Blog Post #8 - Song of Solemn Women (Haha! Take that, Sam!)

The fifth chapter of Song of Solomon concludes with a long narrative of Pilate's life. While Pilate is telling of her own struggle to find a home, this passage characterizes both Pilate and Ruth, her sister-in-law.

Both Pilate and Ruth have struggled to find love throughout their lives. Pilate left home, searching for relatives in Virginia and joining a group of migrant workers. Ruth only found love in her father, who died while she was young. But why do these women have such difficulty finding love? Both come from relatively wealthy families in the African-American community. Their parents have come the closest to realizing the American dream from among that community. Ironically, this quality isolates them. Ruth's position of privilege distances her from her neighbors. Pilate exemplifies the African-American values of strength and love, but she is as isolated as Ruth (having no belly button doesn't really help).

However, it is this isolation that brings the women of the Dead family together. At the time when Ruth was pregnant with Milkman, only Pilate was there for her. Even Ruth's husband wasn't there for her; in fact, he was the problem. The Dead women's struggles to break away from this isolation ironically lead them away from their comfortable lives but bring them to each other.

The Dead women's struggles to find love are essential to the characterization of women in the story. Their struggles also creates irony.

Blog Post #7 - Topic 2

Benjy reflects on the past constantly. This is because there is no separation between the past and the present to him. His memories and his current observations blend into one existence. Various stimuli in Benjy's world conjure up memories that intermingle with the present.

Quentin, however, seems stuck entirely in the past. In fact, he is completely focused on the moment when he comes to face Caddy's loss of virginity. Quentin's day-to-day actions reflect his infatuation with this specific moment. Eventually, the burden of this moment accumulates to the point where Quentin has no option but to end his life.

Jason reflects on the past far less than the previous characters. However, he is bound to the past in that he focuses on his loss of a job at the bank due to Caddy's divorce. This action of the past occupies a space in the back of Jason's mind, creating resentment and bitterness within him.

As the fourth and final chapter is written from a third person point of view (though it surrounds Dilsey), it does not reflect upon the past explicitly. However, many of the events taking place in the present time of the chapter are affected by and sometimes even allude to events of the past.