Toni Morrison used many names to allude to the Bible. The allusions teach the reader the significance of our name and how we got our names.
The name Pilate is an allusion to the Bible. The name symbolizes how strong and
The name Pilate in the Bible alludes to the man who crucified Jesus. In Song of Solomon, Pilate is a woman ,but in the Bible Pilate is a man. Pilate got her name when her father opened the Bible and randomly chosen a name “ Since he could not read a word, chose a group of letters that seem to him strong and handsome”( Morrison 38). By Pilate’s father using the words strong and handsome , it illustrates that he believed Pilates name symbolizes beauty and her strength. Both of the words give the reader a positive connotation. In the Bible, Pilate does not protect Jesus ,but in Song of Solomon Pilate protects and care for her family” When she whined to the policeman, verifying Milkman and Guitar lie that they had ripped off the sack as a joke on an old lady, she had to look up to him” demonstrates that Pilate was willing to lie to
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The name Magdalena in both the Bible and Song of Solomon correlates with each other because they both decided to let their inner strength come out speak about what they believed. Magdalene in the Bible was considered one of the first female apostle and one of the women who visited Jesus tomb after his crucifixion and seen that Jesus had risen into the sky. Then, she went to tell the disciples what she saw. Similarity, in Song of Solomon Lena told Milkman about his behavior and how ungrateful and immature he been behaving. “ You are sad, pitiful, stupid,selfish,hateful man” demonstrates that Lena was calling-out Milkman for how selfishly he been living his life. The words Lena used are associated with a negative connotation. Lena told Milkman the truth about his life ,which led to Milkman to go on a journey to search for his
Further, Joseph then connects himself to 2 Peter 1, by paraphrasing Peters words and using similar phrases in D&C 121 (Wessel,
Pilate is also Milkman's closest link with the sustaining power of the past.” Although Milkman may not realize, Pilate continues to watch over him in order to insure that he belongs
In the novel, “Song of Solomon”, one of the older sisters of the main character is named First Corinthians. She got her name by her father pointing at a random word in the bible. First Corinthians in the bible is a letter from Paul explaining the resurrection of Jesus to the people. Her full name is actually quite ironic in this instance as her last name is Dead but the actual biblical First Corinthians is about the resurrection or coming back to life of Jesus Christ. The religious implications of her name, however, don’t seem to have any effect on her character.
Pilate and her family did not live in the best conditions, as they lived in “A narrow single-story house… [and] had no electricity because [they] could not pay for the service. Nor the gas”, yet they were still the characters who were the most satisfied with their lives even when they had the bare minimum to survive (27). Compared to Macon Dead, Pilate was much happier with her life in her small house caring for her family than Macon was in his nice house with his family. This was evident to Milkman as he felt more comfort while in Pilate’s house than he ever did in his own house, which was more associated with materialism than Pilate’s house was. Because of the lack of materialism in Pilate’s life, it is simple to see how Pilate was able to thrive and live in
In the reading “Son” by Andrew Solomon, horizontal and vertical identities are compared and dissected through the lenses of society’s perceptions. A vertical identity is when “attributes and values are passed down from parent to child not only through DNA, but also through shared cultural norms”, while a horizontal identity is when “someone has an inherent or acquired trait that is foreign to his or her parents” (370). Solomon being a gay, dyslexic man brought up as an anti-Jew Jew, has well delved into the controversy of the ethics between what is considered an illness versus what is accepted as an identity. In the reading “Son”, Solomon narrates his struggle with identity from his early ages to present, and shows the development of his ethical
Without familial ties and history, Milkman lacked the wisdom that comes with knowledge of the past, causing a disconnect between Milkman and his people. Milkman’s journey provides him with the answers to his identity problem allowing his family’s past to provide instruction, and protection, and a certain kind of wisdom necessary in finding his true self. Although Milkman must ultimately define himself, he is also defined by his relationships. He cannot learn these lessons in isolation but only within the context of the present community and relations of
Arnold Friend’s Biblical Allusions In “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”, Joyce Carol Oates tells a story of a young, innocent teenage girl, Connie who enjoys listening to music and begins exploring her sexuality and being with boys “the way it was in the movies and promised in songs” (Oates 198). In fact she catches the attention of Arnold Friend one night while at the mall meeting up with a boy. Not knowing he would appear in her life, Arnold strangely shows up at her house assuming they made plans to get together. His character is seen as the devil.
Milkman discovers his family name and history, and while on his journey, Milkman finds happiness, understanding, and a sense of identity. While the actual findings of his family is important, Milkman’s discovery of his own identity through his family’s history is the true take-away from the
Toni Morrison’s novel Song of Solomon tells the story of Macon “Milkman” Dead, a character completely alienated from his community, his family and his heritage. The readers follow his journey, during which he attempts to find his “inheritance” of gold that his father, Macon Dead, believes was hidden by Pilate Dead. Instead, he travels to the fictional town of Shalimar where his family line began in America in order to fully understand the cultural heritage that has been left for him - in the process experiencing an understanding of the word home. Home is often represented by the motif of cherries, which different people in Milkman’s immediate family - eventually including Milkman encounter throughout the book. Even though these events are
Many of the characters in Song of Solomon are named after individuals in the bible, and Morrison does this in order to reveal a deeper understanding of the characters and their experiences in the novel. For example, the biblical Hagar is Abraham’s concubine Sarah’s handmaiden, and bearer of Abraham's first child who is later ostracized with her son and forced to leave due to Sarah’s jealousy and bitterness (“Hagar”). The Hagar in Song of Solomon has a somewhat similar experience. Her relationship with Milkman starts off strong, but the more she loves him, the more he just uses her to appease his sexual desires instead of establishing a strong, loving relationship with her. Milkman eventually grows out of his former feelings for Hagar, and then abandons her, leaving her distraught and heartbroken.
Milkman was born into a sheltered, privileged life. He lacked compassion, wallows in self-pity, and he alienated himself from the African-American community. Eventually the discovery of his family history gave his life purpose.
Milkman’s acknowledgment of racism and change in attitude towards women ultimately highlights his maturity and the development of an unmaterialistic identity through his metaphorical
The barn is seen through the eyes of Estrella as a holy place because it was a stable refuge. Petra’s statue of Jesus was a representation of her faith, but when it broke it symbolized the deterioration of her reliance in the religion. The baby doll without a mouth is shown like the migrant workers unable to talk and voicing an opinion towards their rights. The characters in the novel had a strong stance rooted into symbolic representations of Christianity. Petra and Estrella both learned the harsh reality of self-reliance and the fact that God will not always be
Throughout literature, most novels incorporate an adventure and an exploration theme about the hero journeying to find their path. In the novel Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison, it begins depicting Milkman as a feeble dependent character that relies on his friends and family for all of his needs. However, as the novel progresses the view of Milkman develops into an independent figure through a journey. Milkman’s personality and mindset shift as the purpose of the journey diverts away from gold and greed. He comes to realize what’s important in the world and begins exploring what really matters; his race, family’s homes, and identity in the world.
Many of the names were chosen from the bible on the day of a child’s birth. Letting God choose a child’s name shows a level of faith in the parents which often results in awkward and weird names. The use of the name, Magdalena called Lena, is similar to the phrasing in the bible in names like Simon called Peter. Toni Morrison put a lot of emphasis into the characters' names in Song of Solomon. The main characters' last name of Dead has a lot of emphasis.