Song of Solomon Final Post

I will begin by saying that I loved the book; now I will give some reasons why I love the book.

I think the way Toni Morrison incorporates a kind of mythology into the story through the tale of Solomon and Shalimar is amazing, and it definitely pushed the book even more into the realm of magical realism. In a related note, I love the ambiguous ending which implies Milkman reclaiming his grandfather's flying ability in the final battle between him and guitar. I also like how much he grows over the course of his journey, in the same way that I love the corruption of Guitar. Hagar's ending is especially interesting, as it solidifies the idea of the graveyard love in that she died for love, and the fever brought on by love also feels vaguely magical realist, and it's also an interesting criticism of the society which forces girls to get their value from their aesthetic pleasantness for others (specifically men, and the men they love). I also find her funeral scene to be incredibly moving, and Morrison's incorporation of song into that scene, as well as the Solomon nursery rhyme, made me realized how masterfully Morrison incorporates music into her storytelling in a way that makes it seem much more real, visceral, and meaningful.

One thing I did not like was Pilate's death in the end, though this is more plot based than how it was written; I think she was such an interesting character that it's a shame she was lost just as she was truly beginning to understand her roots. Though I think it's better that she died in the culmination of the fracturing of Guitar's mind (as opposed to her dying even more randomly, carelessly, etc... than dying by a way-word bullet meant for Milkman), I think it wasn't really necessary, and I think enough has been said in the book of men consuming the lives of the women without that, especially since Pilate has always been the most independent woman in the story.

Song of Solomon post 2

The thing that strikes me the further I read into Song of Solomon is how interesting and nuanced the women in the book are. The last chapters we have read have focuses a lot on Ruth, Pilate, Coronthians, and Lena with a little bit on Reba and Hagar. And all of these characters are shown to have a large number of faults and positive characteristics. They are incredibly three dimensional, especially compared to the male characters; I don't find Macon or Milkman to be particularly compelling, and Guitar is interesting but I find the simplicity of his world view to be iritating. What makes it even more interesting is that, while the female characters are the most well developed, I get the feeling Milkman is meant to function as the protagonist. I theorize that Morrison is using his perspective as a critique of misogynistic suppression, and I wonder if he (Milkman) will get better as time goes on.

Song of Solomon 1

To start, the writing of this book is beautiful. I'm getting so caught up in the language and the flow of the words and it's incredible. I especially like the description by Macon of him unlacing Ruth's corset.

I also find Macon as a character to be interesting, and his status as the cold, distant father seems a ubiquitous archetype that Morrison is giving some layers to be revealing his nuanced past with his sister (originally caring for her and loving her intensely). His hatred for his family is also sad considering how much it seems he once loved his wife (and I'd assume his daughters as well).

I also am excited to see how complicated the biblical allusions get with time. There is Pilate, of course, but there are also Macon's daughters (I love the name Corinthians). I wonder how these names will inform their character arcs and the stories and whether Morrison mirrors biblical stories with them (which I assume would be the case, otherwise it's a rather wasted allusion).

Pride and Prejudice Final Post

Though I like the ending of the book, it seems a bit cliché and more on the lines of wish fulfillment (even more so considering the similarities between Lizzie and Austen's lives); however, it is cute and happy, so I do not complain much. Having known Lizzie and Darcy would end up together ahead of time, I was curious as to how Darcy would be made into an acceptable person for her to want to marry, and I was actually rather pleased by the fact that her indictment of his behavior inspired him to become a better person (thus making it possible for her to love him in return).

One thing I just realized after finishing the book was the foreshadowing in Collin's proposal to Elizabeth, when he says that it is a custom whereby a man will ask for a woman's hand, be refused, and then ask again; Elizabeth says this never happens, but it ironically happens to her. I'm also still a little confused by why Wickham ran off with Lydia without the intention of marrying her, and I feel that this part of the plot conceptually felt a bit contrived (though I think Austen handles the story telling in this part of the book well).