Struggle for Existence in Toni Morison’s Song of Solomon
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31973/aj.v2i145.4184Keywords:
freedom, existentialism, meaninglessness, struggle, philosophyAbstract
The purpose of this study is to examine the philosophical perspective that Toni Morrison employed when creating the primary characters in Song of Solomon. This article examines the philosophical foundations of the novel at hand by Toni Morrison. It is precisely this aspect that pertains to man's very existence and being. Existentialism is a philosophical and literary school of thought. It focuses on individual liberty and responsibility as two fundamental aspects of man's existence. Existentialism is present both in literature and philosophy. This study provides an in-depth analysis of the Song of Solomon text. In this novel, Morrison places Milkman and Pilate in situations from which they can proceed in a variety of ways. The existential aspect of the book will be analyzed by focusing on the struggles that both of the main characters confront when attempting to make decisions about the course of their lives and overcoming obstacles. Morrison's method will be evaluated based on her ability to weave the preexisting social and cultural situations of the main characters into the fabric of numerous societies. Milkman's unwillingness to be controlled by conventional codes and his desire to adapt to the needs of his new being, both of which are emphasized in the study, are illuminated by the research. The research will concentrate on the two characters' distinct conceptions of which they are, as well as the perspective from which each character views the surrounding community, its morals and values, and the societal expectations placed on its members.
Downloads
References
Byerman, K. E. (1993). Beyond realism. Ed. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Appiah. Toni Morrison: Critical Perspectives Past and Present. New York: Amistad Press,
Carmean, K. (1992). Song of Solomon, Ed. Frank N. Magill. Masterpieces of African-American Literature. New York: Harper Collins Publishers.
Davis, C. A. (1990). Self, society and myth in Toni Morrison. Ed. Harold Bloom’s Modern Critical Views. New York: Chelsea House Publishers.
Dixon, M. (1999). Like an eagle in the air. Ed. Harold Bloom’s Modern Critical Interpretations: Toni Morrison's Sula. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers.
Gates, H. L. & Appiah. Ed. (1993). Song of Solomon: Communities of community by Valerie Smith. Toni Morrison: Critical Perspectives Past and Present. New York: Amistad Press.
Heidegger, M. (n. d.). qtd. in“ Encyclopedia Britannia Article”. Britannica.com N.p, n.d. Web 29 Jan.2007, < http:// secure.britannica.amleb/article.6860// existentialism>
Holman, C. H. (1988). Existentialism. A Handbook to Literature, Fourth Edition. Indianapolis: Bobs-Merrill Educational Publishing.
Krumholz, L. J. (1997). Reading in the dark: Knowledge and vision in Song of Solomon. Ed. Kathryn Earled. Approaches to Teaching the Novels of Toni Morrison. New York: The Modern Language Association of America.
Mabalia, D. D. (1991). Toni Morrison Developing Class Consciousness. Cranbu, New York: Association University Press.
Magill. F. N. Ed. (1992). Masterpieces of African-American Literature. New York: Harper Collins Publishers.
Morrison, T. (1977). Song of Solomon. New York: Plume.
Roubiczek, P. (1966). Existentialism- For and Again. London: Cambridge University Press.
Russell, S. (1988). It's ok to say ok. Ed. Nellie MacKay. Critical Essays on Toni Morrison. Boston: G. K. Hall.
Samuels, W. D. & Hudson, W. C. (1990). Toni Morrison. Boston: Twayne.
Sartre, J. P. (n. d.) “Existentialism Is Humanism.” (Lectureas found in a Web site). Trans Philip Mairet.1946. Wikipedia.org.
Solomon, R. C. (1987). From Hegel to Existentialism. New York: Oxford University Press.
Spillers, H. J. (1999). A hateful passion, a lost love. Ed. Harold Bloom’s Modern Critical Interpretations: Toni Morrison's Sula. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers.
Willis, S. (1993). Eruptions of funk: Historicizing Toni Morrison. Ed. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Appiah. Toni Morrison: Critical Perspectives Past and Present. New York: Amistad Press
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2023 Thamer Allawi
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright and Licensing:
For all articles published in Al-Adab journal, copyright is retained by the authors. Articles are licensed under an open access Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 license, meaning that anyone may download and read the paper for free. In addition, the article may be reused and quoted provided that the original published version is cited. These conditions allow for maximum use and exposure of the work.
Reproducing Published Material from other Publishers: It is absolutely essential that authors obtain permission to reproduce any published material (figures, schemes, tables or any extract of a text) which does not fall into the public domain, or for which they do not hold the copyright. Permission should be requested by the authors from the copyrightholder (usually the Publisher, please refer to the imprint of the individual publications to identify the copyrightholder).
Permission is required for: Your own works published by other Publishers and for which you did not retain copyright.
Substantial extracts from anyones' works or a series of works.
Use of Tables, Graphs, Charts, Schemes and Artworks if they are unaltered or slightly modified.
Photographs for which you do not hold copyright.
Permission is not required for: Reconstruction of your own table with data already published elsewhere. Please notice that in this case you must cite the source of the data in the form of either "Data from..." or "Adapted from...".
Reasonably short quotes are considered fair use and therefore do not require permission.
Graphs, Charts, Schemes and Artworks that are completely redrawn by the authors and significantly changed beyond recognition do not require permission.
Obtaining Permission
In order to avoid unnecessary delays in the publication process, you should start obtaining permissions as early as possible. If in any doubt about the copyright, apply for permission. Al-Adab Journal cannot publish material from other publications without permission.
The copyright holder may give you instructions on the form of acknowledgement to be followed; otherwise follow the style: "Reproduced with permission from [author], [book/journal title]; published by [publisher], [year].' at the end of the caption of the Table, Figure or Scheme.
How to Cite
