Symbolism
Meredith W
Writing Sample
Lessons in an Unwritten Language
Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison is the story of a man on a journey to make sense of the chaotic world he was born into. As countless critics have noted before, Milkman’s quest for self-identity and meaning is aided by his ultimate realization and understanding of community. There is much that can be said about the groups of people Milkman encounters in the southern towns he visits, but also important is the community he discovers one night when he finds himself alone in the woods, without the presence of anyone else at all. It is here that Milkman realizes the oneness of Nature, the community of all things which Pilate is already a part of, that is essential in Milkman’s quest for identity. Milkman’s first meeting with Pilate signals the beginning of his connection with Nature. In this scene Pilate is described with lots of nature imagery and in a sense becomes Nature for Milkman. In addition to this, Pilate is also the first link he makes to his family history, which later becomes the ultimate goal of his journey to the South. Therefore Pilate is a huge key to Milkman’s discovery of a community with Nature by being, at the same time, a living relic of his past. When Milkman first encounters Pilate she is sitting outside her house on the front steps: “She was all angles, he remembered later, knees, mostly, and elbows. One foot pointed east and one pointed west” (36). From this first description we can already infer that Pilate is going to be a link to Milkman’s past if we visualize her body as a compass, one foot pointing “backwards” to the west, and one pointing “forward”, to the east, and her body being the center. The fact that Pilate is peeling an orange on the steps is also significant since oranges are fruit, created of the natural world. Pilate’s voice is also important. Her voice, the voice that will tell Milkman about his grandfather for the first time, makes Milkman think of
Writing Sample
Lessons in an Unwritten Language
Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison is the story of a man on a journey to make sense of the chaotic world he was born into. As countless critics have noted before, Milkman’s quest for self-identity and meaning is aided by his ultimate realization and understanding of community. There is much that can be said about the groups of people Milkman encounters in the southern towns he visits, but also important is the community he discovers one night when he finds himself alone in the woods, without the presence of anyone else at all. It is here that Milkman realizes the oneness of Nature, the community of all things which Pilate is already a part of, that is essential in Milkman’s quest for identity. Milkman’s first meeting with Pilate signals the beginning of his connection with Nature. In this scene Pilate is described with lots of nature imagery and in a sense becomes Nature for Milkman. In addition to this, Pilate is also the first link he makes to his family history, which later becomes the ultimate goal of his journey to the South. Therefore Pilate is a huge key to Milkman’s discovery of a community with Nature by being, at the same time, a living relic of his past. When Milkman first encounters Pilate she is sitting outside her house on the front steps: “She was all angles, he remembered later, knees, mostly, and elbows. One foot pointed east and one pointed west” (36). From this first description we can already infer that Pilate is going to be a link to Milkman’s past if we visualize her body as a compass, one foot pointing “backwards” to the west, and one pointing “forward”, to the east, and her body being the center. The fact that Pilate is peeling an orange on the steps is also significant since oranges are fruit, created of the natural world. Pilate’s voice is also important. Her voice, the voice that will tell Milkman about his grandfather for the first time, makes Milkman think of