Essay on the Flying Motif in Song of Solomon :: Song Solomon essays

Importance of the Flying Motif in Song of Solomon passim literature it has been common for authors to use allusions to complement recurrent motifs in their work. In Toni Morrisons Song Of Solomon, Milkman learns that his desire to fly has been passed down to him from his ancestor Solomon. As Milkman is figuring come forth the puzzle of his ancestry, he realizes that when Solomon tried to take his youngest son, Jake, flying with him, he dropped him and Jake never arrived with his father to their destination. It seems quite probable that Morrison drew from the Daedalus/Icarus Greek myth. Daedalus was a well-known fashion designer and engineer in Athens. King Mines invited Daedalus to Crete to build him a labyrinth, and when it was completed, Mines jailed him within it. In order to escape, Daedalus built two sets of wings - one pair for himself, and the other(a) for his son, Icarus- using wax and feathers, which they used to fly off from Crete. On their journey to Athens, Icarus d ecided to try to challenge the sun, even though his father had warned him that if he got as well as near to the sea his wings would dampen and fall apart, or if he got too close to the sun, the wax in his wings would melt, and he would lose the power to fly. Ignoring Daedalus warnings, Icarus flew too high and the sun melted the wax that held his wings together. Icarus fell into the Aegean Sea and died. Solomon, a slave, had been a leader when he worked in the cotton fiber fields in the South. One day he decided to fly back to Africa with his youngest son, Jake, leaving behind his wife Ryna and their twenty other children. Black doll fell down on the ground Come booba yalle, come booma tambee Threw her body all around Come konka yalle, come konka tambee...(303). This verse of the popular childrens song which Milkman hear in Shalimar, Virginia, was referring to Rynas sobbing, an event which also led to the naming of Rynas Gulch where it is rumored that Rynas spirit moaned night and day alike for Solomons return. When Solomon is flying, however, he drops Jake- also the name of Milkmans grandfather- and unlike Icarus in Greek mythology, Jake survives his fall. Milkmans desire to fly mirrors one of the foremost fantasies of any child or dreamer.