Kao !

Annie Kao

S06120139

Ms. Carol Tsai

Conceptualizing Black Masculinity in African-American Literature

29 June 2021

Preserving Black Heritage to Attaining Spiritual Freedom in Gaines’s A Lesson Before Dying

and Morrison’s Song of Solomon

Ever since the end of the Civil War, slavery is permanently abolished in America.

Nonetheless, it does not improve the condition of lower-class African Americans. They are

still going through poverty because they do not possess much money to live on themselves.

Therefore, most freed slaves choose to keep working in the plantations they used to stay

which continues the vicious cycle in another form. Besides, the regulations are not mature

enough to protect their rights even in attorneys that are mainly governed by the whites as

Gaines portrays in A Lesson Before Dying. While people’s stereotype toward African Ameri-

cans is not eliminated, many African-American middle-class people abandon their sense of

belonging to their community as Toni Morrison illustrates in Song of Solomon in order to fit

in the white society. Inability to maintain the living condition and to hold the sense of belong-

ing to the community lead to the failure of preserving black heritage. Throughout the history

of African Americans, although writers devote themselves to presenting the suffering of

African Americans, I consider that Ernest J. Gaines and Toni Morrison successfully explore

more on the human psyche, and more importantly, spiritual freedom that one attains after

overcoming traumatic experience. This paper aims to analyze the black heritage in both
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works through the aspects of the black community, white dominance, and quest for identity.

Moreover, to demonstrate how conserving black heritage could link to one’s spiritual free-

dom and to reconcile with oneself.

I suggest that abandoning the sense of belonging to the community is identical to de-

stroy black heritage. From the perspective of Grant, readers are able to see a common and

cynical viewpoint toward their community, that many African Americans lose their sense of

belonging to their culture and are not aware of the importance of preserving black heritage.

At the beginning of the story, Grant refuses to go to the trial and reluctantly teaches Jefferson

are also because of his disappointment toward this injustice society (Gaines 31). He is heavily

influenced by his teacher, Matthew Antoine, and does not believe that education could bring

hope to the next generation (62). Nonetheless, after he starts to care for Jefferson and per-

ceives the progress of educating him, Grant retrieves his sense of belonging. He does not

change Jefferson only by himself but also receives support from the community such as

Thelma, the owner of the Rainbow Club lending him the money for a new radio without ask-

ing (174). In addition, the three supporting women, Tante Lou, Miss Emma, and Vivian stand

for the resilience of the black community as well. Although they know that they are not able

to stop Jefferson’s sentence, they recognize the significance of standing still and not yielding

to ideology. As for Jefferson, he is depressed by the inequality that remains in society. How-

ever, he gradually recalls that he is a human being rather than a hog after he receives help

from the community, including Grant, Reverend Ambrose, and Grant’s students. He knows

that he is not the only one that fighting against society and eventually appreciates the lesson

he obtains from the community to face his death. For the black community, Jefferson and

Grant are their representatives to remind society of their strength and dignity. While Grant is
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teaching Jefferson how to stand like a man, he is also recollecting his racial pride through ed-

ucation, love from others, and religion. He definitely becomes a hero that inspires Jefferson

and other students to present their sense of belonging, potential ability, and to maintain black

heritage (191).

While A Lesson Before Dying represents the lower-class African Americans that do

not acquire sufficient wealth, status, and power, Macon Dead II in Song of Solomon symbol-

izes the excessive materialism of middle-class people as a survival mechanism to fit in the

society by relinquishing his sense of belonging to the black community. Recalling his memo-

ry of his family and holding pride in his community is meaningless to him that never wants to

achieve. His memory is a self-enclosed prison and he could only rely on materials to survive.

Without a sense of belonging, Macon Dead II reminds himself of a successful man by flexing

his luxurious car, showing off the beauty of her daughter, and despising others (Morrison 31).

