In Bruno's "Fairy Tale Versus Myth," he effectively and thoroughly establishes the fundamental effects of similarities and differences between a fairy tale and a myth. Of all his indispensable insight into what each is and into how each are delineated, I found the most notable to be at the bottom of page 39: "Mythical heroes offer excellent images for the development of the superego, but the demands they embody are so rigorous as to discourage the child in his fledgling strivings to achieve personality integration. While the mythical hero experiences a transfiguration into eternal life in heaven, the central figure of the fairy tale lives happily ever after on earth, right among the rest of us... Thus, a happy though ordinary existence is projected by fairy tales as the outcome of the trials and tribulations involved in the normal growing-up process." Here, Bruno is most basically establishing the "common ground" that a fairy tale provides for its audience, unlike the unattainable and seemingly impossible heaven that is present in myths. In regards to Songs of Solomon, Milkman eventually undergoes a character transformation as he realizes the quest he must embark upon. From his sheltering, wealthy, problem-free family background, he goes to school and jut carries out his daily routines without any emotion. He essentially has no meaning to his life, until he becomes friends with Guitar and goes to see his aunt Pilate, Reba and Hagar. When he finally decides to learn about his family history, his quest begins. I'm calling it a quest because in some ways, Milkman can be identified as a common man's hero, and in a myth, a hero undertakes 8 steps (both physical and/or psychological) in order to complete his quest. Milkman is a hero because he shares many characteristics with mythical heroes as well as other literary heroes. His physical quest is his search for his family's background, while his psychological quest is to grow from a selfish boy into a compassionate man. Milkman is truly portrayed as a hero near the end of the novel, when he stands up to Guitar and leaps off of Ryna's cliff. This is an obvious demonstration of Milkman's recognition of the importance of identity. However, it is also a time in the novel in which Morrison reveals that flight is not in fact a myth, but that flight actually occurs. In maintaining the novel's genre of magical realism, Morrison renders human flight both possible and natural, making Milkman's flight off the cliff evidently real and empowering. On page 337,
after Pilate dies and Milkman stands up unafraid of Guitar's gun, he yells out Guitar's name. He then sees Guitar's outline in the dark. "Milkman stopped waving and narrowed his eyes...'You want my life?' Milkman was not shouting now. 'You need it? Here.' Without wiping away the tears, taking a deep breath, or even bending his knees- he leaped. As fleet and bright as a lodestar he wheeled toward Guitar and it did not matter which one of them would give up his ghost in the killing arms of his brother. For now he knew what Shalimar knew: If you surrendered to the air, you could ride it." Even after Milkman doubted the possibility of human flight entirely and was perceived as "abnormal" by the community, he believed in the reality of flight and because he jumped off the cliff, he eradicated all his feelings of alienation. This represents his final resurrection and rebirth as the hero, because even as Pilate is dead, Milkman takes his own flight. He learned the story of his heritage to become revitalized. While we do not know who will die as a result of Milkman's jump, it doesnt matter. Milkman finally has a sense of who he is and of where he comes from. He will live on even after his death, just as Solomon's song signaled.
I know my thoughts are a bit out of order, so it's probably confusing to see the connection between Milkman and the cliff scene to the quote I selected from "Fairy Tale Versus Myth," so I'll end with this. Milkman is not a mythical hero. His virtue and accomplished deeds are ones that anyone can emulate. He, "like the rest of us," "impresses [us] with his own insignificance when compared with them (41)." "Whatever strange events the fairy-tale hero experiences, they do not make him superhuman, as is true for the mythical hero (40)." Bruno denotes what we can relate to everyday, and what we cannot. Morrison does this too- in her illustration of understanding personal and familial identity in order to attain complete potential in life.
Song of Solomon has, what appears to be, a mixture of both a myth and a fairy tale. While Milkman's story is very unique and I would be hard pressed to find this happening to an ordinary person, but his story is neither awe-inspiring nor miraculously described.
