Overview

      I am starting to really really like this book. The more that is uncovered, the more exciting it becomes in my opinion. It is like a Sherlock Holmes mystery; nothing makes sense until at one point things start coming together, and they start coming together faster and faster, tumbling down the hill, taking the reader with them until the last puzzle piece is in place and the reader awakes from a misty dream not remembering the tumble but sure of one thing, that everything makes sense. And this is how I feel about the Song of Solomon. As Milkman travels to uncover his past and his destiny, he goes through so many events that change him, no matter how little, to form his reality, and lead him to his maturity and final acquiring of manhood. And it is interesting to think of this story as a mystery, because if could be so many different things. For one, a fantasy tail of a seeker searching for the key to his soul or ultimate understanding or a mystery where one man who cannot die has to face death many times over on his search for the clues to his past. This story can find its place in the heart of almost everyone as it can be interpreted in the style of the reader. And, Milkman showed a lot of maturity and development throughout the book. Having read Chapter 12 now, I have seen multiple times where Mikman did not panic, did not act out of panic, but rather was calm, true and honest, or at least humble. He did not give Guitar away, or panic when Guitar did not believe him that he was not shipping any gold to Virginia. Everything is becoming more down to earth, and Milkman, is starting to fulfill his destiny and becomes like his grandfather. From hearing about his past he is filled with pride and strength, he starts to grow, and his feet even out. We see wussy Milkman come out strong, and we can imagine him working on a field, plowing, working the earth in his power, making peach orchard bloom, and rising up to be the men that many come to live in the rays of. And compared to the depressing, miserable life he had before, this is a complete relief. Milkman is on his way to become a hero almost, one that overcomes his fears, his problems, and defeats the dark tests that challenge his way to the utmost knowledge: the gold. Gold is yellow, and shiny, and whenever one thinks of gold, one thinks of something brilliant and glowing. Symbolically, the gold could represent the light, the fire that Milkman goes to retrieve, the light with the power of life, something that he starts acquiring on his quest. At the end of the book, he will no longer be Macon Dead, he will no longer be already dead and in that way immune to death, but rather he will become a full, breathing man who has come back to life, and will fly back home to bring up his family and amend and change the future.

Flight and Change

     Initially, I really did not enjoy the book and did not see how Milkman was maturing. Even when Lena called him out, he still seemed to be like, ok, whatever. But something must have struck a chord and he started subconsciously maturing. Thats when we start Part two of the book; the flight.
    
     All through the first part, we hear of how Milkman always wanted to fly. It was the biggest disappointment to him when he realized he could not take off and fly above the Earth. But in Part 2, Milkman's soul starts to fly. The section starts out with him taking off and flying physically, in a plane.  We see Milkman as happy, something we have not seen throughout the whole book yet. He is by himself, doing something for himself (or at least that's how he sees it), and going out into the world for the first time. It is almost like he is given a second life, he is born anew. We watch him experience so many new things that normal people experience from their first days. He starts his life for real this time, and it is very refreshing, and optimistic for us as readers to read. But mentally, he isn't flying yet. Before he goes hunting, he is still of the same mindset as he was before with the exception that he gains some confidence in some places, and loses it in others. But it is in the forest where he "confronts death" and wins over it. In mythical terms, this is like the test of mind and body as here he is, confronted by his best friend which is an extreme emotional test. But he turns around and beats the dark, and the second sight opens up to him. Milkman sees the world differently now, and the world start accepting him. No longer is he doing stupid things, but rather he is living in the world, not along side it. He begins to start thinking ahead for the first time (when he thinks of his travels to the Byrd house and how he had to get back before dark and as to what he would take with him) and he is no longer stuck in the front seat between his parents, looking back into his past. Yes, on this trip he does delve into his past a lot, but this uncovering of truths comes with his progress forward. It seems as though gold becomes the point that when reached, he will know all of his past, some grave secret or realization will be released, and with the gold will come the last test and the last piece to the puzzle; the puzzle of Milkman's past.

Strangness

      This is a very peculiar/strange book. And each character's story is weird in itself. We get Macon who is an arrogant, strict, money-breathing brute of a father as it seems, while Ruth is a strange, love-deprived mother who pays maybe just a tad bit too much attention to her deceased father. There are the two sisters who grow up to be 40 year old 'girls' without a breath of the world, and a boy, Milkman, who is just totally confused and reluctant to grow up. As the story unfolds, we start learning various parts of everything. After Ruth's story after the visit to the cemetery, I honestly did not want to hear another word from her. Her story was feeble, and to be honest, it kinda sounded like a story that a woman from back then was supposed to have. Weak, mellow, and emotional. I did not like it. It sounded like a defense not an account of a story, and in this aspect Macon's story was much more realistic in its presentation. The only person that I am more or less likely to side with is Lena. Her calling Milkman was so different from the rest of the story. Everyone is so weak and somehow in his or her own world. But Lena is the only one that sees what is really going on. And this is a great breath of fresh air for us. After listening to Macon's money tainted speech, Ruth's love-filled pleas, and Milkman's completely carefree attitude, it is nice to get someone who can let us look into the family form the outside, from a normal view. We get a real perspective that opens to us in two pages what has been happening for the past chapters. In that, the story itself begins to change. The plot moves on and starts maturing Milkman, but the narrative also becomes more real. The change is gradual, but it is like Lena started chipping away at Milkman's thick hide of indifference and when Guitar tries to kill Milkman in the forest, the shield finally shatters. Milkman now becomes a man, sees and understands his own actions, sees his family from a different light, and finally finds a mission for his life. Nothing is pointless anymore. And in this sense I like the book more. Things start to go on a realistic course, and it feels great when the main character finally starts understanding things about the world around him. So overall, I feel like the book got better and better after Lena's rant. Everything started finding its own place.

Journals: Electronic or Paper?

      As old-fashioned as this may be, I believe that using notebooks to record thoughts and write entries would be much more effective than writing blogs. For me personally, it is easier to keep a notebook as it doesn't need battery power or internet access to thrive. I also do not feel comfortable with the idea of putting thoughts out on the internet without a way of knowing who saw or viewed my entries. This makes me reluctant to post, and a written journal would be much better in this case. A journal is a journal and when you show it to someone, you know who saw it and what they thought. But the most important reason why I like notebook journals over blogs is that thoughts flow onto a page without any second thoughts to edit or structure the text. With online journals I know that someone will read them, and I always have a sense of need to edit and redo my entries. Because they are available a broader audience, I feel that they have to be perfect for posting. In a notebook though, I don't hesitate to think and things just write themselves in a way. In fact, I end up having less mistakes in my notebook entries than in my blogs because I am not worried about the outcome beforehand. I am always more willing to pull out my notebook, and find a nook somewhere (wherever I happen to be) and write whatever comes to mind. Therefore now I am going to write down a series of "entries" that I kept in my journal. They are no doubt not as perfect as supposed to be, but they are more interesting and reflect my thoughts more accurately than if I wrote a blog post from the start.