Obama's Speech on Race and Song of Solomon

There seem to be quite a few thematic parallels between Obama's speech on race and Song of Solomon. In the first place, both the speech and the novel define their audience. Obama says that he wants to create a country in which everyone, regardless of race, can carry out a safe and prosperous life. He emphasizes on this by poiting out the common aspects all human beings share: there are „problems that are neither black or white or Latino or Asian, but rather problems that confront us all”. Obama focuses on this topic in even more detail as he explores the specifics of discrimination versus African-Americans. Not only are coloured people treated with disrespect by white people, other African-Americans may also attack their fellows depending on how pure they are: „At various stages in the campaign, some commentators have deemed me either 'too black' or 'not black enough'.” This relates directly to the theme in Song of Solomon about mixed marriges and how the children of such a relationship are never truly accepted into either the society of colored people or the society of whites.

One other aspect in which the novel and speech are similar is regarding both authors' view on travel. In Song of Solomon, Milkman ultimately departs on a journey to find out more about himself. By meeting the same people his ancestors knew and learning about the history of his family, he is able to feel at peace with himself. At the same time, Obama uses the same method to relay his point of view. He doesn't speak so openly and out right about principles and the need to abolish discrimination. Instead, Obama also tells his own story which is a lot like Milkman's: both of them are the children of African-Americans but of white upbringing. However, they can still discover their true selves by undertaking a personal voyage, because, as Obama says, „in chronicling our journey, the stories and songs gave us a means to reclaim memories that we didn't need to feel shame about... memories that all people might study and cherish – and with which we could start to rebuild.” In the end, Obama shifts the focus from a purely black audience to include people of all races. Similarily, Song of Solomon may employ primarily black characters, but the themes it conveys are universal: there can be discrimination within a single race, and anyone could take up a journey to find out more about him/herself.

What I found most peculiar while reading Obama's speech was that it was not like other political speeches I have heard. In most other cases, I lose the train of thought of the author too soon into the text, but reading Obama's thoughts on racial segregation was more or less a breeze. Although I am not an American, nor have I suffered from racial discrimination, I believe to have found a common language with the author. The only racial problem in Bulgaria that I can think of is regarding the gypsies, and Obama seems to offer a very reasonable solution to all such problems. By finding common ground, setting sights on the same goals for the future and uniting in order to achieve them, this is how gypsies can finally be integrated into Bulgarian society. Personally for me this is also important, because I have already had several unpleasant and painful encounters with bands of gypsies. After each such case I wanted to pay back the gypsies for what they had done, but now that I think about it, in light of our acceptance into the EU and all the prospects for the future, it would be immeasurably better to pass all of the forthcoming challenges as one nation. Realizing this has made me more aware of my own position in society, my personal role in making a better future: accepting others, sharing everything with them, working together towards a common goal, and rejoicing with my newly found friends.

Chapter 11 – The Turning Point in Milkman's Life

Although Milkman's entire voyage to the South puts his urban and social survivability to the test, it is not until he enters the forest that his true self is tested. At first, it is the very absurdness of his location that startles the main character, but as Milkman tries to recall the actions that lead to his current state, for the first time, he realises that there are two sides to a coin. On one hand, he perceived to have received a warm welcome in "Roanoke, Petersburg, Newport News", but on the other hand, the people whom he met may not have been friendly at all but rather "curious or amused". Like always, Milkman first rushes to accuse everyone around him: "What kind of savages were these people? Suspicious. Hot-tempered. Eager to find fault and despise any outsider. Touchy. Devious, jealous, traitorous, and evil. He had done nothing to deserve their contempt." However, alone in the midst of the forest, the main character is able to reflect upon his own mistakes ("He hadn't been alert early enough, hadn't seen the signs jutting out everywhere around him.") and realises his own foolishness. For all his life, Milkman has depended on the prestige and renown of his father and has raised himself above the worries of everyone else by saying that he doesn't "deserve" to be bothered by the entire spectrum of a person's feelings but would still like to hoard all the pleasant emotions.

Exactly because he finds himself alone in the wilderness, Milkman comes to terms with his own senses. He sees the effects of his alienation from the pure feelings of the heart and the basic senses a man posses to communicate with nature: "His watch and his two hundred dollars would be of no help out here, where all a man had was what he was born with, or had learned to use. And endurance. Eyes, ears, nose, taste, touch – and some other sense that he knew he did not have: an ability to separate, of all the things there were to sense, the one that life itself might depend on." Up north, Milkman and his family were enclosed in the cage that is their own home and comfort. Only by venturing so far away from what he originally thought was his home, the main character is able to find his true roots and purpose in life. Only outside the cage of his father's wealth is Milkman able to take flight and realise that it was not the gold he was after all along. Instead, he wanted to learn more about his family's past, because that would bring the one true spark of life in his entire existance.