ReplyDeleteWhat interested me in Fairy Tale versus Myth was the example that the author utilized about the Oedipus complex. Milkman and his mother had what his father claimed was an unhealthy relationship and at times, crossing the line between son and mother. This was a similar fear that Macon Sr. had about his wife and her father. For years he believed that she had a sexual relationship with her father and this made him distance himself from his wife. The Oedipus story was an example of a myth and it was very similar to some of the central action of Song of Solomon and this parallel was very striking.
But at the same time, Milkman cannot be a mythic hero because his personality is not ideal. Milkman is selfish, obstinate, and even cruel at times. But he is not quite a fairy tale hero, either. He does not "win out over his problems" (Pg. 40) and his story does not have a cookie cut happy ending.
Milkman does not fall directly under either grouping of fairy tale hero or mythic hero. Milkman is a blend of both groups.
After reading Fairy Tale versus Myth, I have concluded that Song of Solomon cannot really be categorized as being just a myth or just a fairytale because it contains aspects of both types of stories. For instance, when defining a fairy tale, the author of Fairy Tale vs. Myth explain that they are "the result of common conscious and unconscious content having been shaped by the conscious mind, not of one particular person, but the consensus of many in regard to what they view as universal human problems" (36). Basically, the creators of fairy tales usually try to portray common universal dilemmas which all humans deal with, and provide "desirable solutions". Thus, in Song of Solomon, this "universal human problem", is clearly the issue of the quest for self-identity. Throughout the book, the protagonist, Milkman , suffers from an identity crisis which ultimately leads to his journey down South. Thus, when confronted with a struggle to find one's identity, the "desirable solution" suggested by the story is to discover one's ancestral roots. However, unlike a fairytale, Song of Solomon also has qualities of a myth in that the ending is extremely tragic. This is evident in Song of Solomon in that at the end of the book when Milkman witnesses the murder of his aunt Pilate by Guitar, who had originally intended on killing Milkman. The most tragic aspect of this event is that Milkman has to come to terms with the fact that his best friend tried to kill him. This is a complete act of betrayal, and Milkman can no longer trust the one person he had the closest connection with throughout the entire book.
ReplyDeleteThus, to conclude, on the spectrum of Fairy Tale vs. Myth I believe Song of Solomon is probably right in between these two extremes because of its unique qualities that are seen in both of these types of stories.
With Song of Solomon, I think more of the song as the myth rather than the novel itself. The song speaks about the slave Solomon fleeing slavery by flying away. However, he leaves behind a wife and his children. Bettelheim notes that a myth is pessimistic while a fairy story is optimistic. In myths, “the mystical hero experiences a transfiguration into eternal life in heaven” (39). Myths also involve the “self-preserving desires of the ego” (37). We can see all of this in the song of Solomon. While Solomon has escaped servitude by flying up and away (comparable to an angel going to heaven), thereby ensuring his self-preservation, his family remains behind. In a way the story is tragic, as a myth nearly always is.
ReplyDeleteI feel that, as Jordan mentioned, Milkman had a close oedipal relationship with his mother. As a child, he doesn’t understand it. Then suddenly, Ruth abruptly stops breast-feeding him when they are discovered, and Milkman gets the feeling that what he was doing was not right. Bettelheim notes how, from the age of four until puberty, the child needs “symbolic images” that reassure him there is a happy solution to his oedipal problems. For Milkman, he does not receive these “symbolic images,” and he retains the idea that what he did was wrong, that a close relationship with his mother is wrong, and that his mother is simply wrong. This makes Macon’s stories about Milkman’s mother all the more acceptable, as they reassure him of his misgivings. Macon’s stories replace the fairy tales that would have calmed Milkman. Milkman experiences a jump into rationality before he is ready, and instead of looking forward to happy endings, he anticipates nothing in his future. His identity was lost when he was discovered with his mom and his name was replaced by a derogatory metaphor.
