Theme Of Identity In Toni Morrison's Song Of Solomon

Sentimentalism was used to cultivate sympathy with others in order to promote self-improvement and motivate action to alleviate hardships. In Clayton Byrd Goes Underground, Williams-Garcia had Clayton go through challenges, so the readers can sympathize with Clayton but also be inspired by his character development. At a young age, Clayton was determined to reach his self-manifested identity to overcome the sudden death of his grandfather. Unlike the stories in Golden Age of literature, Clayton faced real obstacles that he needed to deal with to fulfill his ambition. Clayton always wanted to acquire Cool Papa’s identity, but after overcoming challenges he was able to discover his own self-identity.

Freedom is the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint. The search for freedom is exemplified in Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison. One of the main protagonists, Macon has the ideology suggesting freedom relies on materialistic values. He teaches this idea to his son Milkman (the other protagonist), in which he learns throughout his encounters of life, that his father’s ideology of money being freedom is not what brings a prosperous life but himself going on his own journey experiencing his own enlightenment on life, so that he may have a personal understanding of freedom. Thus, the validity of “money is freedom” is not valid, due to understanding freedom can be subjective.

Once Jake discovers the body, he comes face-to-face with the tentacle-laced monster that caused all the destruction. Abe dies in his grandsons arms but not before muttering some last words about a letter and some bird. Jake has no idea what those last few words meant. Nobody believes Jake when he explains the monster he saw; the death was notarized as an attack of wild dogs. Jake deteriorates into a deep depression, as his grandpa was his best friend.

Huck basically grew up as an orphan, learning everything for himself while his father was busy getting drunk. When his father was around, he often beat Huck and was a bad role model in his life. When he escaped and began to befriend Jim, Jim took on a paternal role for Huck. In chapter nine when the river floods and the house floats by, Jim will not let Huck see the dead man inside. This is one example of how Jim is protective over Huck and tries to preserve his innocence.

What furthers the success of his fulfilling of a father is the way he words this principle; Atticus knows that if he uses words or sentences which are too complicated, Scout will not understand, therefore, will not be able to live by this principal. Using phrases such as shows us that Atticus takes into account his children’s attitudes and learning capability solely to pass on morals. Furthermore, throughout the course of the novel, as the reader familiarize themselves with Atticus and his children’s bond, we learn

This impact is proven in the epigraph of the novel when Morrison writes, “The fathers may soar/ And the children may know their names” (epigraph). An allusion to the African-American story about slaves who escaped slavery through flight; Morrison utilizes this epigraph to demonstrate the impact that the “flying africans” leave on a community. She discusses how the fathers soar, which is a direct reference to the flying africans of folklore, but also is a reference to the novel and Solomon who left his family to escape slavery. The children knowing their father’s names is also a reference to the motif of children’s song in the novel, due to the fact that the children in the town of Shalimar sing about Solomon and his flight. The knowledge of names also brings in another integral theme of the story which is the power of names.

The following pages will discuss Huckleberry Finn, a very young kid that father was very abusive with no other family members to take care of him. These two older women tried to care for Huck by the name of Widow Douglas and Miss Watson, they tried to raise him the good old-fashioned way but Huck was too street smarts and hyper to listen to abide by the rules anyway, plus his drunken, despicable dad played a part in his action also. Huck was a fast thinker at all times he faked his death, after his dad tried to get the ladies to sell there slave by the name of Jim to give him money if they wanted to continue to raise Huck. After faking his death, he decided to go down the Mississippi River. Jim went with him because he wanted to go and be free,

“[He] was able to escape the worst of [his] culture’s inheritance. And uneasy though [he is] about [his] new life, [he] cannot whine about it,” (253). The Hillbilly culture is full of poverty, however it explodes with family values and support from those who don’t battle with addiction. J.D. claims that, “the life [he] leads now was the stuff of fantasy during [his] childhood.

They are never happy about what they have. Greed is wanting what others have and the book hamlet is centered around just that, murder, sacrifice, and mischief. Claudius is a perfect example of greed. He killed the king in order to obtain the throne. As it said in the book ¨murder most foul, as in the best it is, but this most foul, strange, and unnatural.¨ Claudius was greedy and wanted what his brother had.

By Rahim Khan saying this, Amir now understands why Baba always tried to do good, because deep down inside he couldn’t bear to know what he’s done. He couldn’t love Hassan the way he wanted to. That’s why he built the orphanage and did so many other great things so he had something to distract him from his mistake and hopefully feel some redemption. Rahim Khan, Amir and Baba all redeem themselves through Sohrab. “I looked at the round face in the Polaroid again, the way the sun fell on it.