Essay on Personal Freedom Song of Solomon -- Song Solomon essays

Search for Personal Freedom variant of Solomon Personal freedom is the ability to ignore societal and familial influences to find the true sense of self. Individuals argon truly liberated when they are physically, mentally, and spiritually free. The search for personal freedom is exemplified in Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison. The main protagonist, Milkman achieves personal freedom through growth of knowledge, by confronting his family, and by overcoming the prejudices of society. Knowledge is a primary factor in the attainment of personal freedom. This includes not only scholarly education but also awareness of historical heritage and familial legacy. The fact that African-Americans were held in human bondage cannot be forgotten it has to be remembered and passed on through rememory. Moreover, literacy gives minority cultures a voice to reach out to others with encouragement and hope. Milkman has a high school education which he likewisek for granted. For Milkman to achieve personal freedom, he needs to search for his inheritable roots. Milkmans drive, Macon Dead, Jr., denies Milkman his rememories because Macon assumes that achieving the American Dream means erasing his past. However, as stated above, Morrison believes Milkman has to remember he has to know his past in order to know his self. His father taught him that Athe one important thing youll ever need to know Own things. And let the things you own own other things. Then youll own yourself and other nation too (Morrison 55). Macon falsely leads Milkman to believe that Youll be free. Money is freedom Macon. The only real freedom there is (163). Milkman buys into his fathers fallacy as he too frantically searches for the gold that will s... ... personal freedom is not an easy one, but we must(prenominal) persevere. Milkmans realization of his personal freedom came as his life ended. We must all remember the old Chinese proverb The longest journey begins with a single step. WORKS CITED Carm ean, Karen, Toni Morrisons World of Fiction, Troy The Whitston Publishing Company, 1993. Morrison, Toni. Song of Solomon. New York Plume, Peach, Norman. Modern Novelists Toni Morrison. Ed. Norman Page. New York St. Martins Press, 1995. Storhoff, Gary. Anaconda Love Parental Enmeshment in Toni Morrisons Song of Solomon. Style 31 No. 2 (Summer 1997). 290-309. September 18, 2001 <http.//p26688.cl.uh.edu2071/cgi-bin/web>. Willbern, David. Reading by and by Freud. Ed. G. Douglas Atkins and Laura Morrow. Contemporary Literary Theory. Amherst University of Massachusetts Press, 1989. 158-179.