While I agree with previous posts that Morrison uses both myths and fairytales in Songs of Solomon, I believe that they are incorporated separately in the novel and not as intertwined as mentioned. I think that myths guide the novel – they act as external sources of information and references that Morrison includes to progress the trials of Milkman. The story essentially opens with a myth – that of Mr. Robert Smith the insurance agent who jumps off the roof of Mercy Hospital and dies after this tragic flight. Although this was an event witnessed by some of the characters, I still believe that it represents a pseudo-myth: it gives concrete details (a name, occupation and setting – it is not supposed to relate to the everyday man), it ends tragically, and the way in which Morrison describes the scene is surreal (giving it the characteristic of “this could never happen to a regular person) because she incorporated the buzz and confusion of the crowd, the symbolic dropping of rose petals and the soundtrack to the scene of the “Sugarman” song. Collectively, this scene conveys a fictitious-tone and the feeling of a dream. Not only does the novel open with a myth, but also myths are introduced throughout the entire novel. The recollections of Macon Dead (Milkman’s father) and Pilate about their past and the fate of their own father have mythic qualities – they all end in tragedy and reflect the failure of the demands of the superego. For example, the story of Milkman’s grandfather – he is freed from slavery, has his name changed, marries a woman who dies in childbirth and then is murdered trying to protect his land (and on a deeper/super-ego? level retain his pride and authority in a society where he has none) demonstrate a tragedy. Another important myth that is incorporated by Morrison is the “Songs of Solomon” that was aptly described by Derek in a previous post. Overall, these myths are imparted onto Milkman and ultimately lead him to make some crucial decision for the next phase of his life just as he decided to go on a journey to find the gold after hearing the “myths” from his father and Pilate.
ReplyDeleteWhile myths may guide the novel, I think that the story of Milkman and his life is written as a fairytale. First, the entire story answers the question that fairytales are ultimately supposed to answer for children, that being how to achieve personal identity and behave in society. Bettlehiem states that “Fairy tales provide answers to these pressing questions [those being ones of identity and society], many of which the child becomes aware of only as he follow the stories” (47). Secondly, while the story may answer questions about how to find self-identity or purpose – the ending is still vague and left to the interpretation and contemplation of the reader. Bettleheim states that, “Fairy tales leave to the child’s fantasizing whether and how to apply to himself what the story reveals about life and human nature” (45). Lessons can be learned from a fairytale, but they are not necessarily definitive or concrete just like the quest of Milkman. Thirdly, the main characters of this novel have names that are more representative and descriptive like that of a fairytale. Each character is either named from the Bible, all of which represent some additional saga or characteristic of the person based on the story of the Bible it comes from. The other names like Milkman and Guitar have a story behind them to represent some obstacle, insecurity or event in life. Fourthly, Milkman is a character drive by his id and ego – he is trying to achieve as much pleasure as possible and only listen to his basic instincts while having to cope with transferring this to a conscious reality. This can be seen by the way he uses Hagar for sex, his father for money, and the other Dead women for their care and attention – he is selfish and disregards the needs of others, while still struggling with surviving the unpleasant realities of life. There really is no sense of a superego for Milkman in which he has some unconscious desire that is impossible but still expected to be achieve (I guess his need for flight could be argued as this super-ego manifestation, but I think he is too immature as a character – similar to that of child – for it to apply to him – I do think that this concept of flight as a part of the super-ego applies to the myths I mentioned earlier). Lastly, Milkman’s struggles are universal: a relationship with his parents (which was already nicely described), understanding his past, forming relationships with others outside of his family, and learning how to live independently. He represents the common person on a quest of self-discovery. Because Songs of Solomon embodies of all these characteristics I ultimately believe it is a fairytale that incorporates myths in a distinct way.
