Self Identity
“First off, she cut her hair....Then she tackled the problem of trying to decide how she wanted to live and what was valuable to her” (Morrison 149).
Have u ever looked in the mirror or at a photo of yourself and seen someone you don’t identify with? This is true for me. I know exactly what I look like and what I have looked like in the past, but it’s different when I literally look at myself. In other words, I don’t feel the way I look. I would say I am more accepting and loving of my body than many others. I’m very happy with what I look like for the most part, however when I see a reflection or photo of myself I still think, “that person doesn’t look like the person I know I am on the inside."
In the Song of Solomon, Pilate is a very mystic character. She delivers herself at birth and does not have a navel which isolates her from society. Additionally, her living condition shows that she lacks dependence on others. She is a very independent person which protects her from the decaying values around her. She is also a fearless mother who selflessly devotes herself to others. She is responsible for the safe birth of Milkman and she takes care of her daughter Reba and granddaughter Hagar. Despite Pilate’s boldness and confidence, people discussing her lack of a navel eventually gets to her. She doesn't let it take a negative toll on her life however, she instead uses it to reevaluate herself and her decisions in life. She thinks hard about who she is and what she is doing which allows her to get a better understanding of her true identity.
Have u ever looked in the mirror or at a photo of yourself and seen someone you don’t identify with? This is true for me. I know exactly what I look like and what I have looked like in the past, but it’s different when I literally look at myself. In other words, I don’t feel the way I look. I would say I am more accepting and loving of my body than many others. I’m very happy with what I look like for the most part, however when I see a reflection or photo of myself I still think, “that person doesn’t look like the person I know I am on the inside."
In the Song of Solomon, Pilate is a very mystic character. She delivers herself at birth and does not have a navel which isolates her from society. Additionally, her living condition shows that she lacks dependence on others. She is a very independent person which protects her from the decaying values around her. She is also a fearless mother who selflessly devotes herself to others. She is responsible for the safe birth of Milkman and she takes care of her daughter Reba and granddaughter Hagar. Despite Pilate’s boldness and confidence, people discussing her lack of a navel eventually gets to her. She doesn't let it take a negative toll on her life however, she instead uses it to reevaluate herself and her decisions in life. She thinks hard about who she is and what she is doing which allows her to get a better understanding of her true identity.
I think it's so cool how Pilate is able to use the negative things in her life as momentum to make her a better person. I feel like she is one of, if not the strongest character in the book. She's strong enough to be honest with herself and just doesn't care how other people see it.
ReplyDeleteI really like how you connected the quote with the image of yourself in the mirror. I think that Pilate is very strong because of her past involving the death of her father and the society excluding her for not having a navel. But, she is also very mature than the other characters in the book which makes her very interesting.
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