Names

Names hold a lot of meaning in Song of Solomon. The Dead family's names come from the Bible, so those have inherent meaning in and of themselves. Even though most of the names were chosen at random, they loom over their owners, and separate them from the fold. I mean, have you ever heard of a girl named First Corinthians? The names make the Dead family stand out more than they already do. Here is a Northern, black. well-to-do family doing whatever they can to remain respectable. Having Biblical names enhances this respectability, but it also further separates the Deads from the other blacks in the neighborhood, and especially from the lower class Southside black people. In the Southside, names may seem just as odd, but are better justified than the Biblical names. For example, Guitar is called Guitar because he wanted to play the guitar. First Corinthians wasn't called First Corinthians because she was reading First Corinthians as a baby.

In addition, names hold a lot of power over people. Think of how much the nickname Milkman affects him until no one even uses his actual name. This is why Pilate holds her name so close to her, literally in a box in her ear. No one can take her name from her, and if they ever try or attempt to give her a new name, she'll have her actual name right there for her. Losing a name is a common theme in a lot of books and movies, and so Pilate here is showing that her name can never be lost. Her name will always be known, because it will always be on her.

Now, the person whom names really affect is Milkman, or rather, Macon Dead Jr. The fact is, Milkman is trapped between these two names, and neither is particularly favorable. For one, Milkman comes from a past of shame. It's a nickname poking fun at his mother for breastfeeding him for years, and is basically calling him and his family dirty. It's a shameful name, and one most people would be glad to be rid of, but Milkman can't seem to ditch the name. It follows him, it's a part of him, and while he uses it when he's younger, as he grows older and learns what it truly means, he tries harder and harder to avoid it. Milkman then begins to start using his given name, Macon Dead. However, he is not the first Macon Dead. His father is also Macon Dead, and Milkman has been trying for a good part of the novel to not be like his father. Yet, here he is, taking his father's own name. Sure, he has moments where he's proud to be his father's son, like during his journey through the South, but most of the time Milkman doesn't want to be his father and does all he can to be the complete opposite of him. So why take his name?

I think Milkman is stuck. He doesn't want to be known by his shameful nickname, but he doesn't want to be known by his given name, his father's name either. But what can he do? These names are going to stick with him, regardless of what he does. I mean, he could change his name or get a new nickname, but I'm sure, somewhere out there, someone would call him Milkman or Macon. These names are a part of him, a defining aspect of his past, present, and future. Just like the ornament on the hood of the car, Milkman is moving forward, but stuck in the same place, with the same names.