ReplyDeleteI thought the excerpts we read were really interesting. But I have to disagree with Jordan that Milkman doesn't get a happy ending and disagree with the ideal personality aspect of a hero. Heroes, I think, just need "a metaphoric death of an old, inadequate self in order to be reborn on a higher plane of existence" which I think definitely happens with Milkman - at first, he is this selfish, lifeless boy who grows into a caring, invigorated, man. And with Milkman's ending, I thought it was kind of happy. It was depressing that Pilate died but if she hadn't, the book would have been to "everythings perfect" happy ending. While Guitar did try to kill Milkman, I never thought he was a very good friend anyway, so that wan't very sad. Overall, I thought the ending was happy since MIlkman finally gets his 'wings'. ( Or, maybe Siegel was right and I just have a cold heart, as she said in class) Anyway, I thought it was interesting that Milkman, in my mind, can't really mature until he meets the other side of his family: the part that represents the magic, fairy tale aspects. Milkman's dad and immediate family all represent facts and numbers. But Pilate and her bag of bones represent this magical, fantastical other world that I don't think Milkman could have grown up mentally or emotionally without. Bruno argues this point wonderfully as he points out that without fantasies, myths, and magic, children can't grow into cognitive thinkers.
ReplyDeleteI think it is true that Milkman's new life on his quest to learn about his family ancestry is more of the fairy-tale seen within the story, and his life back at home with his nuclear family is more of the myth. Myths carry a "pervasive pessimism," which is evident in the lifeless monotony in the Dead household (41). Milkman's sisters sit at home producing velvet roses and doing their domestic chores all day long, with scarce hopes or ambitions for their futures. Milkman grows tired of his existence, especially after losing some of his childhood innocence after being caught in intimate action with his mother. Therefore, his adolescence involves his abandonment from society. When Milkman resorts to partying and apathy, he proves an important point made in "The Child's Need for Magic:" "The more insecure a man is in himself and his place in the immediate world, the more he withdraws into himself" (51). Milkman's abrupt entrance into "gruesome reality" is a major component in myths, in which "certain inner tensions...are the consequence of events long past" (38-39). Like Jordan and Derek mentioned, the myth of Oedipus has a seemingly fitting connection to Song of Solomon, as it describes a child's inherent nature to dream of marrying the parent of the opposite sex. Both Ruth and Milkman's connection and Ruth and Macon Sr's relationship represent this myth-like quality, as both scenarios deal with a psychological issue that is deep and emotional. Also, a myth tends to tell readers about characters' names and their histories, such as the importance of parents' names (40). In the first chapter, Morrison clearly examines the name "Macon Dead" and its origins from the times of slavery, thus illustrating the book's emphasis on self-identity and family ancestry. Through the tragic, pessimistic circumstances and highlights on familial history/naming, Milkman's childhood and birthplace is the more mythical element of the novel.
ReplyDeleteI tend to believe that the fairy-tale described within the story is more related to Milkman's journey and time with Pilate. By hearing the "Song of Solomon" as the children sing it, Milkman is able to piece together the component parts of his ancestry and consequently gain self-actualization. This is seen in fairy-tales, which "provide answers to...pressing questions, many of which the child becomes aware of only as he follows the stories" (47). Milkman follows the stories from Michigan to Pennsylvania to Virginia, realizing that learning about his family's plight and background will help him better understand himself. In the end, Milkman "wins out over these problems right here on earth" by flying at Guitar in order to stand up for himself and, more importantly, allow Pilate to die with a cause. And, like Leah stated, I believe this constitutes the happier ending that the reader can detect as Milkman finally conquers the obvious theme of flight.
In Bruno's first text - "Fairy Tale Versus Myth" - there are some striking applications to Song of Solomon. The first, in my opinion, most obvious similarity between Morrison's and Bruno's works is the issue of the oedipus complex. The relationship between Milkman and Ruth Foster is essential in Song of Solomon; because of Milkman's unusual (disturbing) relationship with his mother, he receives his nickname "Milkman," which becomes his identity for the rest of his life. Morrison clearly addresses some sexual desires Milkman has for his mother throughout the novel. In "Fairy Tale Versus Myth," Bruno states the child "is struggling to extricate himself by partly repressing the conflict, partly solving it by forming emotional attachments to others besides his parents, and partly sublimating it" (38). This theory of a child's sexual attachment - and the way he deals with this attachment - is definitely seen in Song of Solomon through Milkman's attempt to discover more about his family history and lessen his "dependence" on Ruth. For example, Milkman especially looks to Pilate and his cousin, Hagar, as outlets to wane his emotional attachment to his mother. The Oedipus myth is one myth Morrison clearly borrows from.
