Milkman's Quest for Gold

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In Song of Solomon, we see Milkman go on a quest for Pilate's gold. Arguably, for him, it was never really about the gold, but about gaining a sense of independence and a better understanding of who he is. First of all, there was little evidence to support the fact that Pilate's gold was actually in Virginia, or that she ever had it in the first place. Yet Milkman still readily leaves his hometown and ventures out on his own for something he is not even sure will be there. He does not care as much about the gold as he does about leaving the familiarity of his home and exploring the unknown. He wants to gain a sense of independence and establish a name for himself rather than simply being known as Macon Dead's Son. During Milkman's quest, he also gets a chance to learn more about his own family history. When he arrives in Pennsylvania, he is surprised to find that people actually think of Macon Dead fondly, and it fills him with joy. His entire life, Milkman has been used to his father's name being said with hatred, but now his family was being celebrated. As he talks to Reverend Cooper, he is able to find out more about his grandfather's life and his relationship with Milkman's father. Through gaining a better understanding of his own family, Milkman is slowly able to have a better understanding of himself. Additionally, when he no longer has his father's wealth to hide behind, he realizes what a sheltered life he has been living. Milkman has no choice but to reflect on himself and the kind of person he is. We finally get to see him admit all of his mistakes and flaws. For Milkman, the real "gold" is not actually gold, but a sense of individuality and independence from his father as well as a greater understanding of his familial roots and a clearer idea of who he is. In that sense, his quest is successful, as he is able to return home feeling much more secure about himself.
His journey may have originally been about actual gold, but ultimately Milkman goes on this quest in order to gain a stronger understanding of himself and a sense of independence outside of his father's shadow. 

Comments

  1. AnnaDecember 19, 2018 at 2:39 PM

    This is a good interpretation. However I think that Milkman never truly accounted for his mistakes. At the end of the book all the things Lena said about him are still valid. He still doesn't full appreciate the things his family has done for him. He doesn't apologize to his sisters or mother, or even say that what he did was wrong. He is still obsessed about his distant family, searching for that "gold". He doesn't fully appreciate the family he has around him. So although he does grow it nowhere near the amount he should have.

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  2. Jenna LeeDecember 20, 2018 at 5:52 PM

    I agree with Anna, in that while he does grow tremendously, he still has flaws and seems very one-track minded. Although I'm not sure how much more we could have realistically expected Milkman to grow up, it definitely feels like maybe his character arc isn't quite finished yet.

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  3. Neha AluruDecember 21, 2018 at 7:04 PM

    While I agree with you that Milkman’s quest was more about learning about himself than finding the actual gold, I do think there were other factors that also played a role in his self-discovery. Specifically, I think his relationship with Guitar taught him a lot about racism and culture that also played a role in learning about the environment he lives in.

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  4. Nic RamkumarDecember 26, 2018 at 2:08 PM

    I feel like your point about Milkman's quest being more about self-discovery than getting gold is supported by the fact that he doesn't ask Guitar to come with him. When he initially goes to steal the gold from Pilate, he brings Guitar along. It would make sense to take again Guitar with him the second time around since Milkman doesn't have much in the way of practical skills, but Milkman instead opts to do it alone. I think this is emblematic of his goal from the beginning lowkey not even being about gold.

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  5. AdamJanuary 4, 2019 at 2:11 PM

    I agree that Milkman's quest to Virginia possibly wasn't about finding Pilate's gold, but rather finding a sense of independence (and in the process learning all sorts of things about his family's history). Though, it's interesting to think about the defining single moment in the novel where we, as the reader, now see Milkman as a new man. Is it when Milkman proclaims that the Song of Solomon is "his" song, or when Milkman jumps off the cliff at the end of the novel to ride the air, or is there no such moment in the whole novel?

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