By: Toni Morrison
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Toni Morrison
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 Born February 18, 1931 in Lorain Ohio
 Writes African American Literature
 Nobel Prize in Literature (1993)
 Presidential Medal of Freedom (2012)
 Song of Solomon= 3rd novel (1977)
 National Attention
 Bench by the Road
Toni Morrison
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 On the list of top 100 banned books
 3 of hers on the list
 Song of Solomon on list
 Correlates with invisible man and others
 Most banned books are those that provoke emotions
in the reader
 Why? What is the significance
Song of Solomon
interview

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miGmKB8L4s0
&feature=youtu.be
Foundation
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 Setting: Mostly in the 1960s in Michigan, flashbacks
are very much a part and take the reader back into
the early 1900s.
 Point of View: Third Person Omniscient
Important Characters

 There are many:
 Milkman Dead- Protagonist, Most important and
crucial to plot structure, influences all of the other
characters
 Pilate Dead- Also drives the plot and can be
considered a symbol in the novel
 Macon Jr.
 Guitar Bains
 Hagar
 Ruth Foster Dead
Secondary Characters

 All play a crucial role; not primary
 Macon Dead I
 Dr. Foster
 Reba
 First Corinthians Dead
 Magdalena Dead
 Sing
 Freddie
 Solomon
Summary Overview
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 Insurance Agent commits suicide
 Milkman is born as Macon Dead III
 As milkman ages he becomes cold hearted
 Milkman is nurtured by Ruth, Pilate and, his sisters.
 Milkman grows to resemble his father, lacking
compassion
 Milkman flashes back to his childhood and that of
his grandfather
 He begins to uncover elements from his childhood
and that of his family
Summary Overview

 Milkman is on a search for his roots
 On Milkman’s search for self he discovers that those
closest to him are a complete mystery
 Milkman’s findings give him extreme joy and a sense of
purpose
 He experiences a change in character
 When Milkman finally returns home he discovers turmoil
 Guitar seeks to destroy Milkman and destroys Pilate
instead
 Essentially Milkman’s discovery changes him
Connections in
Literature

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnTsBxA9Zcg
 Connection to Othello
 Significance and similarities
 How does this relate personally?
Quotes

 "No. White people are unnatural. As a race they are
unnatural.“
 “As the stars made themselves visible, Milkman tried to
figure what was true and what part of what was true had
anything to do with him”
 "It’s not about living longer. It’s about how you live and
why.“
 "…because the fact is that I am a small woman. I don’t
mean little; I mean small, and I’m small because I was
pressed small. I lived in a great big house that pressed me
into a small package."
Underlying Themes

 Identity
 Love
 Race
 Visions of America
 The Home
 The Supernatural
 Women and Femininity
 Exploration
 Memory and Past
Religious Connection

 Title- derived from Old Testament, Song of Songs
 Names with religious meaning
 Music (hymns)
Reba
Pilate- authorized the crucifixion of Jesus.
Hagar
First Corinthians
Magdalene called Lena
Ruth
Solomon- Builder of the first temple in Jerusalem, wisdom,
power, kingdom torn in two.
 Jacob
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Symbols in the Text
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 No bellybutton
 The music (hymns)
 Biblical references
 Intense racism
 Match Box earing
 Pilate is the Christ Figure
Historical References
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 Abraham Lincoln
 Slavery
 Malcolm X
 General Robert E. Lee
 Mary Todd
 Ulysses S. Grant
 Franklin Delano Roosevelt
 John F. Kennedy
 Winnie Ruth Jud
Quotes

 “It's a bad word, 'belong.' Especially when you put it
with somebody you love ... You can't own a human
being.”
 “When the two had managed to get the basket into
the room, the girl stretched her back and turned
around, facing them. But Milkman had no need to
see her face; he had already fallen in love with her
behind.”
 “Mrs. Bains let her hand fall to her side. "A nigger in
business is a terrible thing to see. A terrible, terrible
thing to see.”
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Finally Taking the flight.