ReplyDeleteHowever, while there are clearly mythical aspects to Song of Solomon, there are definitely fairy tale aspects as well. Bruno characterizes fairy tales as being optimistic. The ending of Song of Solomon is, in my opinion, optimistic. To me, Pilate's death scene is kind of beautiful (no, not as tragically beautiful as Stephen Blackpool's). The image of Milkman holding Pilate, singing, is very inspiring. The death of Pilate was both a literal and metaphoric one. While Pilate literally loses her life, Milkman also metaphorically dies with her, and is reborn. Bruno states, "myths and fairy tales...give symbolic expression to...metaphoric death of an old, inadequate self in order to be reborn on a higher plae of existence" (35). As soon as Pilate dies, Milkman finally gains the confidence to challenge his friend, Guitar, and test his own ability to fly. Milkman's final leap off of the rock was a beautiful image. The entire ending had a very supernatural feel to it, and I think the ending showed that Milkman finally understood the meaning of life and himself - he was, in essence, "reborn". The very last line of the novel - "For now he knew what Shalimar knew: If you surrendered to the air, you could ride it" (337) - conveys the theme of flight and the importance in taking risks and leaps of faith (sorry for the cliche) to achieve self-realization. Also, the tone of this sentence indicates that an epiphany has occurred. The beauty in this final leap of Milkman is what convinces me that Song of Solomon has fairy tale aspects, in addition to its mythical ones.
Finally, in general Song of Solomon has an obvious supernatural aspect. Pilate, one of the main characters, is portrayed as a mythical creature. Morrison makes the connection between Pilate’s somewhat “lifeless” existence and the absence of her navel. One woman explains to Pilate that the navel is “‘for people who were born natural’” (143). Clearly, Morrison wants the reader to believe that Pilate is not a natural being. By not awarding her a feature common to almost all individuals, Morrison symbolically indicates to the reader that Pilate is not like all human beings. Later in the novel, Milkman notices how eccentric Pilate truly is: “Without ever leaving the ground, she could fly” (336). Morrison’s purpose of not giving Pilate a navel is to symbolize all that goes against nature in life. The supernatural exists in both fairy tale and myth - as Bruno points out - which further proves that Song of Solomon is a combination of both genres.
Emily, did Milkman jump off the cliff? I thought he was leaping at Guitar, where is this talk of cliff coming from? And do not worry Leah, you have friends over here in the society of flamin stars!
ReplyDeleteAnyways, I want to ask before I start my analysis, don't you feel like Beddleheim was BSing half the stuff he was writing? He was skewing a lot of the facts I feel by saying that all myths have these sad and horrible endings while fairy tales have these happy endings. Beddleheim is ignoring a lot of those happy ending myths (i.e. Athena's birth myth). But anyways, I digress
I too feel like Milkman's story was more of a fairy tale than a myth. Just because Milkman "took flight" (I use that loosely) at the end of the story, it does not mean that it is no longer a fairy tale. Does that mean that Snow white isn't a fairy tale because there is some witchcraft used to make the apple poison? But yeah, I think that Haley was right in saying that the story has myths incorporated all over with say Solomon. He was a guy who flew off to Africa leaving behind his family, which is myth. But ironically enough, Beddleheim is wrong here because it is this myth that guides Milkman forward when Beddleheim argued that myths are supposed to be examples of what people should not do, say Oedipus marrying his mom (38).
Buy yeah, just to support the idea of Milkman's story being fairy tale, I'm am going to wave one fact around. Milkman is named Milkman, Guitar is named Guitar. These two guys don't have real names just as a princess is another way of saying girl and such. They are commoners running around with fancy names!!!
Now, let's just hope that Milkman doesn't turn this into a myth by flying too close to the sun!
