Biblical Names In Toni Morrisons Song Of Solomon

People choose names for a reason, whether it is so that the child takes on a certain personality, based on who they are named after, or so that he or she may carry on the name of a beloved family member. Many names that are popular today are names from the Bible, since most of the biblical characters possess characteristics that parents would want their child to have. Names like Noah, Jacob, David, and Miriam, are names currently in the top 1000 child names in the world, and they are all biblical names. Names from the Bible are also found in many works of literature, like Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon, a coming of age story about a young man during the mid twentieth century. The reader is introduced to multiple characters with biblical†¦show more content†¦Both women sacrificed something valuable, Reba her diamond ring and Rebecca her family relationships, so that their children would be happy. The role of Reba in Song of Solomon is that of a motherly figure, always putting her children first and not worrying about her own needs. This description aligns well with biblical Rebecca, who sacrifices her relationship with part of her family in order to please her son, Jacob. Reba is a kinder and more selfless version of the Bible’s version of Rebecca. Reba’s aunt, Ruth Foster, has a name that is also associated with a character in the Bible, also named Ruth. In the Bible, after her husband died, Ruth faithfully stays with her mother-in-law, refusing to leave. One of Ruth’s most notable quotes from the Bible is as follows: â€Å"Do not press me to leave you or to turn back from following you! Where you go, I will go; Where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die, I will die—there will I be buried. May the Lord do thus and so to me, and more as well, if even death parts me from you!† (Ruth 1:16-17). In this quote, the reader can see that Ruth is willing to stay by her mother-in-law’s side no matter what, even claiming that she would even die with her. Naomi, her mother-in-law, is a constant reminder of Ruth’s husband, and she refuses to leave her because Naomi is the only reminder she has of her late husband. In Song of Solomon, afterShow MoreRelated Essay on Spirituality in Song of Solomon894 Words   |  4 PagesInclusive Spirituality in Song of Solomon    When slaves were brought to America they were taken from all they had known and forced to live in a land of dark irony that, while promising life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, provided them with only misery. In a situation such as the one in which the slaves found themselves, many people would rely on their religion to help them survive. But would slaves be able to find spiritual comfort within the parameters of a religion that had been passedRead More Biblical Illusions in Toni Morrisons Song of Solomon Essay example673 Words   |  3 PagesBiblical Illusions in Toni Morrisons Song of Solomon Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison, is about a man named Macon Dead. Throughout this novel, however, he is known by all except his father as Milkman because his mother breastfed him until he was in his teens. The novel centers on Milkmans attempt to find himself. His family is a wealthy black family living in a poor black neighborhood, where Milkmans father prohibits Milkman from interacting with most of them, including his aunt. HoweverRead MoreFaith, Belief and Human Experience in Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison 1756 Words   |  8 Pagesanswered was: What role does myth plays in Song of Solomon? This particular question had posed the most important and significant part of the novel. Was really myth or the truth that had helped the novel to progress to in its ending? The answer for these questions will be answered as this paper moves on with its pages focusing on the myths and events that had transpired in the whole novel. Song of Solomon was a novel written by Toni Morrison that is probably biblical in its aspects. It was very much alikeRead MoreEssay on Themes in Song Of Solomon2113 Words   |  9 PagesToni Morrison is one of the most talented and successful African-American authors of our time. Famous for works such as The Bluest Eye, Sula, and Beloved, Morrison has cultivated large audiences of all ethnicities and social classes with her creative style of writing. It is not Morrison’s talent of creating new stories that attracts her fans. In contrast, it is her talent of revising and modernizing traditional Biblical and mythological stories that have been present in literature for centuries.Read MoreSong of Solomon - Whats in a Name? Essay909 Words   |  4 PagesToni Morrisons award-winning novel Song of Solomon is full of very interesting, deep symbolism. Macon Dead III, nicknamed Milkman, is a very symbolic character throughout the novel. His character is not only symbolic, for so is h is name. Also, Milkmans paternal aunt, Pilate, has an extremely significannot and symbolic role in the novel. To her father, she represents the child who killed her own mother and took away her fathers wife. Seeing that Pontius Pilate sentenced Jesus to death, the nameRead MoreAnalysis Of Toni Morrison s Song Of Solomon1412 Words   |  6 PagesIn Toni Morrison’s award-winning novel â€Å"Song of Solomon,† she fills the novel with deep symbolism. Macon Dead III, nicknamed â€Å"Milkman,† is a symbolic character throughout the novel. Not only is he as a character symbolic, but his name is as well. Milkman’s aunt, Pilate, has a significant and symbolic role in the novel. To her father, she represents the child who killed her own mother and took away his wife. In the Bible, PontiusRead MoreAnalysis Of Toni Morrison s Song Of Solomon 1213 Words   |  5 Pages Song of Solomon Producing the plot with a vivid image and motive allowed Toni Morrison to incorporate numerous literary works to enhance the allusions in the story. These specific allusions gave readers a more accurate understanding of certain aspects of the book. As well as this, readers are capable of searching beyond just the surface of what the words say. The common use of biblical references and myths, as well as other notations, provideRead More A Comparison of Christian Symbols in Song of Solomon, Sula, and Beloved2397 Words   |  10 PagesAlthough religion does not exist as a central theme in Toni Morrison’s work, it does set premise for a richly intertwined web of symbolism. Morrison’s novels focus on the lives of characters acting in the present day or recent past. For African Americans, events of the past are a crucial facet of culture as they seek to remember their history, the most influential of these events reaching far back into the years of slavery. Historians argue that for incoming slaves, Christianity offered a religiousRead MoreSong Of Solomon Character Analysis1415 Words   |  6 Pages Song of Solomon Topic #5 LAP Abid Ahmad Abid Ahmad 1 The names given to the characters in a book are in many cases the poetic insight to their role and their traits. In this manner, a character’s name can sometimes tell the reader more about them than any specific sentence in the book. This is very much the case with Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon. The characters in the book have names that directly correlate with their role and individual traits. This is the caseRead More American Dream in Song of Solomon, Narrative Frederick Douglass, Life of a Slave Girl, and Push1924 Words   |  8 PagesAmerican Dream in Song of Solomon, Narrative of Frederick Douglass, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, and Push   Ã‚   In an era where knowledge is power, the emphasis on literacy in African American texts is undeniable. Beginning with the first African American literary works, the slave narratives, through the canons more recent successes such as Toni Morrisons Song of Solomon and Sapphires Push, the topic of literacy is almost inextricably connected to freedom and power. A closer investigation