Song Of Solomon Gender Analysis

The postmodern novel Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison set during the early 1930s in North Carolina challenges the expectations and morals of women and assumptions of gender and race. In the novel, a landlord by the name of Macon Dead Sr. and his family struggle through tough years and strained relationships. The novel starts with a scene in front of Mercy Hospital on a Wednesday afternoon where an North Carolina Insurance agent named Mr. Smith has invited everyone to come watch him take “flight” from the rooftop of the building. In the crowd is Ruth Dead, known as “the dead doctor’s daughter”, who is pregnant with her son Macon Jr., and standing with her two daughters Lena and First Corinthians, a gold-toothed man, and a singing women. Ruth
Where as others see her relationship as inappropriate, Ruth views the ritual of breastfeeding as comparable to the “gold thread spun by the miller’s daughter in Rumpelstiltskin, the milk from her breast nourishes her son as “golden thread stream from her very shuttle” long past the age when a child would nurse” (Bloom 56). Ruth was seen by the janitor Freddie, who for years will keep this secret but marked the child with the nickname Milkman. Ruth breastfed him till age four. Macon Sr. blames Ruth for the nickname and the repetition given to the family causing a disconnect in relationship from Macon. Macon abandons Ruth throughout the relationship due to the hate he feels of her. The event also causes the nickname Milkman to follow him into adulthood causing him to also despise and disrespects Ruth for most of his life. This reflects in him developing odd relationships towards with women such as his cousin Hagar. Growing up, Hagar and Milkman develop an intimate relationship. The relationship is seen as peculiar due to their bloodline relation of Hagar and Milkman. Hagar falls deeply in love with Milkman. The relationship goes on for twelve years until Milkman reaches age thirty-one. Milkman tries to abandon the relationship breaking due to the fact that they are cousins and “she needed a steady man who she could marry her” (Morrison 98), breaking Hagar’s heart. As a result, Hagar attempts multiple times to kill Milkman. The abandonment of the relationship caused a dramatic toll on Hagar’s emotions. Milkman’s abandonment towards Hagar is an example of the burden his mother has a left on him reflecting, somewhat influenced by his father, on Hagar. Also, Milkman abandons the relationships and drama with Ruth and Hagar by taking a trip to Shalimar to fall