Song of Solomon: How does Toni Morrison reveal flight as a way to escape?

by lwalsh226yahoocom (student)

International Baccalaureate World Literature

Since ancient times, humans have been fascinated with the idea of flight. As one watches a bird fly, he cannot help to yearn for the same ability. It is a common human desire to be able to free oneself from the trials and tribulations of life, and just leap, take flight and soar off into the peaceful blue sky, never looking back. Flying is a way to free oneself from the chains of oppression shackling one to the ground. The theme of flight goes further in Toni Morrison’s novel Song of Solomon where she demonstrates that flying both figuratively and literally represents a means of escaping oppression.

The epigraph of the novel addresses the theme of fleeing by flight: “The fathers may soar and the children may know their names” (Morrison 2). It depicts that flight lets men rise above oppression, and escape the chains holding them to the ground. However, men give little thought to who they leave tangled in the chains; Loved ones are left behind to pick up the pieces.

The next instance of flight occurs in the first chapter of the novel. The novel’s opening scene depicts the flight of insurance salesman Robert Smith from the top of Mercy Hospital. He leaves a note on his house door telling everyone he is going to fly across lake Michigan that morning. He wishes to escape from his life of emptiness and sorrow. As he stands on the ledge, it is apparent that suicide is his contemplation. A woman in the crowd, Pilate, begins to sing a song, “ O Sugarman done fly away, Sugarman done gone, Sugarman cut across the sky, Sugarman gone home…” (Morrison 6). However, instead of flying as promised, Mr. Smith soars to his death. Instead of stopping him, the crowd of people below encourages him to fly to his death. Thus, Mr. Smith’s flight to death represents his escape from society and his own sad life. Mr. Smith’s flight does not directly affect any other character immediately; however, the event affects a little boy named Milkman Dead indirectly nearly four years later.

The day after Mr. Smith’s flight, Milkman Dead is born. At age four, he realizes that human flight is impossible. This realization causes him to alienate himself from the community, his family’s love, and his heritage. “Mr. Smith’s blue silk wings must have left their mark, because when the little boy discovered, at four, the same thing Mr. Smith had learned earlier – that only birds and airplanes could fly – he lost all interest in himself ”(Morrison 6). As Milkman grows up, his alienation and the stress of his family’s emotional chaos cause him to dream of ...

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However, the main force behind the theme of flight and how it affects those left behind is rooted in the story of Solomon, Milkman’s great-grandfather. In the tale, Solomon flies back to Africa to escape his life of slavery and return home, literally flying away from his oppression. Nevertheless, in the process he abandons his wife, Ryna, leaving her alone to care for their twenty children. His flight causes Ryna to go insane and eventually leads to her death. When Milkman visits Shalimar, he hears the children of the town singing a song about Solomon and Ryna: “O Solomon don’t leave me here/Cotton balls to choke me/O Solomon don’t leave me here/Buckra’s arms to yoke me” (Morrison 303). The song narrates Ryna’s burdens and her adeterioration into insanity after Soloman’s escape.

Although Milkman journeys to find himself for many years, it is to no avail; at the end of the novel, Milkman jumps off a cliff towards his ex-friend, Guitar Bains. “For now he knew what Shalimar knew: If you surrendered to the air, you could ride it” (Morrison 341). It is unclear whether Milkman soars or simply falls to his death, but he attempts to "ride" the air. The mysterious ending of the novel is symbolic; it further emphasizes the importance of Milkman's leap. It is not important to know whether or not he lives or dies, but rather that he is able to completely accept his ancestral past and his identity. Milkman is finally able to free himself from his own oppression and truly and clearly see the possibilities of human flight.

All throughout the novel, almost every character that takes flight ends up emotionally scarring those around them by through abandonment, breaking families and hearts that they leave in their wake. However, only one character truly masters flight. Pilate is able to “fly” without ever abandoning those around her: "Without ever leaving the ground, she could fly" (Morrison 337). She never lets the chains of oppression grab hold of her, thus she never needs to fly away from those who need her.

Morrison uses literal and metaphorical flight to represent an escape from oppression. The characters that fly in the novel are all fleeing away from some form of oppression in their lives. Whether it is a suicide attempt or a cry to find oneself, all, with the exception of Pilate, cannot bear their burdens and selfishly leave their duties for impossible freedom. Pilate is the only true flyer; she spiritually and physically brushes off her oppressors and flies freely.

Works Cited

Morrison, Toni. Song of Solomon. New York: Knopf, 1977. Print.