As Toni Morrison chronicles the life of Milkman Dead in Song of Solomon, she provides insight into the maturation process he endures. A great deal of Milkman’s maturational development can be seen or explained in his relationship with women throughout his life. Ranging from the most immediate family, Ruth and First Corinthians, to Hagar and Pilate, and to at last Sweet, the way Milkman acts towards women are a natural indicator of how he has changed over the years. Perhaps the most telling of Milkman’s relationships with women are those that are more than just friendly or familial, but sexual. Over the course of his adult life, Milkman is romantically involved to some extent with two women. These women are his relative Hagar, and a prostitute, Sweet. The way that he both treats and regards these women, mostly due to the timing of each relationship, reflect well Milkman’s state of mind.
Milkman Dead’s first real, romantic, sexual relationship is with Hagar. Because Hagar is Milkman’s niece, it does not seem likely that this relationship should work out. However despite the incestuous nature of their affair, they remain together for several years. Milkman as he grows older starts to treat Hagar worse and worse. At the beginning at age 17, Milkman is enamored with his newfound sexual activeness, but eventually that wears away and he grows tired of Hagar, believing that she is unworthy of someone of his status. Near the end of their relationship Hagar starts to be subjected entirely to Milkman’s wants or needs, “There were months when Hagar would not see him, and then he’d appear one day and she was all smiles and welcome” (98).
The Essay on Martial Rape Women Marital Sexual
Marital Rape "When she says NO, it's rape... even when she's married to him"Every woman has the right to control her own body and to make decisions about having sex, using birth control, becoming pregnant and having children. She does not lose these rights if she marries." These quotes were taken from Stopping Sexual Assault in Marriage published by the Center for Constitutional Rights Much of the ...
Because Milkman has successfully enforced his will upon Hagar, calling upon her whenever he desires, some of the initial thrill disappears, and he begins to think about breaking it off entirely. He is never really looking for anything in Hagar, deeper than a sexual relationship. While Milkman does enjoy her company from time to time, if it were not for the sex, or Milkman’s total control, this relationship would have been cut off far sooner. This superficiality is directly attributable to Milkman’s immaturity. He does finally have somewhat of an epiphany later on, berating himself for treating Hagar so cruelly,
He had used her- her love, her craziness-and most of all he had used her sulking bitter vengeance. It had made him a star, a celebrity in the Blood Bank; it told men and other woman that he was one bad dude, that he had the power to drive a woman out of her mind, to destroy her, and not because she hated him or, because he had done some unforgivable thing to her, but because he had fucked her and she was driven wild by the absence of his magnificent joint (301).
Even this epiphany is not a full realization, as the vulgar phrasing suggests a lingering attitude of selfish egomania. When Milkman returns after his trip to Virginia and Pennsylvania, it is too late as Hagar is already dead. Hagar’s devotion to Milkman is unquestionable, as she ultimately dies from her grief of not being good enough for him, after wasting a large sum of money and expending significant effort in a vain attempt to win him back.
Later on in Milkman’s journey, he comes across a lovely prostitute by the name of Sweet. Referred to Sweet by the men from Solomon’s store, Milkman actually falls in love with Sweet, finding a reciprocal love that he had never experienced before. The start of his relationship with Sweet is interesting because he ultimately pays her after their first night. The involvement of money is nothing new for Milkman who, like his father, becomes somewhat consumed by the idea of wealth. Starting a relationship based on a financial transaction, while far from conventional, ends up working out for Milkman, and in turn Sweet. Even though Sweet is a prostitute, Milkman loves her anyway, paying no attention to any social ramifications. This is partly because he is not back home, constrained by what other people might think or say about him, but this unconditional affection also speaks for his maturation, as he has seemingly lost a bit of the shallow attitude that held him back earlier in his life. As Milkman begins this new relationship, he is emotionally ready to maintain a stable, healthy, and reciprocal relationship, “He soaped and rubbed her until her skin squeaked and glistened like onyx. She put salve on his face…She kissed his mouth. He touched her face. She said please come back. He said I’ll see you tonight” (285).
The Essay on Currie Pin Hagar Love Show
When an individual exchange superficial materials for love, they tend to have poor relationships with the people that mean the most to them. Hagar had a very difficult time expressing her emotions to others because she believed it made her seem like a week person. She did not want to show any weakness toward her favorite son so she gave John the Currie pin. She thinks the Currie pin will express ...
