Milk Man Character Analysis

Mr. Smith, an insurance agent and member of the merciless Seven Days society, attempts to fly away from the No Mercy Hospital roof, and plummets down to his death. In wake of the commotion surrounding his suicide, Ruth Foster becomes the first African-American woman to give birth inside the hospital. Her son, Macon Dead III, the protagonist of the novel, is soon awarded the unflattering nickname of Milkman, so dubbed because Ruth nurses him well past his infancy. In his childhood, Milkman befriends Guitar and becomes acquainted with his aunt Pilate, a relationship Milkman's father forbids. Milkman's father, Macon Dead II, is motivated by money, and he tells his son to, "Own things. And let the things you own own other things. Then you'll own yourself and other people too." Soon, the effects of a prosperous and privileged upbringing leave Milkman naive and egocentric with no spiritual identity.

In his teenage years, Milkman begins a romantic relationship with Hagar, Pilate's granddaughter. Professionally, he assumes the responsibility of acting as his father's helper, which involves fetching the rent money and calculating the account books. In his spare time, Milkman continues to form what appears to be a close-knit friendship with Guitar. Eventually, Guitar confides he is part of the Seven Days society, a group of black males that
News at the home front is dismal, as Hagar has died of a broken heart on his account. To counterbalance Hagar's tragic death, Milkman informs Pilate that the bones she has been carrying in her sack are those of Jake, her father. Milkman and Pilate then travel to Shalimar, Virginia to bury Jake's remains when a bullet intended for Milkman accidentally kills Pilate. Devastated at his recent loss but spiritually reborn, Milkman leaps towards Guitar, knowing that if "you surrendered to the air, you could ride