Morrison introduces two young characters in the beginning of the novel, Guitar and the protagonist Milkman. Through the journey Guitar shapes Milkman, leaving him a mature adult figure that has completed his coming of age journey.
In the beginning of the novel, Milkman is distraught after hitting his own father. The lecture Milkman receives from Macon Jr was nothing he expected. Instead of an aggressive lecture, Macon was passive aggressive. ““You a big man now, but big isn’t nearly enough. You have to be a whole man. And if you want to be a whole man, you have to deal with the whole truth.” He continues to explain to Milkman how his own mother was incestuous with her father. The story of his mother’s indecencies drive Milkman
