Let's Be Honest

“Let me tell you something, Macon IV”, says Milkman, signaling his son to come over. “A long time ago, I thought if one was to be happy in life, they would have to have some money in their pocket like your grandpa, but repeatedly, when I searched for it, somehow I was never able to find freedom.”                 As we journey with Milkman on his quest through 20 th century America, he relies on others to maintain his life, like a child. Milkman Dead hardly ever “acted independently”, and when he did, hitting his father, it brought “unwanted knowledge and some responsibility” (120). Milkman shied away from growing up because it required too much of him, realizing this fact at the age of fourteen. At that time, he diagnosed himself with a “deformity”, having “one leg shorter than the other” (62). Morrison symbolizes Milkman’s lack of maturity through the visual representation of his leg. For a long time, the ...

I can almost envision it in my head. The gracefully aged Milkman strolls care-free into Tommy’s barber shop on a brisk morning. All the men are discussing various news. Almost as if the world fits comfortably into his hand, Milkman speaks with an air of high class, but he doesn’t seem to grasp the difference between him and the man sitting next to him. This man struggles to live with the burden of society suppressing his dreams and aspirations of a better life, like Milkman’s.   Mr. Smith of North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance knows he will not succeed in his dream of “flying from Mercy to the other side of Lake Superior”, yet he attempts to just that. At first, the descent seems like blatant suicide, but Toni Morrison explains the episode in a different light. Because “the next day a colored baby was born inside Mercy for the first time”, without the sacrifice of this man, Milkman Dead would have never been able live with his many privileges. Mr. Smith was like the Civil Rights...

In National Treasure, Ben Gates (Nicholas Cage) must steal the Declaration of Independence to keep it away from the wrong hands. As he looks at the age-old document with a pair of spectacles, new and unique images appear on the parchment. As he flips through the many lenses, the image continues to transform. Similarly, analyzing literature through different lenses equips us with knowledge that can be applied to our own lives and shape our thoughts. Great Gatsby has long been held a perfect representation of the 1920s, yet it fails to give credit to African Americans who contributed greatly to the societal precedents set forth. As one interprets the book with the African American lens, it becomes apparent that Fitzgerald makes a deliberate effort to avoid confrontation with black characters and their significance. For example, Gatsby’s parties are accompanied by jazz music, a genre introduced by African Americans, but Nick says that the band played music by “Vladimir Tostoff”, clea...