Whitney2

   Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon, a novel about an African-American, depicts the main character's journey to maturity. A major theme of the novel is growth. Milkman's growth is a result of his search for his family's history and what he discovers along the way.
     Milkman is selfish, materialistic, and innocent. For instance, Milkman grows up in a middle-class family and lives a decent life. "Others watched the family gliding by with a tiny bit of jealousy...He never had a blown tire..."
(Morrison 32). From the beginning, his father, Macon Dead II, teaches him that money is the most important thing in life. "Let me tell you right now the one important thing you'll ever need to know: Own things...Then you'll own yourself and other people too..."(Morrison 55). Subsequently, Milkman's innocence is a result of his lack of knowledge about his family's ancestry.
      Milkman begins his journey to learn about his family's past. Milkman travels to Pennsylvania and Virginia in search of answers to the many questions he has about Solomon, Ryna, Jake, Sing, Pilate, and his own father. "All of which seemed to put Jake and Sing together in Shalimar, just as Circe had said...Jake's father was Solomon..."(Morrison 307). According to Contemporary Authors, Milkman's discovery of his family's past enables him to meaningfully connect with his contemporaries. Evidently, the physical journey to discover his family's history leads to Milkman's mental journey, his growth.
      As a result of his journey, Milkman becomes a better person. In fact, his inncocence melts into awareness and his understanding of life increases. Milkman is no longer consumed with materialistic things. He can be described as having Pilate's view on life at this point. In fact, Milkman is reborn. "She put hazel on his swollen neck. He made up the bed. She gave him gumbo to eat. He washed the dishes..."(Morrison 289). Milkman comes to some realizations that he never would have discovered without his journey. He learns to do everyday things like washing dishes and he learns how to handle at least fifty percent of a relationship. Milkman's epiphany about Pilate at the end of the novel embodies his growth. "Now he knew why he loved her so. Without ever leaving the ground, she could fly..."(Morrison 340-341). Milkman is finally able to "find a place in a whole".
      Milkman matures and discovers things many people never discover. Therefore, this growth enables him to develop a better understanding of his life. Milkman's growth teaches him everything that he needs to know, from flying to loving. "For now he knew what Shalimar knew: If you surrendered to the air, you could ride it."(Morrison 341). Consequently, Milkman's growth from innocence to awareness led to the only logical next step-flying.