I realize that there a lot of archetypes out there (Milkman as outcast, Ruth as unfaithful wife, etc.), but I am only going to comment on one. This is Pilate as the earth mother. The first time we meet Pilate, she offers Milkman and Guitar food. Significantly, she offers eggs, which are a symbol of life. Also, her feet point outwards, symbolizing how she gives direction to Guitar throughout his life. Finally, there are many indications of her being connected to the earth (i.e. gravelly voice, collection of rocks, traveling the earth, etc.).
Well, there you have it. I have now started 3 out of the 6 blog discussions. Hope y'all are happy.
(As a side note, does anyone else pronounce guitar gee-tar? Or is that just me?)
Most studious here!
ReplyDeleteSong of Solomon is most certainly a work containing MANY archetypes. But in order to make it easier for all of you to read my post I will separate the situational ones, from the character ones. I also have to split this up because its too long... damn word limits.
So for the situation (just had to admit it reminded me of jersey shore) archetype of the quest, it is clearly Milkman’s search for his past and lineage-his quest for reason and purpose. The task that he needed to perform was the find the story of his great grandfather by means of searching for the gold. The journey, I believe is very similar to the quest in Song of Solomon. The initiation, however, takes place with Milkman’s conversations with Pilate. The ritual is also about the same times when Pilate talks with Milkman. Although it was extremely difficult for me to pinpoint significant parts of the novel that signify Milkman's fall or his death and rebirth, I believe these situations are when his sister berates him for his attitude in life. One situational archetype that is obvious, however, is the battle between good and evil. This is clearly the multiple fights, and final fight between Milkman and Guitar. Another archetype I had some trouble with was the unhealable wound; originally I will admit that I thought that it was Milkman's abnormally smaller leg. This however, straightens out as he ages and therefore is healed. As a result I feel the unhealable wound may be a casualty in the battle between good and evil, better known as the death of Pilate.
ReplyDeleteNow for the character archetypes (all 23 of them). First of all we have the hero, although it may seem superfluous to identify this one considering we all (should) know who it is, the hero in Song of Solomon is Milkman. When I moved on to the young man from the provinces my first instinct was to choose Guitar. This is because at first he is just a friend of Milkman someone that he is able to discuss things with. Milkman is also one of the (or the only) initiate. Now for the mentor, as Ed stated, I believe that the mentor in this book is Pilate not only for her generosity with eggs but also because of her role in guiding Milkman and offering him a source of authority, wisdom and comfort. Therefore the mentor-pupil relationship would be the one between Pilate and Milkman. The threshold guardian was difficult for me. So I am going to choose a couple and hope that one is right. This archetype could either be Hagar, testing him with their relationship, or his father who stands in almost everyone’s way. Assuming it is the father, this flawlessly transitions into the father-son conflict, which would consist of Milkman and his father. At first, on his journey, Milkman is alone and at the time has no “hunting group of companions,” later on however in one of the towns he visits, he meets up with some guys and I would assume they become his quasi-wolf pack. The loyal retainer I think could also be Pilate but other than that I don’t think that this archetype exists. Furthermore I do not think that Milkman has any magical speaking ferrets or fish as friends throughout his journey (although I don’t think he would’ve protested to having one-it would probably be a bird). Now just to make things easier I am going to bunch up the shadow and the devil figure into one and say I think they are closest to Guitar. The evil figure with an ultimately good heart could be Milkman’s father because of how his actions were never truly malicious. Furthermore, after learning about his fathers past Milkman may be able to get where his dad is coming from. The way the packet describes the creature of nightmare leads me to believe that one does not exist in the novel. The scapegoat however, does. I think Pilate's death was extremely powerful even though it was at the end. Therefore Pilate takes on yet another archetype of the scapegoat. I think that the outcast is kind of Milkman. I feel like the platonic ideal could either be Pilate or his mother Ruth because Milkman is not physically attracted to either of those people, but is influenced by both of them. I do not think there is a damsel in distress in this book. There is however an earth mother, and I think that that figure is Pilate but the reasons are the same as Ed stated. I do not, however, believe that she had any exceptional physical characteristics that made her like the earth mother; in fact she was described in a negative manner (concerning appearance). The temptress is clearly Hagar even though she is crazy and he doesn’t like her that much by the end. There is no white goddess as the packet defined… unless I misread I didn’t pick up on any “good, beautiful maiden, usually BLOND” figures. However if I had to choose a figure for this archetype I would choose Circe because she had a religious and intellectual overtone. If we believe in the incestuous relationship between Ruth and her father she could be the unfaithful wife. Also there are no Romeo or Juliet figures in this novel. That’s all.
