The Ending: from Milkboy to Milkman
I have read some and heard some criticism regarding the ending of Song of Solomon despite mostly positive takes on it in discussions. I agree with most of the class on this because Morisson uses it in a meaningful way, not just to be quirky or cliffhang us. We have talked a lot about Song of Solomon as a coming-of-age novel, and the ending really makes a good case for this. Throughout the novel, we see the progression of Milkman as a character. For the first half of the novel, Milkman doesn't really go through any character development. But as the novel progresses we see Milkman finally becoming a real man by reconnecting with his past. Morrison shows us his progression as a person through the different actions he takes. Usually, he will do something compassionate or unselfish, which we don't attribute to the Milkman in the story's first half. An example of this is when he helps the man on the train with the big crate. This is an entirely unselfish act from Milkman which ...