Theme Of Identity In Toni Morrison's Song Of Solomon

Your identity are the qualities, beliefs, personality, looks and/or expressions that make you who you are. Your identity helps you find your destiny in life. Without the knowledge of your identity your life will be incomplete. One of the main ways a person can find their identity is by finding out who their ancestors were and what was their purpose in life. Toni Morrison’s Milkman in “Song of Solomon” is a good example of how people can find their identity through their ancestry. 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. The way Milkman was raised

Milkman meets Circe, an old midwife who helped deliver Macon Jr. and Pilate. Circe tells Milkman that Macon’s original name was Jake and that he was married to an Indian girl, Sing. Milkman then heads south to Shalimar, Virginia where his grandfather used to live. Milkman finds that his great-grandfather, was the legendary flying African, Solomon, who escaped slavery by flying back to Africa. However, because Solomon escaped and left his kids, Milkman’s grandfather, grew up an orphan. Furthermore, Macon Dead I’s son, Macon Jr., witnessed a white men murder his father. Macon Jr. never fully recovered from that horrifying moment which made him become a greedy, vicious man who was obsessed with money, thus, causing Milkman to share some of his characteristics. Milkman’s findings about his family history gave him joy and a sense of purpose. Before he knew about his family history, he was a spoiled, selfish and unloving person. Learning about his family history helped him find his true identity and he become a compassionate, responsible adult. “Song of Solomon” greatly showed how important it is to know your ancestry and where you come from so you can figure who you are and your purpose in