ReplyDeleteIn the words of Justin peace out my “AP LIT GANGSTAS”
So I'm going to have to split up my post because apparently mine is too long, sorry!
ReplyDeleteSince Russell covered a lot of ground and I pretty much agree with it all, I'm only going to say what I disagree with or expand on what I agree with.
Situational archetypes: The initiation takes place as soon as Milkman meets Pilate. As Ed said, Pilate offers Milkman an egg during their first encounter: "You ought to try one. I know how to do them just right. I don't like my whites to move, you know. The yolk I want soft, but not runny. Want it like wet velvet. How come you don't just try one?" (Morrison 39). This offering definitely is just one example of how Pilate helps guide Milkman as he matures. As for the death and rebirth archetype - in addition to the fight/ battle between Milkman and Guitar - I think this archetype can apply to the fight/ battle between Pilate and Macon Dead. Throughout the novel, readers learn more and more about the harsh relationship between the brother and sister. Pilate (the good) refuses to take the gold from the "man" in the cave, while Macon (the evil) wanted to take the gold from the man; Pilate refuses to allow Macon to treat Ruth so poorly so she makes him love Ruth and then protects Ruth from Macon when Ruth is pregnant, while Macon hates Ruth and even punched her stomach (with Milkman in it). The unhealable wound, in my opinion, is more of a psychological wound than a physical wound. I believe this wound is the relationship between Milkman's parents. His parents' messed up relationship bothers Milkman throughout the entire novel, and even when he discovers the meaning of the Song, he never fully learns the entire backstory to his parents relationship.
Character archetypes: As Russell said, Milkman is the hero. He has a strange, wise being as a mentor (Pilate), he goes on a journey in search of knowledge(to find the gold, but really to learn more about his family's past), he is born and raised in a rural setting (more specifically, a prominent area in the town), and he frequently engages in tests or contests of strength (with Guitar in his conversation about the Seven Days and with Hagar in her attempt to kill him). In my opinion, the threshold guardian is Hagar. She tests Milkman's courage and worthiness to begin the journey because Milkman has the courage to end his relationship with her and then manages to stay alive after every time that Hagar tries to kill him. Although this may be somewhat of a stretch, I think the evil figure with the ultimately good heart is Hagar; she can be considered evil in the sense that she tries to kill the protagonist out of her love for Milkman, but her good heart is revealed to readers when we see her go mad and feel the need to go shopping to buy new clothes, etc. so she can please Milkman. At least when I read this part of the novel, I felt extremely bad for Hagar and it showed me that she really does have a good heart. I also think that Hagar (not Pilate) fulfills the scapegoat archetype. As the packet describes, her death in a public ceremony expiates a sin of a community; I think that Hagar's death represents how far people will go because of their strong passion/ love for another person. Additionally, the packet describes the scapegoat as being more powerful in death than in life; Hagar is more powerful in death because when Milkman realizes that he is the reason for Hagar's death he truly turns his life around and cares more about Pilate.
