Essay on Names in Song of Solomon -- Song Solomon essays

The Importance of Names in Song of Solomon Abstract In Toni Morrisons Song of Solomon, names have enceinte implication. Language is extremely personal and profoundly rooted in culture. Names are an integral part of language, and they help to establish identity, define personality, and show ownership through formal and informal usage. Tis but thy name that is my enemy / Thou art thyself, though not a Montague. / Whats Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot, / Nor arm, nor face, nor any former(a) part / Belonging to a man. O, be some other name / Whats in a name? that which we call a rose / By any other name would smell as sweet / So Romeo would, were he not Romeo calld, / Retain that dear perfection which he owes / Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name, / And for that name which is no part of thee / Take all myself. -William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet. In the play Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare claims that a name is just a name that it has no real significance. I ndividual names and the names of cultural and racial groups can be very influential, however, as Malcolm X explains in his On Afro-American History, So theyll say whites, Puerto Ricans and Negroes. Pick up on that. Thats a drag, brothers. White is legitimate. It means what color they are. Puerto Ricans tell you that theyre something else, came from somewhere else, but theyre here now. Negro doesnt tell you anything (16). In Toni Morrisons Song of Solomon, which describes the tribulations faced by an African American family attempting to define and find themselves, names have great implication. Language is extremely personal and deeply rooted in culture. Names are an integral part... ...d many important lessons about his past as well. It was affirmable to see the transformation from materialistic to concerned that Milkman underwent. By coming to terms with his roots, Milkman was able to become whole to become comfortable with who and what he was. Knowledge is power, and having a n ame and a history are two of the most powerful things one could have. Works Cited and Consulted Bloom, Harold, ed. Modern Critical Views Toni Morrison. New York Chelsea House Publishing, 1990. Malcolm X. On Afro-American History. Audubon Ballroom, Harlem. 24 Jan 1965. Middleton, David. Toni Morrisons Fiction Contemporary Criticism. New York Garland, 1997. Morrison, Toni. Song of Solomon. New York Plume, 1987. Shakespeare, William. Romeo & Juliet. ed. Jane Backman. Lincolnwood NTC Publishing Group, 1994.