as the world turns

The shame that blacks experienced for living in America could not be more apparent in Song of Solomon .  In a discussion between Milkman and Ms. Byrd, it is said that Milkman’s grandmother had been “too dark to pass” (Morrison 292) as a white, and that Susan Byrd “actually blushed [as] though she’d discovered something shameful about him.” This goes to show that blacks would try to pass as whites in order to escape the injustice and cruelty faced by the oppression of white citizens. The fact that these innocent people are being diminished to less of a person due to the color of their skin is truly abhorrent. America is built upon life, liberty and the  pursuit of happiness; however, when these people have been and are being stripped of their innate rights, these “unalienable” freedoms seem to contradict themselves. For example, Michael Brown, a black 18-year-old from Missouri, was shot at least 6 times and killed by a white police officer simply because he was accused of r...

Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison is a true coming-of-age story. The reader is guided through Milkman’s life as he sees it. The reader experiences his struggles and his realizations along with him throughout the novel. Eventually, he progresses from being an immature teenager to a righteous man with a sense of direction in life. In part one of the book, Milkman’s life from when he was born to when he was about 35 is depicted. Throughout these 35 years, Milkman is illustrated as someone whose life is essentially purposeless and empty. After all, he’s been living in the same city forever and everyone he knows is simply using him for his life, as Guitar puts it. He is stuck with his father's materialistic values and arrogance and his mother’s ignorance towards everyone and everything. As a result, he is greatly selfish and indifferent, lacks all respect for women, and relies heavily on materialistic goods because he perceives himself as one who is inferior to others both economically ...

Song of Solomon was written in 1977. Right now, it is 2017 (obviously). 40 whole years, and the disgusting idea of objectifying women has not budged even a bit. In Song of Solomon , when Reba and Hagar were walking in, Milkman was so awestruck with Hagar that “he had no need to see her face [because] he had already fallen in love with her behind” (Morrison 43). Within just a few seconds, he had the audacity to think he had fallen in love with her without even saying a single word to her. Sad enough, this is still the case in some situations today. Objectification of women has been, is, and will continue to be prevalent in society unless a change is made. Women are often dehumanized by men even today. Social media, TV shows, and news broadcasts often depict a misleading portrayal of women. With perfect bodies, models are seen as the ideal image of a women. They have the perfect lifestyle…right? Think again. According to a Model Alliance survey in 2012, 64.1% of models have been ask...

Something we all know is that life is hard to define. To me, metaphors are the only viable form of grasping the true definition of the word due to its unfathomable meaning. I like to think about it in this way: my swimming career has taught me something deeper…something richer in meaning than simply swimming. Standing at the blocks, ready to begin my race, is the beginning of a new opportunity, a new day in life. I get up on the block ready to dive in - head first. When I dive, momentum pulls me straight down to the bottom of the pool. But I realize I have to keep going and push myself just like one has to push through the painful aspects of life, through the obstacles, and through the hardships. Each lane is the path one takes to reach the final destination. Each stroke is each step one takes to hit the final target. Each flip turn is the change in direction, a change in your lifestyle, for the better or for the worse. Each breath is the energy radiated by the positivity and love o...