Symbolic Archetypes: The only symbolic archetype that I picked up on in SoS is the innate wisdom vs. educated stupidity. In my eyes, this archetype exists on a couple of lists. First, it exists with Pilate and Milkman because even though Pilate was brought up on a farm and spent her entire childhood moving around the south, she is extremely wise; but, Milkman who lives a close-to-normal childhood and is educated, is not as wise as her and seems to "milk" off of what everyone else does. Second, this symbolic archetype exists with Guitar and Milkman because even though Guitar was raised on "the other side of the town" he seems to give off a much "higher air" than Milkman does; Guitar is more confident and seems to hold the more power in their relationship.
ReplyDeleteI don’t want to restate everything that was said above, but I did want to touch on what Russell said about there not being a damsel in distress in the novel. I disagree with this statement. I think Hagar fits the description of “a vulnerable woman who needs to be rescued by the villain.” Once Milkman rejects Hagar, she becomes vulnerable because she becomes emotionally unstable. She becomes insane and goes to extreme limits to either get her man back or make sure no one else has the opportunity to be with him. Although she is not put in harms way and does not need to be rescued from a villain, she needs to be rescued from herself, and Milkman is the only person who can save her. However, her love for him remains unrequited, and Milkman eventually realizes that he (the hero of the novel) was the ultimate reason for her death, because he didn’t save her.
ReplyDeleteI'm also going to have to split this up!
ReplyDeleteSince Russell and Dani have covered a lot already, I will, like Dani, just augment and describe what I disagree with.
First, I think an important situational archetype is "The Journey," because Milkman is looking for a truth (his heritage) that will help him save his kingdom's (his family's) lineage. But I also think that Milkman's primary motivation was not to save anyone, but to become independent, so then I wonder whether his journey fits into either situational archetype (Journey or Quest).
I disagree with Russell's characterization of Guitar as the "Young Man from the Provinces." Going by what the packet says, I think Milkman is the "young Man" because he returns to his true home/heritage in Shalimar, where he is a stranger, and is not initially welcome.
I agree with Dani that Hagar is the Threshold Guardian, and with Russell that Macon may also be a threshold guardian. Both people try to kill Milkman many times, but he survives. as Pilate pointed out, Milkman is a "survivor," so he must go on the journey.
I also think that Guitar is the "Outcast," because he is clearly socially marginalized because of his "other side of town" background. Milkman, on the other hand, grows up wealthy, and socially acceptably. Because Guitar is marginalized and outcast, he bands up with other outcasts and forms "the Days."
Now for some symbolic archetypes:
ReplyDeleteI think Morrison was ridiculing the "light vs. dark" archtype with her portrayals of Pilate and Dr. Foster. While Pilate has a very dark skin tone, she is enlightened and illuminated. On the other hand, Dr. Foster, who only cares about having light skin, is described as ignorant, narrow-minded, and greedy.
I agree with Dani's description of the "Innate Wisdom vs. Educated Stupidity." To add- the contras between First Corinthians and Henry. While First Corinthians has been educated in Bryn Mawr and Paris, Henry has a poor, uneducated background. However, First Corinthians is ashamed of her profession, and tries to hide it from the world. Henry, is not ashamed and bold, even though he does not have a particularly lucrative job.
The Threshold is Pilate's home, a marginal shack at the end of own,which was forbidden to Milkman. When he enters it, though, he meets Pilate and Hagar, two of the most important triggers of Milkman's journey.
The Underworld is the Cave where Pilate and Macon's dad was killed. Obviously, it is a place of death, but it is also a big mystery for Milkman, Guitar, and Macon, of whether there is gold hidden there. This is also where Guitar and Milkman start drifting apart.
Haven vs Wilderness- Sweet's home is a haven and place of safety. Milkman does not accomplish anything there. In contrast, the forest where Milkman ventures is the dangerous wilderness. He is nearly killed several times here by Guitar, but this is also where he makes his great self-discovery.
The Crossroads could be when Milkman must decide whether to join Guitar's quest with the Seven Days. This is the first time in the novel when Milkman makes a moral decision, and acts for himself, rather than “milking off other people,” as Dani pointed out.
