Morrison's Use of Language in Song of Solomon

Introduction: Language as a Central Theme

Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison is very much a book about language — how it is used, and the meanings conveyed by its usage. At the very beginning of the novel, a little Black boy tries to correct a white woman about grammar, only to turn instead to his grandmother because the white woman has already stopped listening: "Granny, she left out a s." "And a 'please,'" the grandmother replies, indicating the link between language and manners (Morrison 7). In the same opening, Morrison discusses the meaning of "Not Doctor Street," "Doctor Street," and where these terms come from — how some language is "officially" recognized and some is not. This is all interwoven with a suicide spectacle, in which the note left behind speaks of a man who wants to fly away on his own wings.

Running through the novel, as in this opening, are references to the power of language, the power of symbols, the meaning of words, and how people use them to empower themselves or disempower others. Morrison's novel simultaneously incorporates elements of African American culture and mythology, along with the various issues affecting the twentieth-century American community. As a whole, the novel outlines the characters' struggles for identity and acceptance, demonstrating how personal narratives are deeply entwined with language, culture, a sense of place, and a sense of being. Language is at the heart of this exploration because words are what help one to soar, to transcend, to rise up, and to fly in the imagination — and, as a novelist, Morrison knows that.

The Motif of Flight and African American Folklore

One central motif in the novel is the idea of Africans who could fly — a symbol of innate freedom and power, and also a reference to something that was later stripped away due to the hardships and injustices of slavery. This idea becomes a shaping force throughout the narrative, driving the characters' motivations and desires, from the opening story of the man who leaps from a building hoping to fly on his own wings, to the song of Solomon that the children sing.

The motif of flight is everywhere. Milkman Dead, the main character, embarks on a quest for self-identity in order to realize his individual potential. He struggles with familial obligations while striving to regain the symbolic "power of flight," and his journey toward self-discovery is marked by his effort to understand his heritage and personal identity. Naomi Van Tol's article "The Fathers May Soar: Folklore and Blues in Song of Solomon" helps to focus attention on the pervasive influence of folklore and blues language that Morrison weaves throughout the novel, making Milkman's journey — and the journeys of those around him — all the more real and significant for the reader.

Blues Music and Morrison's Lyrical Prose

Van Tol argues that Morrison reimagines and expands traditional African American folklore and blues music in order to articulate the experience of her characters. The flying myth, which originates from African folklore, serves as a metaphor for escape and liberation. Morrison also carefully constructs the narrative to echo the rhythm and themes of blues music, wrapping the novel in the tones of the blues — its melancholy, its yearning, and its emphasis on personal and communal history. The novel is thoroughly infused with the language of the blues.

Examining Morrison's language use, one can see that she infuses her prose with a lyrical, musical quality that closely resembles blues. This is evident in the way she details the lives of her characters, including Milkman, who grapples with a profound sense of displacement and dissatisfaction — themes common to blues music (Van Tol). The importance of naming, which Van Tol also emphasizes, connects to the tradition of storytelling in blues music, where histories are preserved through song. Morrison's character names in Song of Solomon are meaningful: they convey histories, identities, and tales of their own. For instance, the lines "O Solomon, don't leave me here. Cotton balls to choke me O Solomon..." are dense with meaning (Morrison 300). The repeated invocation of the name "Solomon" and the rhythmic structure of the phrase are reminiscent of the call-and-response tradition in African American music, particularly blues and spirituals. The name Solomon also carries a biblical resonance that supports one of the novel's main themes — power and oppression: Solomon held power as king of Israel, yet he also tried to crush and oppress others. But that is not the only identity associated with the name.

Conclusion

Overall, the metaphor of flight is deeply tied to notions of liberation, self-discovery, and spiritual transcendence. It is the theme at the heart of the novel. But it is the language Morrison uses — lyrical, blues-inflected, colloquial, and symbolically layered — that allows that theme to be presented so clearly and so powerfully to the reader. Language in Song of Solomon is not merely a vehicle for story; it is itself the story, carrying within it the weight of history, identity, and the enduring human desire to rise above what would hold us down.

Works Cited

Morrison, Toni. Song of Solomon. Knopf, 2007.

Van Tol, Naomi. "The Fathers May Soar — Folklore and Blues in Song of Solomon." 1997.