He teaches Milkman to “own things. And let the things you own own other things. Then

you’ll own yourself and other people too” (55). Besides, he does not have sympathy toward

the poor tenants that are unable to pay for his high rents. The whole community hates Macon

Dead II for being such a selfish person, so do Milkman and his sisters. On the other hand,

Milkman always expects himself to be the opposite of his father, however, he does not strive

for independence from his family and his mistreatment of Hagar explains that he is a shallow

person as well (56). Nevertheless, after he steps on his journey to search for the history of his

family, he realizes that his great-grandfather, Solomon, has the ability to fly (264). For Milk-

man, memory is not a self-imposed prison, it is a method that leads to self-empowerment and

self-emancipation. Moreover, he learns this lesson from Pilate too. Pilate is a powerful and

selfless woman that initially understands the importance of black heritage by preserving her
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name in an earring (19). As her father constantly tells her “you just can’t fly off and leave a

body,” the spiritual freedom that she illustrates is what the black community highly values

(147). Pilate’s death illuminates Milkman and Macon Dead II how recognizing roots could

help one find a sense of belonging to the community.

When it comes to black heritage, it is inevitable to discuss the threaten received from

white dominance. Although African Americans are reluctant to mention the dehumanization

that it brings about, white dominance is an inseparable aspect in constructing black heritage.

Apart from the injustice white attorney that demonstrates in A Lesson Before Dying, the in-

sufficient and segregated education received in the primary school that Grant works is anoth-

er example of white dominance. Grant is teaching his students reading, writing, and arith-

metic under the permission of the whites (13). Education is not a way of self-emancipation

under their control, not to mention that not many people like Grant go to university to reach

higher education. Most of them are forced to be exploited in working place at such a young

age for survival. While Dr. Joseph is visiting the school, his only concern is the physical con-

dition of their future labor (58). He ignores Grant’s request for more materials and support to

learn and refers to the students as “crops” instead of human beings (56). According to the

white stereotype, that does not believe that African Americans possess equal intelligence, and

accuse them of laziness. The reason why the whites permit Grant to teach students because

they assure that educating blacks does not pose any threat to them. Furthermore, Henri Pichot

also represents white dominance in the story. As a plantation owner, he always considers

African Americans as inferior beings. Even though slavery is abolished after the Civil War, he

makes them go through the back door implies his arrogance and superiority. He even bets

with his friend that Jefferson is going to commit suicide before the execution day (229). His

inhumane and abominable acts exemplify white dominance in the most extreme way. Yet,
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Gaines does not want to intensify the hatred between the two communities, the presence of

Paul, a white deputy sheriff, embodies that mutual understanding is the only way to reach

spiritual freedom when he says he is a witness of Jefferson and Grant’s transformation (256).

Not only whites should eradicate their stereotype of African Americans, but also the black

community should not keep victimizing themselves and lose faith in their community.

Morrison portrays white dominance through the names of the surroundings. The Not

Doctor Street is originated from Doctor Street in order to commemorate colored doctors that

live around there (4). Yet, Doctor Street is not accepted by the whites, the town maps register

the street as Mains Avenue instead. The power of naming is in the hand of the white authori-

ty. In addition, No Mercy Hospital does not admit African-American women to receive med-

ical treatment. The only exception in this hospital, Ruth is able to deliver Milkman is due to

the chaos that Mr. Smith’s suicide creates (5). The two examples extensively show how white

dominance interferes with the establishment of black heritage. On the contrary, Guitar and his

organization, Seven Days is another form of black violence competing with white dominance.

Although Guitar is traumatized by witnessing his father’s death and unsatisfied with the mis-

treatment that African Americans suffering from, he should not justify his violence as salva-

tion for his community (61).“Everybody wants the life of a black man. Everybody. White

men want us dead or quiet—which is the same thing as dead. White women, same thing.

They want us, you know, ‘universal,’ human, no ‘race consciousness’” (222). His retaliatory

hatred toward all white people is meaningless and nothing different from white dominance.

Morrison suggests that violence is not the ultimate method to eliminate racial discrimination.

Violence abets the misunderstanding between the two communities. What Gaines and Morri-

son indicate is the importance of recording white dominance through black heritage and
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reaching mutual understanding, no matter how hard African Americans reject this part of his-

tory.