I agree with Christina. Songs of Solomon is a mixture of Myth and fairy tale because it has characteristics of both. One fairy tale quality is how everything is presented as being ordinary. For example, the fact that Macon Dead had to use a shotgun to get rent from a crazy client seems like an everyday occurance within Milkman's life. However, in reality, if anyone ever took a shot gun to someone's head to get rent, the world would be seriously out of kilter. An aspect of the myth is the attempt to please the super ego. According to Burnbell, the super ego is never satisfied, "The more we try to please it, the more implacable its demands" (37). Throughout the book, Milkman is trying to please his best friend Guitar, but no matter what Milkman does, he can never please him. Guitar always talks condescendingly toward Milkman. Lastly, a characteristic that is both is the ending. In general, a myth is tragic while a fairy tale is happy. Toni Morrison used ambiguous language in her ending so the reading can interpret it. On one hand, the ending is happy because Milkman reached the end of his journey and ultimately discovered himself. As a result, his soul/person is lighter and now he unlocked the human's secret ability, the ability to fly. On the other hand, Milkman jumped off a cliff and presumably died. Thus, he gave in to Guitar's needs/wants. This is the tragic view of the ending. This mix of fairy tale and myth fits Morrison's writing style because she also mixes genres such as epistolary and prose.
ReplyDeleteThe first passage, about fairy tales vs. myths I though was very interesting. It gave a very good and straightforward answer of what a fairy tale is and what a myth is. I was then able to figure out where Song of Solomon fit. Going by the passage’s definition, I think that Song of Solomon is a myth, not a fairy tale. Although like some others have addresses, Milkman does seemingly get what he wants- his ultimate flight and ultimate epiphany of who he is and who is family was. But that is one of the reasons I believe that this story is a myth- or related to one. It is heavily addresses who his family was and where he came form for a reason for Milkman’s journey. It also addresses the emotional baggage that Milkman carries along with his family, why they are in the town, why the live the way the do, his different relationships, and his ultimate findings of his past. Song of Solomon also introduces a hero type of character: Milkman. Although not our typical hero, because in the beginning of the novel he is certainly not going around and saving people, however by the end of the novel to be able to bring Pilate to her real home and be almost re-acquainted with her past and her family gives Milkman hero like qualities. All and all the events throughout the novel as well as how Milkman changes gives the novel a myth like quality.
ReplyDeleteI actually agree with you lams..i'm sorry, i still can't remember your real name, but anyway, as I was reading this packet, I found it very interesting, but there were some facts he stated that seemed more like of his opinion then of actual truth.
ReplyDeleteNow in relation to how this perspective of facts and myths, I agree with what Derek, Haley and Becca said. To me, Song of Solomon was a mix of myth and fairy tale. The beginning of the novel was very mythical to me, for the description of the jump off the building seemed surreal, with the singing, the screaming, the talking, the roses and all these others aspects that distracted from the main event. Also throughout the novel, Milkman searches for his past, and histories. Because some come from earlier generations, they have mythical aspects to them, none of the stories being able to be proven. But while the novel has traces of myth in it, the novel turns from myth to fairy tale, I agree with what Becca stated earlier, the end has more of a fairy tale ending. To me his jump off the cliff was not myth like, it was fairy tale like. If you relate it to theory Bruno has that myths are related to sadness and tragedies, while fairy tales always have that happy ending and optimism, I conclude that Milkman's end is fairy-tale like. He is happy to jump off the cliff, and "fly", for he has completed all of his goals ad duties in life, and there is nothing left for him to do. This optimistic ending, where Milkman shows strength and confidence against guitar who has the advantage of a gun, shows the fairy tale ending, of overcoming restraint, and in Milkman's case succeeding in his goal; of finding his family's past, and "flying".
