1. Several motifs in the first pages of this chapter present a real sense of theater: •Mr. Smith flapping his wide blue wings on the roof of Mercy Hospital •Red velvet rose petals spilled in the snow •The woman (Pilate) singing the song, “O Sugarman” They will reappear frequently in the novel. What contrasts do they present to the world Macon Dead would like to build? During the flight of Mr. Smith, Pilate watches from below and sings the song, "O Sugarman." For most of the men, the flight is a leap towards freedom and liberation both spiritually and physically, but the women they leave behind are less happily moved by the flight. Most of the onlookers of Mr. Smith 's flight remain still and unmoved, except for Pilate. She liberates …show more content…
Not Doctor Street, originally known as "Mains Street", got its name because it was home to the first black doctor in the city and people would send mail to "Doctor Street". The city officials were angered by people not using the street’s official name, and declared that the street would be called "Mains Street and Not Doctor Street." This earned the street it 's name as Not Doctor Street. 3. Why does Macon watch Pilate, Reba, and Hagar singing, but from a position outside, in the dark, where they cannot see him? Why does he not enter the house? What effect does the experience have on him? Macon watches as Pilate, Reba, and Hagar sing, but does not enter the house because he doesn 't not want to confront or talk to them, but wants to make himself feel better. He initially believes that being powerful and wealthy equates to being happy and attempts to convince himself of Pilate 's sufferings from poverty by looking into her house, but is only met with the girls joyfully singing. Macon shows his secret discontent with his life which he wishes he could escape from, such as the poverty that Pilate has overcome. Macon is able to obtain a few moments of peace and relief from the stresses and pressures of his money and power driven occupation with the calming and melodic songs of Pilate, Reba,
“The carpet near Bertis’s foot resembles a run-over squirrel, but Karen’s seen worse.” (Coupland 138) The imagery in this novel keeps the reader engaged by prompting their own imagination to visual the setting. Without the author’s skillful choice of words the imagery in this novel would have greatly
In Song of Solomon, Pilate embodies the perfect guiding force in Milkman’s life. The concept of flight in the book is very prominent, and Pilate’s flight is the most significant of all. Flight is associated with mostly men in the book. The men fly, and the women sing songs of sadness. Pilate has both of these incredible gifts.
Pilate Dead is the sister of Macon Jr. and the Aunt of Milkman. Throughout Song of Solomon Pilate is shown as being a down to earth and caring woman who is righteous in her actions and in her beliefs. Following the death of their father, Pilate and Macon chose to “continue” the legacy of their father in drastically different ways, Macon chose to honor his father by striving to accumulate money, this would lead to a horrible disconnect between him and his wife and son. Whereas Pilate honors her father by being a down to earth woman, who wants to continue her father’s legacy of love and wholesome values. Pilate’s name is also ironic in a biblical sense and a literal sense.
The name ‘Macon Dead’ represents an inescapable part of his life, in which he recognizes the dissatisfaction it brought him and gives him motivation to change. He runs from everything his father and his sister are, becoming
Macon Dead uses highly negative words such as “disgust,” “uneasiness,” and “revolting” to describe his feelings toward his biological son. The reader is taken aback by the revelation by Macon Dead. The situation is ironic because, he sees his son in such a negative light despite the child being innocent. The statement by Macon Dead foreshadows the troubled relationship he shares with Milkman and it also reflects the characteristics Macon Dead possess. The words spoken by Mrs. Bains were aloof however, they hold a deep meaning.
A major motif associated with Pilate would be singing, and in the novel, singing is a way that people tell stories of their past. Pilate uses singing to have a connection with her mother, Sing, who died before Pilate was born. Pilate never had any physical connection with her mother in the womb, as she “had come struggling out of the womb without help from throbbing muscles... As a result, her stomach was as smooth and sturdy as her back, at no place interrupted by a navel... she had not come into this world through normal channels...”
This alone makes her one of the most powerful women in the story because not only have she experienced the different ways of life, but she also is aware of the reason humans behave the way they do. Based on that Pilate sees herself as a loving, family oriented, helper, and role
Cierra Foley “Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?” That is the question, posed by the University of St. Thomas Drama Department in their fall show. The Catholic university is showing a Catholic-themed play that gives the audience a glimpse into a world of a private Catholic schools in the 50s and 60s. It tackles many questions and adventures school children experience as they are raised in the strict and traditional interpretation of Catholicism.
Not only that, as Homer becomes a popular figure in town and is seen taking Emily on buggy rides on Sunday afternoons, it scandalizes the town and increases the condescension and pity they have for Emily. They feel that she is forgetting her family pride and becoming involved with a man beneath her station. Even though Emily is from the high class family, it does not mean that she is living up to the pleasant lifestyle. As a matter of fact, she is actually living a gloomy and desolate life, which is essentially the opposite lifestyle expected for Emily's rank in society by the townspeople. Although Emily once represented a great southern tradition centering on the landed gentry with their vast holdings and considerable resources, Emily's legacy has devolved, making her more a duty and an obligation than a romanticized vestige of a dying order.
In the nonfiction novel, “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil,” American author, John Berendt, gives his account of a 1981 murder case that took place in Savannah, Georgia. Even though during the 1980s, United States as a whole is heading towards prosperity as the Cold War ends in 1981, he repeatedly touches back on the undercurrent southern racism. Berendt draws a vivid picture of Southern Gothic weirdness to convey, using real life occurrences and characters, the idea of what kind of people exist in the community to readers of all places. The writer uses rhetorical devices such as description, foreshadowing, and dysphemism to successfully depict the occurrences in suspenseful yet humorous tone.
Names provide a means of identity and self-worth, allowing people to create a sense of individuality. Even-though, her name name has negative religious connotations, Pilate embraces her name because it allows her to free herself from the constraints of societal norms. She is able to become her own person and truly find herself in the world. Pilate keeps her name in her ear, so she is able to pass on her character to her kin. Finally, to not allow her name to “die” when she does, Pilate creates an unforgettable essence for her to be remembered by.
Moreover, Fitzgerald continues the farming analogy by bringing in vivid descriptions of the valley “where the ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens.” The ideas defined are burn in to the reader’s conscious with the explicit disgust evoking analogy. The ashes are found just like the large fields of wheat that were formally found all around. The site is surely a recognizable one for most, but instead the astonishing view of the wheat waving around is replaced with the windy dusty fields. The burrows are mounted with the plague causing agents familiar to those acquainted with the
He could imagine his deception of this town “nestled in a paper landscape,” (Collins 534). This image of the speaker shows the first sign of his delusional ideas of the people in his town. Collins create a connection between the speaker’s teacher teaching life and retired life in lines five and six of the poem. These connections are “ chalk dust flurrying down in winter, nights dark as a blackboard,” which compares images that the readers can picture.
William Faulkner’s novel As I Lay Dying follows the Bundren family on a journey while it explores the subject of heroism and discusses its subjectivity. The family travels on an expedition to bury Addie, the deceased mother of the protagonist, Darl Bundren, and his siblings. As days continue to pass, however, the journey seemed interminable. During the adventure, the family takes a stop at Gillespie’s barn for the evening. While they rest Darl sets the barn, in which the coffin sits, ablaze.
Pilate’s use of singing builds her feminine characteristics, and builds her strength as a mother. Singing has been a cultural symbol in the black community for many years. It was a symbol of comfort and hope to the people in slavery, and even things as simple as comfort to a child before bed. These are traits that are present in the “typical mother” and Pilate has these despite her masculine physical features and personality traits. In the very beginning, she is seen singing in the line “The singing woman wore a knitted cap pulled far down over her forehead.”