Title Tuesday: Song of Solomon

This week's Title Tuesday is Song of Solomon, by the wonderful Toni Morrison.

2 semesters ago, I took a Woman and Literature course at ASU. The whole semester was focused on Toni Morrison's literature and I got hooked. My favorite of the semester was Song of Solomon, it's beautiful. 

Written in 1977, Song of Solomon won Morrison the National Books Critic Award and played an important role in winning Morrison the 1993 Noble Prize in Literature. 

The book follows the story of Macon "Milkman" Dead III, and more in depth follows the story of a Black man's search for his identity through learning about his family history. Song of Solomon is based on an African-American folktale about slaves who can fly back to Africa when they choose. Morrison fictionalizes this wonderful folktale through her character Solomon, Milkman's great-grandfather. As Milkman discovers his identity through his family history, Milkman learns to take pride in his ancestry and to value his surroundings. 

I fell in love with the language in this book, Morrison's words are woven perfectly and the imagery in the story is absolutely beautiful. 

 Here's a beautiful excerpt:

"See? See what you can do? Never mind you can’t tell one letter from another, never mind you born a slave, never mind you lose your name, never mind your daddy dead, never mind nothing. Here, this here, is what a man can do if he puts his mind to it and his back in it. Stop sniveling,’ [the land] said. ‘Stop picking around the edges of the world. Take advantage, and if you can’t take advantage, take disadvantage. We live here. On this planet, in this nation, in this county right here. Nowhere else! We got a home in this rock, don’t you see! Nobody starving in my home; nobody crying in my home, and if I got a home you got one too! Grab it. Grab this land! Take it, hold it, my brothers, make it, my brothers, shake it, squeeze it, turn it, twist it, beat it, kick it, kiss it, whip it, stomp it, dig it, plow it, seed it, reap it, rent it, buy it, sell it, own it, build it, multiply it, and pass it on – can you hear me? Pass it on!" -Morrison

I encourage you all to pick this book up or any other Morrison novel, you will not be disappointed!