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Who is Solomon?
Solomon is Milkman’s great-grandfather. Born a slave, Solomon had many children, one of whom was Milkman’s grandfather Jake who fathered both Pilate and Macon Jr. Milkman discovers his familial connection to Solomon while visiting his ancestral home, Shalimar, in Virginia. During his stay in the town, Milkman not only traces his family line back to Solomon but also learns about the mythology surrounding his great-grandfather. Town legend claims that Solomon escaped slavery by flying back to Africa, leaving behind his wife and twenty-some children. Learning about Solomon’s flight helps Milkman reconnect to his roots and begin to believe in his own ability to fly – or, to liberate himself. While Solomon is a character unique to the novel, the story of enslaved people who were able to fly back to Africa is an old one dating back to the period of slavery in the United States. Morrison extrapolates on these folktales in Song of Solomon, questioning both the meaning of “flight” as well as whether it was ethical for enslaved people to “fly” home, abandoning their families who would continue to suffer in slavery.
Who is Circe?
Circe is an old woman living in Montour County, Pennsylvania, the previous home of Macon Dead I and his young children. When Milkman visits, he learns that Circe was a midwife who was present at his father and Pilate’s birth. She was also employed by the white men who murdered Macon Dead I. Circe gives Milkman valuable information about his family’s past, which eventually leads him to Shalimar, Virginia, where he has his enlightening. Circe has a slightly magical quality about her – she’s described as “colorless” due to her old age, and she appears when most needed to guide Milkman toward his salvation – and indeed, she shares the name of the iconic character in Homer’s The Odyssey. Milkman is on his own odyssey, and although Milkman doesn’t yet realize what he’s seeking, Circe guides him toward the destination that will result in the emotional and spiritual enlightenment Milkman so desperately needs.
What happens to Hagar?
When Hagar and Milkman first begin a sexual relationship, Hagar is several years older than Milkman, which makes her appear unattainable and exciting to Milkman. But as their relationship continues, Hagar eventually stops playing hard to get and seems to view Milkman as a serious partner. However, Milkman doesn’t feel the same way. As the two age, Milkman reaches the prime of his young manhood as Hagar begins to age out of her young womanhood, and the power dynamic between the two shifts. Milkman continues the relationship because he enjoys the sex, but unlike Hagar, he has no intention of marriage or commitment. He eventually breaks up with her, sending Hagar into a spiral of depression and violence. Hagar was not only in love with Milkman and is heartbroken by his rejection, but she also feels used and abandoned. Driven to insanity by Milkman’s coldness, she stalks him and attempts to murder him multiple times, but she is never able to go through with the act. Milkman, apathetic toward Hagar’s pain and unable to understand why her reaction is so extreme, does little to remedy the situation. He soon leaves town to head south in search of gold, and while he’s gone, Hagar continues to pine for him, obsessively thinking of ways to get him back. In her desperation to don a new set of clothes for Milkman, Hagar finds herself caught in a storm. She catches an illness and soon dies. When Milkman returns home a changed man and discovers Hagar’s death, he understands that he is, in part, at fault, and must bear responsibility for the role he played in Hagar’s decline.
Who kills Pilate?
When Milkman returns to his hometown, he goes straight to Pilate, realizing how important she is to him. He shares with her that the bones she was keeping in her house are the skeleton of her father, Jake. He and Pilate set out for Virginia together to give Jake an honorable burial in his home. At Solomon’s Leap, the two complete the burial, but, unbeknownst to Milkman, they have been followed by Guitar. Guitar attempts to shoot Milkman, but the bullet hits Pilate instead. As she dies, Pilate states that she wished she could have known more people so that she could have loved them – giving love to others was her purpose and one of the many ways she lived a liberated life, a life in which flight was possible. After Guitar accidentally kills Pilate, he doesn’t back down: he continues his attempts to kill Milkman. After baiting Guitar to come closer to Solomon’s Leap, Milkman jumps toward him in a final act of both surrender and liberation. As the two meet, the novel ends ambiguously before either man’s fate is resolved.
Why does Guitar want to kill Milkman?
After joining the Seven Days, Guitar is given an assignment to murder four innocent white girls as revenge for a church bombing that killed four Black children. In accordance with the Seven Days’ rules, Guitar must kill the girls in the same fashion, so he needs to get his hands on explosives. This requires money, and Guitar enlists Milkman to help him find cash. They first attempt to rob Pilate, believing that she has a stash in her house. When they fail to find the money, Milkman suggests that he search for the money in Pennsylvania, since it’s possible that Pilate’s money is hidden on her father’s former property. Guitar agrees, and Milkman heads to Pennsylvania. However, Milkman’s journey leads him to abandon the quest for money in favor of discovering his family history, and after garnering some information from Circe in Pennsylvania, he travels to Virginia to learn more about his grandfather. While Milkman is becoming a changed and enlightened man, Guitar interprets Milkman’s journey differently. Unaware that Milkman is inspecting his ancestral history, Guitar assumes that Milkman has found the money in Pennsylvania and has escaped to Virginia in order to shirk Guitar and cheat him out of his promised share of gold. Already radicalized toward violence, Guitar begins following Milkman with the intention of murdering him for this betrayal. Even though a simple communication with Milkman could reveal the truth that no money has been uncovered or stolen, Guitar is beyond reason. His traumatic experiences have made him violent, cold, and hateful. He continues to hunt Milkman until the novel’s ambiguous end.