The Castle is Pilate's home, which holds the supposed “treasure” in the tarp; the treasure triggers Milkman to start his journey/adventure with his father. The Castle could also be Circe's abode, which holds secrets of Milkman's heritage. It is also a treasure map to the next place of Milkman's journey/quest.
Numbers: Milkman is the 3rd child in his family, symbolizing the male principle. It is his duty to trace his lineage and resotr order in his dysfunctional family.
Milkman also makes 4 stops before arriving in Shalimar. (Reverend Cooper's house, Circe's house, the cave, Solomon's general store). He gains something important in each stop, and each stop signifies one element. Reverend Cooper represents air, because he is intelligent and honest. Circe is earth because of her earth-motheryness. The cave is right near the water. Guitar was in Solomon's store, and left Milkman a message. Clearly, Guitar is fire because of his anger and vengeance.
Finally, the 7 days represent the magical number 7. I'm not entirely sure what this means, but I'll go on a stretch and say that the seven days thought they were doing something that was morally/religiously right by killing off white people.
Damn, you guys did not leave very much room to talk about anything, "Most Studious" took out 99 percent of what i had to say and i pretty much agree with everything he said (thanks for the shout out btw). I couldnt agree more with Schweta's observation about light vs. Dark but ill just touch on it further. While i don't believe Toni Morrison is a racist, i do believe she favors her own race and is Al sharpton jesse jackson esque. So Scweta's astute observation of light vs. dark makes perfect sense. I disagree with the fact that shes mocking the archetype tho, i believe she is using the archetype to voice her pro black opinions. Dark is good, light is bad, at least in this book which is a total reversal of what the archetype is supposed to mean. Toni Morrison did this deliberately(in my opinion) to garner pity for Pilate and anger towards doctor foster (dark vs light) as her way of implementing black is better than white. (sorry if this post is offensive it is just opinionated and my idea)
ReplyDeletetheres no real point in reiterating what my fellow bloggers have already wrote, so in regards to the character archetypes i defer to russ and danielle. I do think Guitar is the Devil Figure which im not sure if that was mentioned. And i disagree with Russ in regards to the father being the evil figure with a good heart because although the past semi warrants his attitude, he doesnt prove to me that he has a good heart at any point in the novel so i cant give him that respect.
Pce Out my brothas from a multitude of mothas
potentially more to come if i can find anything u geniuses havent already discovered.
hi.. so i think i'll just try and respond to a couple things bc i think a lot has been covered..
ReplyDeletethe whole young man from the provinces archetype confuses me sort of.. i don't totally get the description so russell, im not sure how you got guitar, but shweta i sort of get yours more because Milkman does return to his heritage... the description in the packet is confusing to me because I'm not sure i the young man has to be the same character as the hero. If that is what it is saying though, then MIlkman sort of makes sense bc on his journey he does encounter new information.
I would say that the Threshold guardian could be Hagar but I also think it's possible that it could also be Lena because her confrontation is a challenge to Milkman and certainly motivates him to begin his journey.
Dani I also really agree that the evil figure with the ultimately good heart is Hagar. She seems evil and is crazy because Milkman doesn't love her but this isn't because she is actually an evil person. She maybe sort of pathetic and totally deranged and miserable but she is definitely not malicious.
I also think the shadow is most likely Guitar but the packet mentions that it can be the hero's darker side so it could be Milkman's dark side. He sort of does struggle with his family's history and with himself until his final jump/escape at the very end.
Pilate as the white goddess? i feel like it can be argued despite her not being white or blonde, any thoughts?
