Song of Solomon Chapter 12 - 15
Milkman visits the house of the Byrd family where he meets Susan Byrd, who seems to be reluctant to invite him into the house either because of Milkman’s dark skin or because she is entertaining a friend. Milkman explains that he is visiting the Byrd family to find out information about his grandmother, Sing. Grace, Susan’s friend asks Susan to invite Milkman into the house, and Susan then tells him that she had heard her father’s sister had been called Sing. She had later learned that Sing had eloped from home and had struck out on her own by boarding a wagon since she had wished to separate herself from the identity of her family. She explained that Sing might have wanted to identify herself as white, and so chose to leave her family behind, even though her mother, Heddy, had tried her best to relocate Sing. Milkman leaves behind his watch at the Byrd family’s home and leaves disappointed for meeting a dead end.
Milkman leaves the house with a plethora of questions as he wonders what had caused his grandmother to leave her home, and what had driven her to be fond of the surname Dead rather than Byrd. He also continues to experience a kinship for the people of Shalimar even though he is unable to conclusively establish that his ancestors came from the same region. He meets a calm Guitar as he is returning to town, and his friend explains that he saw him loading a crate in the freight yard some time ago. Guitar believes that Milkman has already discovered the gold, and has chosen to have it shipped to Virginia. Guitar now believes that Milkman has betrayed him along with the Seven Days since the money from the gold would have gone into fulfilling the objectives of the organization. Milkman is unable to convince Guitar of the truth and the two friends leave one another with an undercurrent of unease.
Milkman spends another night with Sweet and has a pleasant dream about flying in the air. The following day, Milkman listens to the local children sing a rhyme and he begins to examine his own life. Milkman realizes that he has behaved unfairly toward Pilate, Hagar, and his parents. As he is listening to the children sing the rhyme, Milkman begins to realize that the rhyme describes an important event in his family history as he hears mention of his grandmother’s name, as well as Heddy Byrd, and their Native American Heritage. He decides that Susan Byrd had purposefully chosen to hide certain facts from him which would require him to return to see her, and he also needed to retrieve the watch that he had left at her home.
The author shifts focus to Hagar, who tries to kill Milkman with a knife but fails to hurt him. Milkman leaves her standing in the doorway and she is found standing with a raised knife by Guitar. He takes her back to her house, but on the way there, he lectures her about being too dependent on Milkman. He asks her if she would ever truly fall in love with someone who was nothing without their lover. He claims that Pilate and Reba have spoiled her by giving in to all her whims, which has made her believe that she will get whatever she wants in the world. At home, Reba and Pilate attempt to do everything in their power to restore Hagar to her old jubilant self but without success. Hagar begins to believe that Milkman no longer loves her because of her appearance, so she decides that she needs new clothes, and cosmetics to change her appearance as per Milkman’s preferences.
Hagar heads to the mall with the money that Reba gets from pawning a diamond ring. Hagar buys several new clothes, and cosmetics and schedules an appointment with a salon. All of Hagar’s new purchases are ruined by rain and mud when her shopping bags split open as she takes them home. Hagar seems to be oblivious to their condition as she puts on the ripped and muddy clothes, and uses the ruined makeup. She presents herself to her waiting family and sees the mess she has become reflected in their eyes. Hagar dies soon after this incident.
Ruth receives money from Macon Jr for Hagar’s funeral, and Ruth arrives at the funeral service to find both Pilate and Reba missing. Pilate soon arrives, and sings a hymn about mercy with Reba, as she lovingly refers to Hagar as her baby girl. Pilate ends her song with a declaration that Hagar had been loved in life.
Milkman returns to Susan’s home and confronts her with the knowledge that Sing had never been married. Susan reveals that she had chosen not to share all the details of her family’s history in front of her friend Grace as she did not wish for the facts to become common knowledge. She tells him that Sing had left home with Jake whom she refers to as one of Solomon’s flying African children. She explains how an urban legend existed about a man called Solomon who had said to father 21 children, the youngest of whom was called Jake. It was said that some African slaves were able to fly back home to Africa and that Solomon had been one such man. She tells him how Solomon had once taken off from a field where he had been with his youngest son, Jake, and his wife Ryna. He had attempted to take his son with him, but Jake had fallen out of his father’s arms and had been found by Heddy. It was said that Ryna had gone insane at being abandoned, and so she could not take care of her son. This meant that Heddy raised both Jake and her daughter, Sing, both of whom had never known about their fathers. Milkman asks about his watch, but Susan claims that Grace has it and is probably telling everyone that she has been given it as a gift by the nice black man from the north.
Milkman begins his journey to return home but his car suffers a breakdown and he is forced to take a bus. Milkman is ecstatic at having learned of his ancestor’s ability to fly without a plane, and wonders at the significance of names as well as their origins. He returns home and visits Pilate, whom he greets with open arms, but she returns his welcome by hitting him in the head with a glass bottle. Milkman then wakes up tied in Pilate’s basement and he reasons that Hagar has died. He understands that he is to blame for Hagar’s death, and has an epiphany about the bones that Pilate has been carrying around in the green sack. He realizes that the bones belong to his grandfather who wished for Pilate to bury his bones. He tells her about his journey, and the facts he had uncovered about his ancestors. He shares the knowledge with his mother, who experiences relief, and with his father, who wishes for him to retell the stories over and over again.
Pilate and Milkman journey to Solomon’s leap, a landmark in Shalimar, where they create a grave for Macon’s bones. Pilate also creates a shallow hook for the earring with her name and puts it in the hole, and a shot rings out. Pilate collapses from being hit, and Milkman realizes that Guitar has shot her dead. Milkman holds Pilate as she passes away, and he sings at her request. Milkman then gets up and confronts Guitar, and he learns what the people of Shalimar had always claimed: “If you surrendered to the air, you could ride it.”
Analysis
In the final section of the novel, the author connects the themes of flight and that of abandoned women by relating the tale of the flying African, Solomon. Susan Byrd adopts the role of a storyteller as she combines elements of African folk tales along with those of traditional family history. In the story, Solomon flies to Africa leaving behind his wife, Ryna, who wails at losing him and loses his sanity. These themes are then further developed through the story of Hagar’s abandonment and her consequent death. The reader witnesses Guitar admonishing Hagar for being spoiled by her grandmother, and mother, who have done their utmost to give Hagar all that she has ever desired. The author reinforces this viewpoint through Pilate’s mourning at Hagar’s funeral, wherein she continually refers to her as her baby girl. This reinforces the view that Hagar had been infantilized by her guardians who had failed to inculcate a level of maturity and resilience in their charge.
In the end, Guitar brings death to Pilate as the two aspects of his personality battle over Milkman’s fate. A part of guitar blames Milkman for his failure in finding a means to fulfill the Seven Days plan, but another part of him remembers the camaraderie that they have always shared. The author represents this duality in his character even in their last interaction as Guitar greets Milkman fondly as “My Man,” seconds after attempting to kill him. Milkman’s desire for flight, one that he has nursed since infancy, is finally fulfilled through his reconnection with the ancestral roots of his family. In its final moments, the book reveals a deep connection between the theme of flight, which could also be seen as liberty, and the theme of identity.
