Maybe if his purpose would’ve been geared towards learning about his family from the start, he would’ve been more self aware of how his inconsiderate actions to drop by homes and expect an open door made ppl treat him differently. He felt like he had righteous ownership over a home that wasn’t his

Racism in the South especially as a lighter skinned man inherently made him more powerful and assertive than back in Ohio. Naturally people may have been more inclined to help him out which is rooted in classism and racism, granted it made it harder to him to be more receptive to ppls circumstance

“I really do thank you.” Milkman opened the door. “What do I owe you? For the coke and all?”
“The man was smiling, but his face changed now. “My names Garnett. I ain’t got much, but can afford a coke and a lift now and then.” P. 255

Milkman felt superior to the ppl living in Shalimaar and Danville. Thinking favors had to be paid for bc he had money but really they were just good ppl giving a hand out to each other bc ppl couldn’t afford to pay each other

When Circe was explaining to him how she worked her whole, he failed to realize he never HAD to work to life. P. 247
Some ppl would rather die than lift a finger to work which is lowkey how milkman lived. He thought Circe loved the butlers, but she needed the job to survive @vdotfdot.bsky.social

The way people treat him changed in shalimaar where he wasn’t flexing his wealth bc the community probably resents him. Like goodie old two shoes doesn’t know how hard life is in the south bc he grew up north treating it like a vacation while people are struggling to survive @vdotfdot.bsky.social

Milkman’s privilege continued:

Blind as to why people even leave the south. He feels seen and like a hero??? He’s so self absorbed with his inflated ego he forgets about why his father left in the first place—why his father’s father left with sing to the North. @vdotfdot.bsky.social

Racism makes it harder for ppl to attach themselves. Guitar losing his parents = not wanting to pursue a relationship. Coping w/ the loss of loved ones is hard, so I understand the cold bitterness of Macon (losing both parents), even with Pilate. Milkman = attachment issues

@vdotfdot.bsky.social

Milkmans doesn’t find his purpose in life, there’s nothing keeping him going (p. 179), gold is just a means of leaving Ohio. Guitar has a fire to avenge his community, and when it came to gold he thought of the ppl who raised him (gratitude)
money = leisure and mobility
@vdotfdot.bsky.social

Milkman’s privilege as a result of his father’s wealth strains his relationship w/ Guitar as he is unable to reason w/ the fact Guitar is poor. Milkman dips on his family on a journey of self discovery fueled by finding gold 🤨 like a teen boy on a treasure hunt 💸 @vdotfdot.bsky.social

Racism weakens bonds b/w Milkman & ppl bc empathy is an emotion that is never taught, making him blind to their needs:
- milkman has never asked if his sisters needed anything p.215
- guitar said he never lifted a finger p. 296
- “he didn’t concern himself an awful lot abt others”
- drunk self p.211

Materialism in Milkman = lust over love w/ women. Worth his attention if they can do something for him. Women = objects of love
- wanting to hook up w/ women in Shalimaar gets himwhooped.
- Sweet is bathing him = imagining how good she is at sex
- ignoring grace’s presence
- weak sibling bond

Lack of autonomy over your body = greed & materialism. Hagar wants to own things to feel pretty [shopping, pressing her hair p. 313], desire to own Milkman to feel loved [p. 306]. Macon I wants to own land = viewing his children & wife as trophies ≠ emotional vulnerability @vdotfdot.bsky.social

Lack of connection to family is formed through assimilation: last names bare the weight of colonialism. Bird -> Byrd (indigenous blood is lost) Dead -> never having autonomy over your own body/self. Milkman on his woke journey = privilege that strains his friendship w Guitar @vdotfdot.bsky.social

As a result of Solomon fleeing & Reyna dying, their children must be independent. Racism fuels Jake to “succeed” or “own things” which gets him killed, Macon loses his father. As a result of ppl “making out” they’re targeted, and the cycle repeats until milkman breaks it @vdotfdot.bsky.social

Solomon left his family (what we would label selfish decision) to live out a life of freedom & cultural connection. The people he loves: his wife falls into a deep state of depression, his children (Jake) are left to fend for themselves in the harshness of slavery. Flying = selfishness ?

Can humans fly? It’s a silly question to ask & as we fade out of childhood we start to believe it’s impossible. Recently I’ve adopted a new set of eyes to see flight in = as a means of freedom from oppression/slavery in African communities. Sound like Toni Morrison yet? #songofsolomon

@vdotfdot.bsky.social

They found sanction & security in each other, so much so Nel start embracing her creole identity and start dreading straightening her hair to her mothers wishes and pulling her nose. Nonetheless colorist damage persists when she strips a twig down to a “smooth, creamy innocence”.

I really love Morrison’s description of Sula & Nel’s complimentary friendship:
- Nel = color of wet sandpaper, just enough to escape the blows, if she’d been lighter it would’ve been dangerous for her in the Medallion
- Sula = heavy brown gold flecked eyes, large quiet eyes, rose birthmark

Helene's assimilation into white culture in black community:
- joining the black conservative church (marker of assimilation into white Protestant Christianity), she was raised strictly Catholic
- "I don't speak creole, and neither does she" rejecting any ties to her and Nel's African identity

“For heterosexual African American men, choosing to love and commit to a heterosexual relationship with a Black woman is a rebellious act” Patricia Hill Collins, Dark Skinned Love

Tar Baby/Pretty Johnnie:
He’s described as mixed and beautiful (implying the lighter = the more beautiful), but he isn’t mixed (according to Eva). No one finds him a nuisance despite his poor lifestyle, does his skin color excuse his behavior and grant him more empathy from his community? Perhaps

Helene further controls Nel’s social circle when they meet the Peace’s who are everything Helene’s family isn’t, Nel finds comfort in the disorder. Helene describes the Peace family as “sooty” = dirty, outcasts, corrupt. Nel pushes past Helene’s beliefs and befriend Sula

Nel is blind to privilege w/ being lighter & and failed to realize that these colored soldiers would’ve faced consequences (possibly death) for walking into a white cart instead of a colored cart. So the soldiers not helping Helene wasn’t out of jealousy, but resentment and possibly even fear.

During the train scene Nel couldn’t grasp why these soldiers were looking at her mom with resentment, why they wouldn’t worship the ground she stood on the way Wiley did—-in the process she praised her mothers beauty—-white beauty.

The result of Helene projecting her own features onto Nel was her clinging onto some hope she was also “custard” skinned: if this tall, proud woman [Helene]…who could quell a roustabout with a look, if she were really custard, then there was a chance Nel was too.

Helene pushing colorist beauty standards effect the things Nel first notices about people, particularly skin tone & eye color:
- the salmon-colored face and colored grey eyes of the conductor
- midnight eyes and marbled flesh (distortion?) of the soldiers

To Helene’s disappointment Nel “did not inherit her beauty”/had predominantly black features from her dad and pushed her desire to “fix” them:
- “skin had dusk” (darker skin tone)
- lashes were substantial (long)
- lips = full
- nose = broad and flat
- “plain brown eyes”
- weekly “hot comb”

“I don’t speak creole” pt. 2
Nel [Helene’s daughter] was intrigued by the creole woman in the canary yellow dress and her language, but Helene responds to her curiosity by passively describing her “passed around”. A darker toned woman as passed around.