Parental Enmeshment in Song of Solomon

The essential essay by Gary Storhoff reviews the beginnings of psychological problems faced by Macon, Pilate, and Ruth, which cause parental enmeshment towards their children. The essay is divided into three parts, each section focusing on Macon, Pilate and Ruth, and Milkman, respectively. The arguments he seeks to make cast Macon, not as the villain the novel paints him as, but eliminate the innocence previously created for Ruth. The reason behind Pilate and Macon’s enmeshment is their pursuit to recreate their lost paradise, Lincoln’s Heaven.

They also adopt traits from their murdered father, with one sibling attaining half, and the other the remainder, contributing to their sibling rivalry.

Macon’s trait of self-aggrandizement fuels his need for authority over others, while Pilate’s characteristic of self-denial shapes her nurturing love for her daughter and granddaughter. Ruth’s section examines her discovery of power in her submissiveness. By playing the role of an ignorant, helpless woman, she manages to control Macon and Milkman’s actions, making Macon lose his violent temper, prompting Milkman to rush to her rescue, and eliciting sympathy from the reader. Milkman’s section explores his acceptance of his parents’ emotional underdevelopment, finding a balance between appeasing them and pursuing the freedom he yearns for throughout the novel.

I found the essay persuasive and relevant to some of the inconsistencies and ambiguities in the text. It offers a psychological interpretation that changes the reader’s perspective. Instead of accepting Macon as the villain, it leads me to consider Ruth as the true antagonist of the story. She deprives Macon of his recreated Lincoln’s Heaven, manipulates the feelings of her husband, brother-in-law, and sons, and deceives the reader into believing she’s the victim. Despite Macon still being a cruel oppressor, he is given a backstory beyond what’s narrated in the novel.

The focus doesn’t rest on Macon’s past, except when he describes Lincoln’s Heaven to Milkman. The emotive view of Lincoln’s Heaven from Macon doesn’t justify his actions, but it does garner a modicum of sympathy for him from the reader. My opinion of Pilate remains unchanged. I continue to believe that she has a superior understanding of love. Her trait of self-denial allows her to focus more on others than herself, and she doesn’t require the satisfaction of material possessions or property to recreate Lincoln’s Heaven.

The critical essay has broadened my understanding of the novel. Some scenes that seemed insignificant or trivial to me have been rendered relevant to the plot and conflicts, for instance, Macon’s act of violence on Ruth as she recounts her experience at a wedding. The conclusion of the book also holds greater significance, not merely as Milkman succumbing to society, but as his recognition of his familial past and present.

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