Against The Institutions

In the interview with Toni Morrison she talks about several institutions that appear in several of her books. Slavery appears constantly in her books as it marked the African American's history. Either way Beloved, specified a critique made in Song of Solomon about slavery and racism. Only when the government decided to institutionalize slavery, because of Bacon's Rebellion, did the tortuous history of racism in the United States begin. Clearly, this particular institution affected her greatly but in the books she mentions, other similar systems appear, with equally damaging effects.

She mentions religion as a strife-causing institution. Also, Morrison talks of a system the first Europeans fled when coming to America. These two, although not explored in Song of Solomon do have an important relation to racism. All three of them systematized human life forcing people to live in unjust conditions that denigrated certain sectors of the population. Although racism towards blacks continued to be the main theme for her in the interview and on this book, she attempts to analyze those institutions in her books in the possible. Morrison helps the reader live the experiences through a clear description of the setting that enables such situations and realistic characters with which the reader can empathize.

Especially Milkman exemplifies a realistic character. Once he understood the problem his community faced he showed an extremely humane reaction. He did not take the hardest way like Hamlet did nor did he courageously defend a friendship like Huck. Instead, he wanted and tried to run away here: "I ain't going home, Guitar. Hear me?" (89) Truthfully, his decision, an act of cowardice, should cause shame and guilt in Milkman. Still, this conveys, in the strongest way possible, the power and ferocity of those institutions. Even when a young man sees such a huge defect, no idealism moves him to change it. Instead, the challenge before him seems so great fear overpowers him forcing him to turn away from that epitome of discrimination: the institution of racism.

Cannibalism

As I continue to progress in this book, a clear portrayal of African American society begins to form. Relationships amongst blacks shocked me the most about this representation. Although the common struggle they shared during this period should have united them, a race for survival began where only fellow blacks suffered so that others. All this suffering payed for the wellbeing of people like Milkman and the Dead's who in their advantaged position could leave all the misfortune in oblivion. This chapter shows how Milkman decides he will try to run away from all the suffering he sees in his community tired of that hostile environment.

The first mention of this strife occurs when Macon talks about Dr. Foster saying he "called them (other blacks) cannibals" (71). By definition a cannibal refers to a person who eats the flesh of other human beings (according to the oxford dictionary). Clearly he uses an extended meaning to refer to that desperate strife among black people to acquire a higher status. Despite the difference in wealth, even Macon and his family must have had a "cannibalistic" past. Evidently, they have emerged victorious from this endless battle, secured financial stability and gained a feeling of safety. Although this family has successfully fled the conflict, they continue being part of that society to which they no longer belong because of their higher standing but they cannot escape completely because of their race.

Indeed, "the cards are stacked against" them (87). The game is savage. Ultimately though, even if they win, they loose. Victory like the one obtained by the Dead family, has no meaning because they did not gain full rights but now, they are also in a limbo, not really accepted by their equals. This "game" orchestrated by whites represents the ultimate form of evil Morrison associates constantly with color white. Whites caused the harsh conditions blacks we forced to live in during this time period, the lack of protection by government and even the wealth prize for rising above everybody else. Whites created and maintained the system Morrison fights with her book. With this particular part of it she explains the disunion of black people even when oppressed collectively and points the cause of the problem, hopefully with a solution to come by the end of the book.