Flamin Lams, I think you meant Katie, not Emily..lol
ReplyDeleteI think the historical context of SOS makes it difficult to be characterized as a myth or a fairy tale. Morrison's work almost always addresses issues of race and gender. Her characters go through various forms of mistreatment. Milkman's mother is treated with disrespect from her husband. Milkman's sisters, though well educated, spend their days of solitude making cloth petals. Hagar's ultimate demise is basically a result of Milkman's selfishness. Pilate is shot by accident. All of these terrible things give the novel a pessimistic feel, which would categorize it at a myth. However, Milkman is a relatable character going through quintessential teenage dilemmas with girls, best friends, and parents, which would make it a fairy tale. Then again, many of Morrison's characters have names that are related to the names of biblical figures, and biblical figures are similar to mythological figures because of the dominant superego/God figure, which would lead me to believe (once again) that SOS is a myth. All of this back and forth between fairy tale and myth does not make me believe that SOS is a combination of the two. Instead I believe that SOS is a growing up story that addresses racism and sexism. Myths and fairy tales, along with dreams, are used as tools to help Morrison develop her themes and Milkman's coming of age.
Though I can't agree on SOS being a fairy tale or myth, I do agree that magic plays a tremendous role in Milkman's upbringing. In "The Child's Need for Magic" there is a paragraph that talks about children who are not accepting of magic at a young age and the repercussions of this behavior. I think Milkman is exemplary of this behavior, which Beddelheim characterizes as extremely detrimental to a child's future. Even as a young adult, Milkman does not accept magic. When he sees plants choking his mother, he recounts the story to Guitar as if it were a dream, even though it seems to have happened in reality. Also, when Freddie tells the story about ghosts and the white bull, Milkman smiles and finds it funny. His reluctance to accept magic is brought on by the imposing nature of his father, who constantly reminds Milkman of his duty to work for the company and his responsibility as a good son to stay away from Pilate, who is representative of magic, as Becca mentioned in her post. Like Beddelheim hypothesized, Milkman's inability to foster a relationship with magic as a child leads him to an unstable adult life. "Many young people who today suddenly seek escape in drug induced dreams, apprentice themselves to some guru, believe in astrology, engage in practicing "black magic, or who in some other fashion escape from reality into daydreams about magic experiences which are to change their life for the better, were prematurely pressed to view reality in an adult way" (51). In a way, I think Milkman's secretive escapes to Pilate's house,his time with Hagar, and his attempt to find gold were Milkman's version of the black magic and escapes from reality that Beddelheim speaks of. Ultimately, Milkman's isolation from magic as a child leads him to selfishly seek magic-like experiences as a young adult at the cost of Hagar's,Pilate's,his sisters', and his mother's well-being.
I think as a follow up to Beddelheim's "The Child's Need for Magic" someone should do a study of kids who read Harry Potter and kids who didn't...most likely the HP readers will prove to be more stable adults.
"Fair Tale Vs. Myth" contains many details that clearly connect to the novel "Song of Solomon." In particular, Milkman's quest for identity is very indicative of the text's descriptions. For example, it describes "a metaphoric death of an old, inadequate self in order to be reborn in a higher plane of existence." It also mentions how stories tend to focus on "the fulfillment of wishes," and how such pursuits are often "universal human problems." Identity, of course, is something nearly everyone seeks to attain--especially, as I'm sure we can testify, during adolescence. Similarly, Milkman seeks to understand his ancestry; he wants to know more about his father's family, its past, and how such factors affects his current life. Indeed, his journey to find gold may exemplify "symbols...[of] unconscious content." On the surface, Milkman is trying to uncover gold. Yet, perhaps what he is unconsciously looking for is truth: his identity, especially his ancestry. Overall, Milkman's personal journey illustrates many points the "Fairy Tale Vs. Myth" makes.
ReplyDelete"Fairy Tale Vs. Myth" also categorizes heroes; Milkman has qualities of the fairy tale hero. According to the text, the fairy tale hero is someone ordinary; the hero could be anyone. Moreover, the hero, in the end, is absolutely human. Milkman fits both these criteria. His character is very relatable; he is a young adult seeking to discover his past in order to better understand himself. Further, the final scene makes his fate ambiguous. Thus, he is the fairy tale hero that could, ideally, be living among us. His nickname further suggests that he is a fairy tale hero, for his title "Milkman" suits a fairy tale protagonist; in a fairy tale, titles make it "quite clear that these are not proper names, but general or descriptive ones." The name "Milkman" certainly fits this criteria. Yet, it is really Milkman himself that fits the criteria of a fairy tale hero.
