SoS Critical Lens Experts- Psychoanalytical Lens

From the perspective of the psychoanalytic lens, Jan Furman’s analysis of Song of Solomon from her book ‘Male Consciousness’ is an interesting look at why Morrison had mostly male viewpoint characters, most of whom were desperate for, or assumed they already had, control over their life. Furman points out that Morrison has an idea of ‘masculinity’ that she thinks appears in most men’s thought processes and that she has tried to convey through the different characters in the story. In some ways, this is true. All of the male characters in the book, especially the main characters are seeking to ‘dominate’ most of the people who they come in contact with. However, to me what Macon, Milkman and Guitar have in common is not their urge to control but their search for freedom, though both Macon and Guitar fail due to preconceived notions of what freedom should be.

Focusing more on Macon Dead, Jan Furman states that ‘Macon Dead’s hearse’ (the car he sometimes drives around town) serves as a perfect symbol of everything about Macon’s life. Though he is rich, his car is a showpiece that no one respects- all of his relationships are cold, grey, and heavy and he treats his family like his car- as a possession that enhances his standing in the eyes of the community. I completely agree with the symbolism of Macon’s automobile. By calculating his worth from the amount of valuable things he owns, Macon guarantees that he will never be valued for himself.

Continuing on to the main character, Milkman starts of the plot of the book with a self-examination so shallow that the conclusion he draws from his moment of introspection only serves to illuminate his flaws. Furman comments that this is when his archetypal hero’s journey begins as he starts the adventure that will lead him to his freedom, though the freedom he eventually finds will be spiritual, not material, in its effect on Milkman’s life. Though this is a good summation, an important point to notice is that Milkman in in his thirties- a decade older at least than most coming of age stories. At the time the story takes place, Milkman is already an adult in a physical sense of the word. Thus, Milkman’s story is less about discovering who he will be than learning who he is, and why he doesn’t want to be like that anymore.