The civil rights movement in Toni Morrison's "Song of Solomon"
type: CreativeWork
description: Although Toni Morrison situates all of her novels in a specific place and time, historical context is especially relevant in Song of Solomon (1977). However, scholars typically examine Milkman's quest for his family history without addressing the Civil Rights era in which the main part of the narrative occurs. Commentary is needed on how the struggle for liberation of the black race as a whole during the Civil Rights Movement parallels the individual liberation that Milkman and other characters seek in the novel. This project examines specific dates, events, and people Morrison alludes to in the novel and her attitude toward these dates, events, and people. This project also examines Milkman's relationship with Guitar, Guitar's involvement in the Seven Days, and Milkman's journeys to Danville and Shalimar. Through all of these aspects of the novel, Morrison explores positive and negative options available to blacks in their continuing struggle for equality.
abstract: Although Toni Morrison situates all of her novels in a specific place and time, historical context is especially relevant in Song of Solomon (1977). However, scholars typically examine Milkman's quest for his family history without addressing the Civil Rights era in which the main part of the narrative occurs. Commentary is needed on how the struggle for liberation of the black race as a whole during the Civil Rights Movement parallels the individual liberation that Milkman and other characters seek in the novel. This project examines specific dates, events, and people Morrison alludes to in the novel and her attitude toward these dates, events, and people. This project also examines Milkman's relationship with Guitar, Guitar's involvement in the Seven Days, and Milkman's journeys to Danville and Shalimar. Through all of these aspects of the novel, Morrison explores positive and negative options available to blacks in their continuing struggle for equality.
author: Simpson, Melissa High
language: en_US
keywords: Social sciences, Language, literature, and linguistics
date published: 8/30/1996
date modified: 2026-07-24T05:05:01Z
provider: Texas Woman's University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Texas Woman's University

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: http://hdl.handle.net/11274/9097