ReplyDeleteJustin- you may be right about the white goddess being Pilate. She's obviously not white or blonde, nor does she make the ideal marriage partner, but she's definitely a religious figure. This is evident in such scenes like the one Ed mentioned in the initial post, and also in her forgiveness of Milkman after he tries to steal gold from her (embodying the ideals of a true religious figure- since many people would just look for a way to get revenge). It is evident in her strange lack of a navel, which suggests that she may not quite be a living human, and it is also evident in her (ironic?) name of Pilate, that of a character in the Bible. Since Pilate is largely responsible for helping to "save" Milkman by putting him on the right track, and since we know that Morrison seems to not portray white characters so kindly in this novel, I think it's fair to ignore the physical description and focus more on the similarities between the actions of the "white goddess" and those of Pilate.
ReplyDeleteOK, Dani and Schweta have covered a lot already. I'll just try to fill in some of my own thoughts. I disagree with Justin that Pilate would be a good "white goddess" because I think she's more of a mentor and nurturer to Guitar in a maternal way, not really as someone Milkman would marry. In terms of character, archetypes, I agree with Ed that she's an earth mother, from the gravelly quality of her voice to the way Morrison presents her in the novel. The father-son conflict archetype is also evident between Macon and Milkman and this has a huge impact on who Milkman is as a person. Moreover, the stories Macon tells Milkman over the years are a determining factor in the development of Milkman's interest in his family past. I think the star-crossed lovers obviously are Milkman and Hagar - it is yet another illustration of a woman being mistreated by a man. In fact, SoS led me to believe that T-Mo is a bit of a misandrist. Milkman and Hagar also echo the sad plight of Macon and Ruth - if only because there are the same themes of mistreatment and abandonment. I agree that Guitar is the "outcast" because of his marginalization socially - he is a bit ostracized. Moreover, I think the platonic ideal is Circe because she helps Milkman during his journey to find his familial history and she connects Milkman to his roots.
ReplyDeleteSome situational archetypes now... So I think that the "quest' of Milkman's journey is to find his identity and achieve self-actualization through the "task" of finding his family in VA and ultimately discovering things about Solomon's flight or escape to freedom. The journey is ultimately Milkman's life - and the entire lifespan of the book - as SoS is an adventure story first and foremost. I agree with Dani on the rest of her interpretations for what the rest of the archetypes are, and as such, I don't think they bear repeating. Essentially, finding his familial roots is Milkman's superhuman journey and make him a hero. He is finally able to be at peace once he discovers himself and emerges from his chrysalis...
I agree with Justin about the light and dark imagery. In this book, however, I think the most interesting discussion comes into play with the innate wisdom and educated stupidity. Macon isn't educated per se but he represents the smarmy upper class and on the opposite end of the spectrum Pilate isn't educated in the slightest but possesses wisdom in spades. The crossroads is in VA, when Milkman has realizations about his family and Solomon's flight across the Atlantic. Moreover, the imagery in the book, in particular, the colors, lend to the mood of the scene and indicate to the reader changes in the plot ahead, such as the racism and clear contrast between all things black and white, with the only one black doctor in No Mercy hospital and clear racial divisions in town. Color plays an important role in the novel. OK, that's my commentary on the archetypes.
Erica:
ReplyDeleteYou're absolutely right about Milkman being a Young Man from the Provinces. Much like Odysseus, he sets out on a journey to uncover his history, truth, and meaning. Milkman goes back to his roots as a stranger, where he meets old family friends and learns about his family's history. The only definitive difference that could challenge such a categorization of Milkman as the Young Man from the Province archetype would be that he does not actually return to his home and solve problems; that is, if you are unwilling to accept his final flight as a return home...
guys im pretty sure there is no 'c' in shweta.
ReplyDeletei liked your point (shweta) about the 7 days. i dont think its that much of a stretch. but i think its also related to the circle of life - what goes around comes around, and when the whites kill the blacks, the blacks kill the whites.
nice work most studious x 2
There are clearly many archetypes in SOS. As said before Milkman is definitely a young man from the provinces. He returns home from his journey to the South with a new perspective and outlook on life. There is also the father-son conflict, and I believe that Ruth can fall under the category of the unfaithful wife. She is dulled and bored by her husband, and the two are very distant. Even though Ruth does not actually cheat on her husband, her visits to her dad in the cemetery could be taken that way. I also feel like the threshold applies to SOS, and in Milkman's case, it is his visit to his roots in the South. Without leaving Michigan, Milkman would never have grown, he would never have understood how to "fly", and his attitude and mood would not have changed to be merrier.
