Find Flight Through Morrison’s Magical Realism

Toni Morrison’s lyrical tour de force, Song of Solomon, follows Milkman Dead as he embarks on an odyssey to discover the secrets of his lineage.  With allusions to the Bible and Homer throughout the text, Morrison crafted a novel that is both unforgettable and a must-read in American literature. 

Future college students everywhere should read and embrace Morrison because she uses magical realism to bring to life and immortalize the history of African -American culture and mythology.  Furthermore, her words and stories within the text are integrated with events such as the Birmingham Bombings and the murder of Emmett Till in an effort to provide a layered and nuanced perspective about race relations in society.  

Besides the depth and grandeur of this novel, readers will appreciate the smaller details within the text that Morrison weaves together so seamlessly.  The names of her characters, for example, are like no others in literature. Milkman Dead, Guitar, First Corinthians, Sing, Empire State, Pilate and Sugarman are just a few characters whose names dazzle readers. And make no mistake about it, those who inhabit Morrison’s novel are just as fascinating and peculiar as their names make them out to be. 

Trivia:

Toni Morrison was the first African-American woman to win the Nobel Prize for literature in 1993. 

Quotation: 

“Perhaps that’s what all human relationships boil down to: Would you save my life? Or would you take it?”