Like Milkman, I've also had similar moments of realisation, but they tend to be spread over a larger period of time rather than remain concentrated in a single event. What drives me is deeply rooted in the past, but unlike Milkman, I do not feel regret for any of the things I've done. Instead, I harbour all of my experience, because it has made me who I am today. One aspect of my life I've recently realised the truth about is that if I want to achieve my dreams, I need to be constantly alert and to use all my senses. In a way, this is similar to Milkman's awakening of the senses in chapter eleven, because I too have come to realise that one needs to sharpen his/her instincts to perfection in order to successfully play out any situation.

A Blues Song on Chapter 7

Singing has always been one of my weakest sides, but I hope the lyrics I chose to go with While the Blood Runs Warm in Your Veins by Josh White (sometimes called Joshua White) illustrate Macon Dead's thoughts while he is sitting in front of the cave and blend into the present day Dead:

Oh Pilate, poor Pilate, do come out here.
Oh Pilate, poor Pilate, do come out here.

Ain't no more fighting gonna be.
Ain't no more fighting gonna be.

But the dogs now barking, hunters coming.
Pilate I be off, I be off, way, far away.

But the dogs now barking, hunters coming.
Pilate I be off, I be off, way, far away.

We'd have ourselves a countless riches.
But you took it all away.
An' all these years you hid, yes you hid.

Oh Pilate, snake Pilate, so you kept it after all.
Oh Pilate, snake Pilate, so you kept it after all.


The song, in its whole version, may be found here.

Guitar vs Milkman - Ch.6 - Guitar's p.o.v.

In a modern society as ours, Guitar's outlook on the concept of justice is outdated by over a thousand years. Initially, it was in the Old Testament that the notorious statement „eye for an eye” was first used officially. However, there is one important detail that needs to be clarified first. Guitar has resorted to such basic means of punishment, because there is noone else to carry out the unspoken sentence. As he says: „There are places right now where a Negro still can't testify against a white man. Where the judge, the jury, the court, are legally bound to ignore anything a Negro has to say.” Guitar's actions are further justifiable through three criteria, which he states himself: „I am not, one, having fun; two, trying to gain power or public attention or money or land; three, angry at anybody.”

Chapter 4 - A Christmas Present

Had I read chapter four of Song of Solomon an year earlier, I would not be looking at it the way I am now. It was only this year that I did Christmas shopping on my own. My first experience of choosing so many different gifts which to suit the various tastes of my friends. A time-consuimg, yet, rewarding experience. Because I found it so enjoyable, I thought it is probably the almost same way for everyone who wants to buy a gift. Maybe they would simply go about it less enthusiastically than I did, and that is perfectly fine as far as I am concerned. However, Milkman's attitude is truly appalling. Now that I think about it, I remember a discussion in class right after the Christmas vacation about how we had each spent the holidays. Quite a few people said they do not celebrate the gift giving tradition, because it does not seem appropriate to buy off all of one's mistakes with a single present. When I also take into account their view point, it makes me even more angry at Milkman and his apathy. A gift should never be chosen in such a mechanized way just for the sake of gift giving, because once properly selected, it can hold enormous personal meaning.

Although, this makes me wonder why Milkman acts in such a way. Perhaps the key to understanding this lies in the very first paragraph of chapter four: „No activity seemed worth the doing, no conversation worth having. The fluttery preparations at home seemed fake and dingy.” One possible interpretation of Milkman's attitude is that he is striving to be less and less like his father. While doing so, he is able to distance himself from the recurring pattern in his house. This also relates to the theme of flight in the book, because the character is able to escape from his troubles. Furthermore, he starts to differ not jsut from his father but also from everyone else as is implied on page 106: „He remembered that long-ago evening after he hit his father how everybody was crammed on one side of the street, going in the direction he was coming from.” However, Milkman cannot erase the impact of his childhood life.

In a sense, Macon Dead Junior is slightly similar to his father. Just as Macon Dead tells his son to own people by owning property, Junior is indirectly controlling Hagar through his gifts to her, and his decision to cut off their relationship by giving cash as a present sends her running „out into the streets to find Milkman Dead.” Milkman also resembles Macon Dead Senior in his affinty for looks: „He would buy her something for Christmas, of course, something nice ro remember him by”. Above all, the use of the phrases „of course” and „something nice” are what expose this side of the character's personality.