The text highlights the significance of being alive and having freedom. While the story explores the positive aspects of taking flight, it also delves into the negative perspectives. These contrasting aspects can be observed in the history of the Deed’s family. Milkman, in particular, is greatly impacted in the narrative as he sets out on a journey of self-discovery and understanding the true essence of taking flight. Morrison’s first usage of imagery occurs at the start of the book, featuring a character named Robert Smith who is preparing to take flight from Mercy Hospital.
Smith is unable to cope with his existence any longer and desires liberation. This liberation materializes as radiant silk blue wings. However, his respite is fleeting as he succumbs to death shortly thereafter. Smith was a member of the Seven Days, a faction focused on maintaining racial harmony between blacks and whites; this contributes to his yearning for escape from his current reality. Despite the disparity in imagery, this initial depiction still conveys the symbolic significance of flight. Additionally, the peacock serves as another symbol in the narrative, representing prosperity.
The peacock, despite its symbolic association with wealth, remains impoverished due to its inability to fly. In the story, Milkman and Guitar come across a white peacock and attempt to capture it, but the bird manages to elude their grasp. Milkman describes how life, safety, and luxury are presented to him akin to the impressive display of a peacock’s tail. He believes that attaining riches or metaphorically catching the elusive peacock would alleviate his worries, but instead, he is blinded by its allure. Rather than formulating a plan to acquire the gold, if it indeed exists, Milkman and Guitar divert their conversation towards contemplating the potential benefits it could bring them.
The Dead family is plagued by darkness and death, which is symbolized by the watermark on Ruth’s centerpiece. This watermark serves as a reminder of her father’s death and the dysfunction that led her to abandon the centerpiece on the dining room table. The dining room table holds deep symbolic meaning for the dysfunctional family and its permanent scar reflects their dysfunction perfectly. Not only is the table irreparably damaged, but it also continues to expand like a cancer.
Despite Ruth’s attempts to remove the watermark with Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, she actually has a fondness for it as it serves as a reminder and connection to her father. The presence of red velvet roses in the novel represents the restricted lives led by Lena and Corinthians Dead. These girls are unable to have real flowers or enjoy outdoor activities in the sun. Lena’s brother further exacerbates this limitation by urinating on the one occasion when Lena manages to gather real flowers, causing them to wither and perish.
They are confined to their home, forced to create velvet imitations of nature. These roses symbolize the limitations imposed on Lena and Corinthians. They are unable to pursue careers, except as maids. Love is forbidden unless it meets their father’s approval. Making artificial flowers becomes their only means of passing time. The roses also hold significance as they are the only source of red amidst the snow when Robert Smith departs Mercy hospital, contrasting with the absence of Mr.’s presence.
Smith’s blood intensifies Mr. Smith’s legendary reputation, while also highlighting the mundane existence of the girls. Song of Solomon is a multi-dimensional novel that operates on various levels. The concept of flight becomes the dominant theme throughout the book, referring to Mr. Smith’s flight, Solomon’s flight, the escape of black individuals from their hardships, and Pilate’s transformative journey beyond societal constraints.
In her novel Song of Solomon, Toni Morrison frequently references various birds such as hens, chickens, ravens, and peacocks, as well as characters with names that allude to birds like Singing Bird, Susan Byrd, and Cromwell Byrd. Through the use of these symbols, Morrison subtly hints at different ideas instead of explicitly stating them. Her intention is for readers to not only read her story but also understand it. The central theme of the novel revolves around finding one’s true self and taking flight to achieve freedom. Those who are fortunate enough to experience freedom embrace it, while those who are not long for the very idea of it.
