Milkman Dead of “Song of Solomon” embodies young African Americans of their tendency to ignore their past ancestral base, indulge in earning gold and wealth in USA, and finding vanity in the process.
The novel “Song of Solomon” is an important work in the field of racial literature by Nobel laureate Toni Morrison which explores dilemmas of life which African Americans face. With their heritage in black oral history quite different with western lifestyle, the novel explores sensitive issues affecting African Americans. Although African Americans today legally occupy equal status to that of whites, emotional crisis faced by this class is subjective. Side-by-side, the novel also includes political developments with racism, segregation, and the civil rights movement.
“Song of Solomon” centers around Milkman Dead's transformation from self-alienation and materialism that he received from his father, Macon Dead, to community values when he comes in touch with his aunt Pilate Dead. Other characters such as that of Guitar, Reba, and Hagar also play influential role in shaping Milkman's thought process.
“Macon Dead never knew how it came about -- how his only son acquired the nickname that stuck in spite of his own refusal to use it or acknowledge it." It was a matter that concerned Macon a good deal, for selecting names in his family was always surrounded by what he believed to be monumental foolishness.
Young African Americans are desperate to find new identity through owning material wealth, may be to compensate for discriminations. They groom themselves with ideas such as “Let me tell you right now the one important thing that you'll ever need to know: Own things. And let the things you own own other things too. Then you'll own yourself and other people too.” Milkman's belief that his trip to south holds the key to liberation proves correct, although it is not gold that helps. Coming into touch with ancestors' world and realizing importance of communal values over materialism, Milkman is able to arrive at a more complete understanding of what his identity is and what his dreams and aspirations should be.