ReplyDeleteWow most of you guys took what I was going to say, but I'll try to elaborate on some things.
ReplyDeleteFor situational archetypes, I agree that Song of Solomon can be considered both a quest and a journey. Milkman sets out to search for answers from his past to "restore peace, order and normalcy" to his life. He searches for his family's history to get a better sense of who he is. I believe the battle between good and evil is shown through Milkman (good) and Guitar's (evil) fight in the woods where Milkman manages to scare Guitar away and save his own life.
As for character archetypes, I completely agree that Pilate can be considered the Mentor and Earth Mother. She guides Milkman and gives him information to begin his journey. At first, I thought the Evil Figure with a Good Heart was Guitar, but I can see how Russell sees it as Milkman's father. Macon starts off as a bad character in the novel, but it's pretty clear that he's not evil, nor do I think he's intentionally bad, which could show his "good" heart. However, he doesn't to show any change at the end of the novel so I don't know how well he fits the archetype. I think Milkman can be considered the outcast because he doesn't fit in with the rest of his family. His sister rebukes him for not respecting or treating the women in his family well enough, leading him to leave and go on his journey.
For symbolic archetypes, I think the cave represents the underworld since it is a place of death and danger. I also agree with Shweta that Sweet's house could be considered a haven in the wilderness because there, Milkman is safe from Guitar who is trying to kill him.
Wow. "Most studious" indeed. And Shweta is spelled without a "c", but don't shwet it.
ReplyDeleteAnyways, a lot of ground has obviously been covered. For death and rebirth, I think there's another very obvious situation in the first chapter. Mr. Smith's death (quite ironic as a life insurance agent) coincides with the birth of Macon Dead III. Milkman's realization that only birds and planes can fly might be his unhealable wound, as he loses interest in himself from an early age, and this propels his journey for self-identity.
I don't necessarily agree that Pilate is the "white goddess", but I see your points. In any case, most of the characters are black, and I think those who are white could be devil figures or otherwise evil. The foreman doesn't help Guitar's family after the father's accident, the Butlers are murderers, and even the white peacock makes Milkman and Guitar greedy (one of the deadly sins).
lol clark im impressed
ReplyDeleteHi, everyone.
ReplyDeleteSo for situational archetypes, I think Dani made a really good point about how the unhealing wound is Milkman's parents' relationship. Morrison's descriptions throughout the entire novel render an really painful image of their family dynamics, and their refusal to try to heal their relationships.
The battle between good and evil isn't completely clean-cut in SoS. Milkman sees that what Guitar and The 7 Days are doing is wrong, but Guitar and others believe that their revenge is completely justified. Of course, the evil side generally doesn't see their actions as wrong, but I think SoS adds a really different side to Good vs. Evil b/c what Guitar and The Days feel is a very human urge. It is human for them to feel hurt when people from the black community are killed needlessly, and Morrison addresses the essential humanity in his desire for revenge, but tempers it with Milkman's (and the audience's) knowledge that killing for revenge is wrong. For this reason, I disagree with some people's belief that Guitar is the Devil character archetype, because he is not evil incarnate, although what he is doing is wrong.
Character archetypes -- Pilate is obviously an outcast. She does not follow societal norms at all, and has a very different way of thinking. I also agree that she fits The Earth Mother archetype.
Symbolic archetypes -- Shweta made a really good point about the 7 days. Of course, they get their name because there are 7 days in the week, but it's significant that they decided to name their group that. I also think that Haven vs. Wilderness and The Crossroads are crucial symbolic archetypes. When Milkman is hunting in Virginia, he gets lost in the woods (Wilderness), and the fact that he is completely out of his normal city environment (Haven) is one of the factors leading to his breakdown and dissilussionment about his actions towards his family/arrogance/self-importance (=Crossroad).
