Many of the most influential and
memorable characters in the first three chapters of Song of Solomon are fathers. From Macon I, who appears only in
memories yet played a major role in the lives of Pilate and Macon II, to Ruth’s
father, a disturbing force of imbalance in her current family life, I have been
struck by the importance of the father in this novel. The third father figure,
perhaps the most important, is Macon II, a polarizing figure in Milkman’s life,
serving both as a role model and as a daily antagonist to Milkman.
Early
in the novel, when Milkman first meets Pilate, she tells him about his
grandfather Macon I. Macon I was killed when both Pilate and Macon were still
young, but he still seems to have been a positive force in their lives. It is
mentioned that though he was robbed of his name (and his identity as a man?), he
built up his farm from nothing, a model of a hardworking and respectable man. Entering
the realm of superstition that pervades her house, Pilate tells Milkman how her
father’s spirit protected her and Macon II when they were lost in the woods.
Dr.
Foster, Ruth’s father, is a far less admirable character in the novel. After
Macon hits Ruth at the dinner table and Milkman retaliates against him, Macon
tells Milkman a sordid tale about Ruth and her father that shocks and confuses
Milkman. A figure of authority in his community, Dr. Foster seems to have had
some dark secrets in his family life, particularly in his relationship with his
daughter. It is clear that, despite his outward appearance of “respectability,”
Dr. Foster is largely responsible for all the tension in Macon’s relationship
with Ruth.
The
most developed father-son relationship in the novel is certainly that between
Milkman and Macon Dead. Macon is in many ways an enemy of Milkman, full of
resentment and suspicion—it is mentioned that in his adolescence Milkman did
everything he could to be the opposite of his father. And later in the story,
Milkman physically assaults Macon in defense of his mother. However, at the
same time Milkman is certainly appreciative of his father’s work and the
opportunities that have been given to him through it. He definitely enjoys his
job with Macon, if only because it gives him time to see Pilate. He seems to
have genuine respect for his father as a businessman and a grudging sense of
his father’s worth in the community. All in all, the “coming of age” section of
Song of Solomon talks a lot about the
impact of fathers on their children. It
is by and large a patriarchal society in this novel, though we should also note
the importance of women particularly in Pilate’s household (but that could be
its own blog post!).
I thought this was interesting; I hadn't thought about the father-figures in the novel. In the foreword, it says that Toni Morrison wrote it after her father died, and she was very struck by the loss. Perhaps they are connected.
ReplyDeleteI'm intrigued by how different these three father figures are. The doctor and Macon I seem to be on opposite ends of the spectrum. Macon I is the quintessential rough-repectable man, while Dr. Foster appears to be a proto-aristocrat from the stories we've heard about him. Macon II, in the next generation, appears to be somewhere in between the two. Perhaps this just goes to show how he was influenced by the two fathers he dealt most with, shaping the way he runs his household.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't thought as much about the importance of fathers in the novel as I have mothers. For me, mothers have played a more crucial role in this novel than the fathers have, but that could also be because I just finished reading chapter 5 and Ruth and Pilate are the main focuses of the section. Reba and Hagar are wholly developed by their respective mothers. They come from a very matriarchal household. Macon also seems to be more affected by his mother. His name comes from the bond his mother stretched out with him longer than acceptable in their society. His mother's history defines him much more than his father's does, but then again, her history mostly relates to his grandfather, the doctor, so I could see that also meaning that his grandfather has a large impact on him. Family lines in general hold a lot of importance in this novel, as do names and where they come from. Legal names come from the father, but names like Milkman's and the women in Pilate's household's come from their mothers, which make for an interesting dynamic.
