Flying In Toni Morrison's Song Of Solomon

During the winter birds fly towards the south in a means to escape the cold. When birds are young they would fall out their nets and try to fly in a means to soar. This however is more nature-wise for it’s an instinct in birds to fly, as it is necessary for their survival. How about using flying in more of a nurtured way. Throughout Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison, the theme of “flying” is tossed around a lot through the book. However, unlike birds that by instinct learn how to fly as a means to soar and escape, characters in this novel learn how to fly to either soar or escape. Depending on the situation or surroundings of an individual they start to get nurtured by it to the point where they finally begin to fly and depending what they take …show more content…
This led to Milkman not knowing his purpose in life. Why would someone need to fly if there’s no reason too fly? However that reason came when Milkman decided to venture off to look for the gold, which can also be seen as the beginning of the growth of his wings. Milkman begins to discuss his leaving to Virginia with Guitar (Pg. 221). As he arrives at Virginia he comes to realization about the effects of his skin color and the fact that he was a wealthy northerner just isolated him. He became to realize that life isn’t so easy as a colored man as he started going southbound. Does this mean that he sought a means of escape from a broken society? Hard to say since there was still so much Milkman didn’t know. During his time in Virginia he began to find the background of his family, the origin of the Song of Solomon (Pg. 304). Milkman’s Ignorance little by little began to lessen which was the thing that held him from flying which all leads up to the point to where he actually sets his flight. Milkman finds out about the story of Solomon, which makes him come to realization that his life actually had meaning, that his family wasn’t in fact “Dead”. His purpose he believed were to burry the remains of Pilates father and once that happened he leapt. “If you surrender to the air, you could ride it.” (Pg. 337) That’s exactly what Milkman did. He no longer was ashamed of the name “Dead”, he no longer felt his life had no …show more content…
Pilate pronounced “pilot” meaning driver of a flight. She sets the tone for many things and one of them is helping Milkman find himself. However, we’re here to talk about her flight and whether she soared or escaped. “Pilate” which was a guys name given to her represents that she herself is strong willed like a man. The fact that she keeps her name in a box she keeps as a earring shows that she takes pride in her name Pilate, that she takes pride in her flight. What necessarily is her flight? Maybe it was her doing what she believed she was responsible for. Responsible for burying the bones of her father and so she did with Milkman. As she buried the remains of her father she set down her boxed earring where she kept her name. Along with her father she set down the name her father gave her that she was not ashamed of. Pilate was a figure for Milkman to follow. Unconsciously Milkman was following the footsteps of Pilate. Pilate led Milkman to the point of her death. At the time of her death a bird scooped up the boxed earing with Pilates name (Pg. 336). A bird, which flies. That represents that Pilate took flight at the moment of her death. She took flight and fought till the end leaving a renewed Milkman who found purpose in his life to a better place. Pilate didn’t escape from anything. Instead she soared with everything leading to her completing the purpose she had and lending Milkman a new

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