For Sale: One-Way Trip To Alienation

They kept singing:

I couldn't stand to hear the
Crying of my mother
And I remember when
I swore that, that would be the
Last they'd see of me
And I never went home again

I tried to keep thinking about that interview of Toni Morrison, but those continued. Resigned, the only thing I could do was to listen to the song until it ended. Unfortunately, it never ended, it went forever. There was a point I didn’t recognize whether the voices kept singing, or it was only my mind. Anyways, the interview…

He said:
You're no son, you're no son of mine
You're no son, you're no son of mine
You walked out, you left us behind
And you're no son, you're no son of mine

Alienation, loneliness, solitude, the importance of family. Many things came to my mind. In fact, Morrison mentions many of these aspects in her interview. For example, she says: “everybody was for sale and for rent” (3:20 – 3:25). Her allusion to slavery, and the lack of free will amongst the American “ordinary people” during colonization relates to the sentiments of alienation, loneliness, and solitude present in Song of Solomon. Racism, in this case, surges as the main cause of these. It alienates many of the characters from their native communities, society, and eventually, makes them loose the essence of humanity. Morrison’s depicts Milkman’s alienation through his desperate quest of emotional freedom. This childish attitude, derivative from his alienation, eventually wanes as he comes to a moment of anagnorisis after being caught by the cops. As a result, the growth of his shorter leg demonstrates his progess towards freedom.

The song kept going:

Things were never easy for me
Peace of mind was hard to find
And I needed a place where I could hide
Somewhere I could call mine

In the interview, Morrison confers that alienation leads to solitude. Hence, the highlights “the dangers of American individuality” (22:30) leads people to feel alienated, and hence, lonely. Guitar, for example, evolves into a vengeful murderer in vengeance of his father death. He commits murderers that keep reminding him of his own tragedy, hence, alienating himself, and his victims, from their own surroundings. In reference to this, Morrison also describes the importance of “familiar bonds” (21:57) in Song of Solomon as well as many of her other novels. In Guitar’s case, the death of his father led him to commit such vengeful acts. Also, the parental figure (the ghost) of Macon Dead I leads Pilate and Macon Jr. to rethink many of their actions. In contrast to Hamlet, where the Ghost of his father torments him to avenge his death and kill Claudius, the ghost of Macon Dead I dwells to guide Pilate and Macon Jr. through the right path, and prevent them from falling in the greedy hands of alienation.

Oh his words how they hurt me
I'll never forget it
And as the time, it went by
I lived to regret it
You're no son, you're no son of mine
But where should I go
And what should I do

Hence, as the characters in Song of Solomon try to fly towards their freedom, they tend to feel alienated. The ghost of Macon Dead I prevents Macon Jr. from following the “tail of the peacock,” the evils of greed and wealth that Morrison emphasizes. The sack of gold represents that obsession of wealth that Macon Jr., Milkman, and even Guitar have. The desire of wealth leads mankind to overcome the principles of a family, a community, and their life. Gold kills, gold putrefies mankind. They spend their entire life looking for gold without a purpose. Hence, living a life without a meaning, and eventually, alienating themselves from humanity. The song finally ended:

You're no son, you're no son of mine
But I came here for help
Oh I was looking for you