So my post is not going to compare to any of your posts but I thought I'd just add my opinion on something. Russell said "I am going to bunch up the shadow and the devil figure into one and say I think they are closest to Guitar. The evil figure with an ultimately good heart could be Milkman’s father because of how his actions were never truly malicious." I have to disagree here and say that Guitar is the evil figure with an ultimately good heart. I realize I'm probably wrong but he's my favorite character and for some reason I have a soft spot for him and I feel like he is so misunderstood. He is clearly the evil figure of the book, however, I think it is clear that he is merely looking for justice and fairness. He feels wronged (rightfully so) and feels like his only hope is to take matters into his own hands. I know his actions are inexcusable and "evil," but I really don't think he is that malicious. Everything else got covered I think.
ReplyDeleterussell.......please be more subtle in announcing that you won the "most studious" superlative.
ReplyDeleteanyway, i just want to talk about the whole Seven Days thing because that really stood out to me when i read SoS. we all think that it's an evil idea, but i don't think that guitar is totally to blame. it sounds to me like guitar was an impressionable, angry young man who was influenced by older, more experienced men with a logical train of thought..an eye for an eye mentality, if you will. someone like guitar who expects justice and receives nothing in return would be aggressive enough to do something about it himself. looking at it from a bigger perspective, was it wrong for african americans to retaliate violently during times of segregation? some would say yes, because "violence is never the answer". but it really wasn't their faults; they were provoked by an oppressive society. i think through the seven days, t-mo is asking us to find the real root of all evil.
i agree that hagar is the damsel in distress. she clearly loves milkman too much to kill him because she has the perfect and can't do it. she had such an emotional connection with milkman that he became a part of her. when he leaves, a part of her is missing. her murderous rampage is a cry for attention, except that instead of being saved she dies.
i'm going to argue that milkman reaches a crossroads when he learns about the seven days and has an argument with guitar. he chooses to try and talk guitar out of the idea rather than give into his friend's beliefs. obviously this changes their relationship for the worse, but it shows that milkman understands how unethical it is.
and i definitely agree with hannah about guitar. i feel bad that he was influenced by the wrong people. he desperately wants equal rights for whites and blacks but he's going about it the wrong way because he is young and naive. he doesn't think about the long term effects of his actions. guitar isn't his own being, just like milkman used to be. the difference is that milkman achieved enlightenment by learning about his family history and became his own person, whereas guitar never has such an opportunity and becomes a combination of the people around him, just like how antoinette never had opinions of her own. he is too easily molded, which is his biggest flaw.
ReplyDeleteI apologize for the TOP (Time of Post) but I wasn't expecting an hour and a half delay at the Vikings games. So sorry once again for the late hour of arrival. Anywho, I noticed that each and every one of my classmates did an impressive job with this question. Even Justin. I don't want to restate anything that anyone else has said but I feel like that would leave me with a blank post. So im just gonna go for it.
ReplyDeleteMoving on. 1) Situational Archetype: QUEST: Milkman's search for his heritage in order to bring purpose and meaning into his life. TASK: Basically for Milkman to figure out the story of his grandfather and his miraculous flight. JOURNEY: I feel like this is getting redundant but essentially to find the truth regarding the flighted Solomon to bring reason and purpose to his own life. INITIATION: I think the fact that he learns that he is a descendant of Solomon is Milkman's initiation because as a child he immediately loses interest in all humanity because he learns that people cannot fly, but when he is told of his ancestors flight he sees new meaning in life. RITUAL: I would say his leap towards Guitar. I guess that would symbolize his ultimate "flight" which is the purpose of his life. The Fall, and the death and rebirth are pretty difficult to come up with examples for but I would definitely say the FALL could be his bar fight when he rolls up with his nice car and his fancy clothes and nice watch and ignorantly mocks a southern culture. I think the Battle between G and E could be Guitar Vs Milkman in a real life Mortal Combat, which can also be considered his Unhealable wound.
