has been "peeing" on everyone by taking advantage of them.
Macon Dead Jr is a date. What do dates look like? They look dead. Macon Dead is a date not only because of his last name but because he is emotionally dead from the inside. His unhealthy obsession with money and material possessions has ruined his family relationships. Macon may be emotionally dead, but he still has a lot of money, which is why Macon is a date and not a raisin since he still has a presence in society. Before going into the outside world, dates are murdered by the sun and forced the shrivel up, loosing their juicy, scrumptious appearance. A similar experience happened to Macon when his father was killed: he was forced to forget emotions and think only about money.
Ruth is a grape. But not just any grape, a naked grape. Grapes normally have a very thin outer layer that protects the soft insides, but a naked grape (one without the skin) is soft and unprotected. Similarly, Ruth loses the thin protection that she had with her father when she marries Macon Dead, making her vulnerable to abuse from Macon and Milkman. Ruth herself mentions that she is figuratively small because of her limited freedom and presence in the outside world. In the same way, a grape is also a very small fruit. I wonder if dates bully grapes...
Pilate is nuts. Yes, she's crazy and odd, but she also embodies many of the properties of nuts. Milkman said it best: "Pilate had been shorter... but Pilate was as tall as he was" (Morrison 206). Pilate has the ability to change her appearance based on different situations. She is normally tall and authoritative but at the police station she acts short and meek. Similarly, nuts come in a variety of sizes: from tiny pine nuts to whole walnuts. Also, Macon is basically allergic to Pilate just like many people are allergic to nuts.
I hope these comparisons help you understand a few of the relationships between characters in the Song of Solomon. I better go eat lunch now...
Milkman is an egg (even though his name has "milk" in it). Everyone handles eggs carefully, and Milkman is no different. He has been babied his whole life like how people normally care for an egg. Plus an egg has a hard shell that protects it from its surroundings, just like Milkman, who was protected by people like his father, Ruth, Pilate, and Guitar. He has also been shielded, like an eggshell, from racism because of his father's money. This is why he never had to deal with the struggles of a "normal" African American at that time. His racism shell partially cracks, however, when he is pulled over by the police for no apparent reason. It later cracks fully when Magdalene called Lena opens his eyes as to how he has been "peeing" on everyone by taking advantage of them.Macon Dead Jr is a date. What do dates look like? They look dead. Macon Dead is a date not only because of his last name but because he is emotionally dead from the inside. His unhealthy obsession with money and material possessions has ruined his family relationships. Macon may be emotionally dead, but he still has a lot of money, which is why Macon is a date and not a raisin since he still has a presence in society. Before going into the outside world, dates are murdered by the sun and forced the shrivel up, loosing their juicy, scrumptious appearance. A similar experience happened to Macon when his father was killed: he was forced to forget emotions and think only about money.Ruth is a grape. But not just any grape, a naked grape. Grapes normally have a very thin outer layer that protects the soft insides, but a naked grape (one without the skin) is soft and unprotected. Similarly, Ruth loses the thin protection that she had with her father when she marries Macon Dead, making her vulnerable to abuse from Macon and Milkman. Ruth herself mentions that she is figuratively small because of her limited freedom and presence in the outside world. In the same way, a grape is also a very small fruit. I wonder if dates bully grapes...Pilate is nuts. Yes, she's crazy and odd, but she also embodies many of the properties of nuts. Milkman said it best: "Pilate had been shorter... but Pilate was as tall as he was" (Morrison 206). Pilate has the ability to change her appearance based on different situations. She is normally tall and authoritative but at the police station she acts short and meek. Similarly, nuts come in a variety of sizes: from tiny pine nuts to whole walnuts. Also, Macon is basically allergic to Pilate just like many people are allergic to nuts.
I hope these comparisons help you understand a few of the relationships between characters in the Song of Solomon. I better go eat lunch now...
I love all of the connections you made between characters and different foods. My own blog focuses on nuts primarily, and it was interesting to see someone else go in this direction. My favorite is Milkman as an egg. Now you've made me hungry with your post. Anyways, great job!
ReplyDeleteSameep! This is amazing. I love how you made connections between the characters to different foods and explained your reasoning behind your choices. I agree with you on all of your choices and yes, you did help me understand the relationships in the book more. Thank you for this :)
ReplyDeleteSameep I loved your connection to food and the characters they made me laugh because they're so accurate. I never thought of the characters this way, but now that you've mentioned it, I can see a different perspective of each of these characters. Thanks for this great post! :)
ReplyDeleteHey Sameep, this blog was very insightful and interesting and I could see you put a lot of work into your analysis. By relating each of the main characters to a food, you helped me visualize a more intricate relation between the characters.
ReplyDeleteThis is high-key litty. The comparisons you make between the characters and fruits is surprisingly accurate. My favorite is your comparison of Macon to dates. However, I would like to inform you that dates are very sweet. Macon is in no way sweet.
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