ReplyDeleteThe impact of the fathers on the story is immense and very interesting. It is not something I had thought about before today. I'm starting to see that the father figures in Song Of Solomon are often more developed and their lives shape the plot and mold the choices their children make. Although, this book really focuses on the children, Milkman, Hagar, Guitar... I feel like Macon and Pilate (and to some extent the doctor) are the most familiar to us as readers because we have much more background. I don't feel like Milkman is really developing as a character. We have watched him grow up in the book, and although he is in his thirties now, I feel like the way he is described is only surface level and could easily be describing him at age 11 or 23. Milkman and Hagar's lives are also extremely defined by their parents lives. Milkman still works for his father and Hagar also lives at home. Even Pilate's life in her seventies is influenced by events from her childhood, like her name and her fathers death. Even though time is passing, it seems like a lot of the present events are some consequence of something that happened a long time ago. The doctors death, Macon and Pilate's father's death, the inheritance all shape the present plot of Song of Solomon. I think you bring up a really good point about respectability. It is interesting to think about where the characters fall on the wheel of respectability and how they relate to each other. I would say the dead's are respectable, maybe contentious elite, whereas Pilate, Reba and Hagar are rough. Maybe part of that is why Macon dislikes Pilate, because they oppose each other on the wheel of respectability. I would categorize Guitar as rough as well, because he does not restrain his elemental passions when he joins the secret society to kill people (but he is restraining some formerly unrestrained passions such as sex, smoking and drinking).I think right now, that difference in place on the wheel of respectability between Milkman and Guitar is becoming more prevalent and that could be part of the reason they are having some bumps in their relationship. You brought up the interesting dilemma the doctor poses as to where he falls on the wheel of respectability. I totally agree that he has a respectable facade, but then with all the ether and other family secrets he kindof tips toward the rough side. It's been confusing/annoying me a little that I can't fit him neatly in one spot on the wheel (though I'm leaning towards rough). I've been thinking of the doctor's respectability as a sort of metaphorical gobstopper where the first "flavor" is respectable, but it gets rougher as you get more towards the doctor's core character.
ReplyDeleteI think Milkman's whole past, especially his father, has been hanging over/defining him in kind of a negative way for the entire book. It's like he's trapped by his father's/family's legacy: embarrassed in school by Pilate, rejected from that bar because of his connection to his father, and unable to grow up maybe in part because his financially privileged background has set him apart from his peers (like Guitar) and allowed him to get away with not making his own life. As has been mentioned, even his name is a representation of his family's dirty secrets, rather than of him. And I think the fact that it's hard to get a good feel for Milkman as a character is because he's been so defined by his family/father, that it's hard to tell who he actually is.
ReplyDeleteIn light of our discussion of the differences between the Dead household and Pilate's house, the comparison between Macon I and II seems even more significant. Whereas Macon II is a troubling figure in Milkman's life, as Milkman simultaneously benefits from and intentionally alienates himself from Macon, the existence of Macon I seems to much more detrimental to the familial relations between Pilate and Macon.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree that the three fathers you mention have a huge impact on their children. No matter how much Milkman tries to distance himself from Macon II, for example, he is still dependent on him for employment and housing. It feels to me, however, that the fathers are simply there to drive the plot, not to do anything themselves. Indeed, most of what we learn about Milkman, and what drives him to do things, are a result of some father's action. It is the doctor's relationship with Ruth that originally causes him to be curious about his past, and it is Macon II who tells him about this. Even his passion to find Pilate's gold came about only because his father told him to find it.
ReplyDeleteThe fathers in this book all have their influences on who Milkman became (Dr. Foster kind of indirectly though). Macon I's major influence, I think, is the inspiration for Milkman's quest in Part 2. Macon II wanted Milkman to become more like him because he didn't want another weird relationship between Ruth and another family member. He wanted someone who would continue his work as a real-estate agent and make a lot of money for the family. To me, though, Milkman has turned his back on his father's ideals and wishes for his son. Even though they get along well enough as adults, Milkman still wants t o get away from his father's influence and become his own person.
ReplyDeleteI think its cool that Morrison is such a quality writer that she can so cohesively create themes in her novels with intent. This, flying, and names are evidently important to the novel and it all seemingly fills in magically. This is a good nod to her themes.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, father figures are a huge theme in Song of Solomon. Morrison depicts three different kinds of flawed father figures, a dead one, an incestuous one, and a fear-inspiring one. All of these different relationships are far from your "ideal father figure", one that supports and mentors you. Morrison addresses the different impacts each kind of father has on their child, in which each relationship shapes the child into who they will become, showing the importance of fathers in their child's life.
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