I would say that the quest for identity is the most crucial part of analyzing black her-

itage. As Magill states that, “Gaines constructs an alternate masculinity as a way of empower-

ing the African-American male through a return to inward dignity and dynamic

identity” (13). While Grant is educating Jefferson, the identity he recollects is based on the

sense of belonging to black heritage. He used to be a cynical and selfish person that believes

in the theory of “broken males” (167). He does not want to endure the burden of the high ex-

pectation from his community. Meanwhile, he gradually becomes a man that learns to display

his dignity, identity, and love for others through his reconstructed masculinity (192). He starts

to communicate with Jefferson and buys whatever he needs such as radio and ice cream. The

lesson that he is teaching Jefferson is echoing with his true self. The allegory of the drifting

wood is suitable for everyone, which explains that self-education and finding identity is the

goal of our lives. Grant ultimately embodies the black heritage through his quest for finding

his reconstructed identity. Moreover, though Jefferson is executed at the end of the story, he

finally proves that Grant’s effort is meaningful. He no longer internalizes self-hatred as being

a hog. In his diary, he writes that “i been shakin an shakin but im gon stay strong” which

manifests his resilience and perseverance (233). He appreciates Grant to teach him that he is

someone that deserves respect and destroys the superiority of the whites. Jefferson is a figure

that symbolizes spiritual freedom and reconciling with himself through the quest of retrieving

his identity.

Song of Solomon surrounded with the images of flight, from Mr. Smith’s failure to

Milkman’s flying represents the quest for identity. For Mr. Smith, the flight is an escape from
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the imprisonment of African Americans, while Milkman regards this as spiritual freedom. Af-

ter the journey of visiting Shalimar, Milkman becomes a more sympathetic, independent, and

selfless person. He recognizes his selfishness and indifference to others in the past and he has

transformed into a person that voluntarily helping an old white man without reward (298).

The power behind naming makes him realize “when you know your name, you should hang

on to it, for unless it is noted down and remembered, it will die when you do” (329). Both of

his names, Macon Dead III and Milkman reflect his identity, while the latter is a recognition

of the dehumanizing slavery, the latter reminds him of his mother. He is able to understand

the meaning of black heritage and Guitar’s suffering, therefore, he asks Guitar whether he

wants his life, and “surrenders to the air and rides it” (337). Thus, I disagree with what Dore-

athea Drummond Mbalia discusses in her article “Song of Solomon: The Struggle for Race

and Class Consciousness,” she indicates that Milkman surrenders to exploitation and oppres-

sion because he could not provide any solution to the situation. Yet, I suggest that Milkman

chooses to fly because he has accomplished his mission of finding identity and root. There is

no need to fight against his best friend. Milkman has become a selfless person that knows his

name will be part of history like the song of Solomon does. Toni Morrison exquisitely utilizes

the metaphor of flight to propose that quest for identity is indispensable in collecting black

heritage, moreover, the spiritual freedom it brings about is a lifelong lesson for African Amer-

icans to pursue and cherish.

In sum, A Lesson Before Dying and Song of Solomon address how black heritage can

be preserved through the aspects of a sense of belonging to the community, white dominance,

and the quest for identity. Grant and Jefferson eventually retrieve their sense of belonging

while educating each other to reconstruct their identity and hold racial pride. As for Macon

Dead II and Milkman, they relinquish their excessive materialism and selfishness by recog-
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nizing their roots and the power of names. While white dominance is an unchangeable fact in

consisting of black heritage, it is more essential to reach mutual understanding through the

case of Paul. Besides, Guitar presents how retaliatory hatred toward others is as toxic as

white dominance. Moreover, though Jefferson and Milkman sacrifice themselves to reach

spiritual freedom through their quest for identity, they are able to reconcile with themselves

and society. Thus, Gaines and Morrison successfully achieve to deliver the essence of

African-American literature, to remind us how preserving one’s heritage could attain spiritual

freedom.
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Works Cited

Gaines, Earnest J. A Lesson Before Dying. 1st ed. New York: Vintage, 1994.

Magill, David E. ""Make Him a Man": Black Masculinity and Communal Identity in Ernest

J. Gaines's A Lesson Before Dying." Studies in the Literary Imagination, vol. 49 no. 1,

2016, p. 61-76. Project MUSE, doi:10.1353/sli.2016.0005.

Mbalia, Doreatha Drummond. " Song of Solomon: The Struggle for Race and Class Con

sciousness." Harold Bloom. ed. Toni morrison's Song of Solomon. New Delhi: Viva

Books Private Lmitited. 2007. p.125-140.

Morrison, Toni. Song of Solomon. New York: Vintage, 2004.