It is evident that Song of Solomon has both components of myth and fairy-tales within it. The myth is the theme of flight and the idea that Milkman is this superhuman who can solve all the problems he has (psychologically) by taking flight. This is important because it is impossible for humans to fly and thus this inhuman myth aspect is incorporated into the novel. Furthermore, when Milkman takes flight at the end of the novel, this is the portrayal of the tragic ending of a myth. I think Morrisson is indicating that others should NOT follow the myth part of her novel but the fairy-tale part... The fairy-tale has to do with as many bloggers have posted before, Milkman's quest for self identity. I think Katie eloquently stated that Milkman is in fact searching for himself through out this novel. Milkman is a relatable character and his coming-of-age (which results in a happy ending) is quite comparable to a fairy-tale. This coming of age and self-identity search is "the consensus of many in regard to what they view as universal human problems". It is a fairy-tale. Bruno states, "Jungian psychoanalysts stress in addition that the figures and events of these stories conform to and hence represent archetypical psychological phenomena, and symbolically suggest the need for gaining a higher state of selfhood - an inner renewal which is achieved as personal and racial unconscious forces become available to the person." I think this clearly relates to Milkman's self discovery. Extra info: I think Milkman has the oedipus complex regarding his relationship with his mother.
ReplyDeleteFurthermore, regarding Milkman's ability to believe magic, I think it is clear that Milkman believes in the magic of flight. As a child, he saw this real life myth unfold before him, when the insurance agent jumped off the hospital, taking flight. Thus, as Milkman grows up in this very real world dominated by facts and in essence his father's version of reality, Milkman holds dear to him the myth of flight. Thus, he befriends those characters that "can magically change into a most helpful friend" such as Pilate and Guitar. Bruno states, "... the more secure a person feels within the world, the less he will need to hold on to 'infantile projections...'" I think this is important in that Milkman never truly feels secure and thus must always hold onto this idea of flight.
I don't want to be redundant and repeat what everyone else has already said so I want to talk more about Milkman's quest and how it relates to his development as a character. Milkman starts this quest looking for the gold his father sent him to look for. He starts close to home at Pilate's house where he just finds a sack of bones and then later branches out and the search is no longer for the gold but for Milkman's heritage and identity. I think the fact that Guitar cannot see that Milkman has changed his path shows that Milkman has developed into a more mature person because of his journey while Guitar has yet to find himself. Milkman's change in search comes from new knowledge he receives in each new location, "certain inner tensions which are the consequence of events long past may be relieved; previously unconscious material can then enter one's awareness and become accessible for one's working through. This can happen if the observer is deeply moved emotionally by the myth, and at the same time strongly motivated intellectually to understand it" (38). I think an example of when this quote can be applied to Song of Solomon and Milkman's quest is when he is in Virginia and he hears this song and is then searching for the meaning to this childish song. Milkman's need to search for his ancestry comes from the idea that "a child can derive security only from conviction he understands" (48). Milkman receives such mixed messages from his parents and Pilate about their pasts that he is never sure what is true so he sets out to find out for sure what the true story is about his past.
ReplyDeleteAlrighty, I am going to agree with Haily that the main characters in the novel are fairy tale-esque, and that there are very clear and very distinct myths present as well.
ReplyDeleteSo, focusing more on the main characters in the book, I want to put it out there that I disagree with Derek's comment that Milkman stays as a derogatory metaphor throughout the book, and say that it is becomes, as cedric noted, a nondescript title like that of a fairy tale character. As Saranya noted, I also think that aside from Guitar, the other character's biblical names qualify them for nondescript fairy tale status.
Now on to the actions of our main characters. I think it is very important to note that the characters do not display super human characteristics, rather, they all have only very specific achievements in their lives that could be the same things accomplished by any of us...
But, since most people aren't going to read this before school anyway, I will bring them up in class.