What's in a name?
Toni Morrison's award-winning novel Song of Solomon is full of very interesting, deep symbolism. Macon Dead III, nicknamed "Milkman," is a very symbolic character throughout the novel. His character is not only symbolic, for so is his name. Also, Milkman's paternal aunt, Pilate, has an extremely significant and symbolic role in the novel. To her father, she represents the child who killed her own mother and took away her father's wife. Seeing that Pontius Pilate sentenced Jesus to death, the name Pilate seems to coincide with her father, Macon Dead's, opinion. Ironically, though, Pilate is a good person and is murdered in the end, just as Jesus was by Pontius Pilate. Another important character in the novel who portrays a great deal of symbolism is Guitar, Milkman's best friend. Guitar is named after something that he is ultimately unable to attain. "I saw it when my mother took me downtown with her. I was just a baby...I cried for it, they said. And always asked about it." This unreachable goal accurately describes his character throughout the novel. He is never able to overcome the obstacles that stand in his way or to reach the goals he has set for himself. Toni Morrison intelligently uses t
Finally, Guitar is also a very symbolic character in Toni Morrison's novel. The symbolism behind his name is quite significant, and it accurately describes his personality. He is named after something he wanted very badly as a child: a guitar. The fact is that he could not have the guitar, though. Throughout his life, Guitar struggles to accomplish many ultimately unattainable goals. The goals he sets involve helping himself, though, and himself only. Those who get in his way are dealt with in different manners. At one point, Guitar even tries to take the life of his best friend, Milkman, who is initially drawn to Guitar because of his maturity. He makes Milkman feel older and more grown up. Also, Guitar is the only person who Milkman doesn't mind being called his nickname by. He says that when Guitar says it, "it sounded clever, grown up." Because Guitar is never satisfied, he continues to do harmful things in hopes of fulfilling his goals. This causes him to murder Pilate, to ignore his best friend, and to eventually try to kill his best friend. "A milkman. That's what you got here, Miss Rufie." Milkman is given his name for a very logical reason: his mother nurses him until he is an adolescent. Freddie discovers this and gives Macon III his new nickname that will stick with him for the rest of his life. Th
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Approximate Word count = 889
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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