Song of Solomon

In many ways a classic bildungsroman (a novel of growing-up), Song of Solomon follows the fortunes of its protagonist from birth, through experience, to maturity and consciousness. Milkman grows up as the spoilt only son of estranged parents in an atmosphere of family secrets and misunderstandings. His search for his birthright, initially conceived of as material treasure, becomes a quest for personal identity and an understanding of where he comes from, who he is and where he is going. His journey is both physical and spiritual as he moves back in space and time to his personal and collective roots and recognizes himself as belonging to an extended family, fragmented by slavery and its consequences.

The novel is both realistic and magical, making reference to real historical events such as the gang murder of Emmet Till but also exploring the mysteries of human interaction and individual destiny.

While the novel is written from the point of view of the central character, albeit in the third person, Morrison moves seamlessly between points of view, giving us an insight into, and compassion for, every character.

DIGUES LA TEVA

The title makes reference to the great biblical love poem and to the refrain which haunts the book itself. Why did the writer title the book as she did?

How important are the characters´ names (and naming itself) in the book? To what extent do the naming of people, things and situations shape their fate? Can we be free of what other people call us and how they characterize us in terms of our ethnicity, gender or nationality?

How does the book explore what it is to be a man or a woman? Is Milkman´s quest that of learning what it means to be a black man in 20th Century America? Or of what it means to be a human being, anywhere and at any time?

Can you imagine what kind of book would have resulted if Morrison had chosen one of the other characters as her protagonist?

The book opens and closes with flight. Why did Morrison choose this metaphor? Is the pattern of the book picaresque, circular or linear?

Claire Reed.
Club de lectura en Anglès.