Now for character Archetypes!!!
ReplyDeleteHero: clearly Milkman as his triumph in his search for reason and purpose is chronicled by Morrison's novel. He is the protagonist and even though he is not generally characterized by strength and honor he still does fulfill the description of an archetypical hero.
The Shadow is definitely Guitar throughout the entire novel for one because he is trying to kill Milkman but also because Milkman is always trying to compete with Guitar over whatever it is and always seems to be on the losing end.
Father-Son Conflict: Milkman and Macon Jr's relationship is seen as a continual build up of tension throughout the novel until Milkman breaks and separates to create his own independent path. Milkman generally shows a hateful resentment of his father even while working for him.
Mentor: I would call Pilate the mentor of this novel. She seems to be infinitely wise and serves as milkman's mother figure. She gifts Milkman with food, and information and does serve as a role model. She is most important in gifting Milkman with the opportunity to begin his quest which is the ultimate reason for his life's fulfillment.
Evil Figure with Ultimately Good Heart: This could be considered Guitar. It's up to one's imagination to decide what happens after Milkman's leap but I think two things could have happened. Either Guitar killed him and the story is just a huge downer. Or Milkman explains everything to Guitar and he changes his ways as a Seven Days assassin and mends himself. (That's the one I chose.)
Star Crossed Lovers- Hagar and Milkman. Hagar happens to be the one it all ends poorly for. For she dies of a broken heart and Milkman seemingly could not be happier.
Unfaithful Wife: That would be Ruth solemnly for the reason that she is actually "an unfaithful wife"
Earth Mother: Pilate is fits the description of an Earth Mother pretty much to a T. She offers spiritual and emotional nourishment to all of her female relatives and more importantly to Milkman. The Manner in which she is described and characterized especially for the fact that she lacks a navel would convey that she is in fact from the earth.
I agree with the symbolic archetype Dani mentioned, innate wisdom vs. educated stupidity. Along with what Shweta said, Corinthians is the only one in the Dead family to go to college and study abroad in France, but this education later only lands her a job as a maid. This is contrasted sharply by Macon I and Macon II's lack of education but status as landowners.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with Shweta that Guitar is the outcast. If anything, he is more on the inside and makes Milkman feel like the outcast, especially around the two Tommys and the other men who hang around the barbershop. In this case Milkman's crime would be the wealth he was born with. So even though these men are poor, they make up the social majority of Milkman's hometown in Michigan, making the Deads and other wealthy families and landowners the outsiders. But I agree with Sarah that Pilate is also an outcast. I think all of the Dead family are basically outcasts, in some way or another.
I disagree with Erica that Lena's confrontation motivated Milkman to start his journey, or motivated him at all. He kind of just brushed it off as a weird thing for her to do, even though it took her so much courage to build up to that moment.
On a small note, I disagree with Dani that Milkman showed courage in breaking it off with Hagar. He did it in a very cowardly way, writing it in a Christmas note and saying "Thank you," at the end, two curt words that would drive her mad.
Excellent points, Clark.
Also I thought Justin's comment that Toni Morrison is Al Sharpton-esque was funny.
For situational archetypes, I think the Fall is represented when Macon I is shot and Macon II and Pilate go from being happy children to being orphans, first hiding with Circe, then in a cave, and later on their separate paths.
I agree with Demetra that Circe could be the Platonic Ideal, although the description doesn't seem like enough to fit her near mythical aspects.
However, I think the star-crossed lovers are Corinthians and Mr. Porter. Their relationship is shunned by society and Macon Dead because of the class difference, resulting in Mr. Porter being evicted and Corinthians having to quit her job. But the ending isn't tragic because they do end up together.