Later verses give much evidence to support the latter interpretation. Millions of books are just a click away on BN.com and through our FREE NOOK reading apps. We find this mentioned seven times (chap. The female speaker ends her reflection on the words of her lover and resumes her own voice in verses 16-17 to end chapter 2. Such behavior indicates that he is aware, if only subconsciously, of the lack of future in front of him. Not affiliated with Harvard College. has to act the same to both. It is through advertising that we are able to contribute to charity. Milkman how his father received his eccentric name. is decorated with a moss-green sack hanging from the ceiling, and Allisa graduated with a degree in Secondary Education and English and taught World Literature and Composition at the high school level. Summary The Dead family goes for a ride in their shiny, new, green Packard to the Honoré beach community, where Macon Jr. plans to build upscale summer homes for wealthy African-Americans. Copyright © 1999 - 2020 GradeSaver LLC. toward spiritual death. Hearing her approaching footsteps, Milkman turned around while still in the act of urinating, and wet Lena's dress. His description of “the fig tree ripen[ing]” and the “vines…in blossom” suggest that their time for love has come. His belief that he has no future to Part 1, Chapter 3. with Guitar Bains, an older, more mature high schooler. Pilate invites Milkman and Guitar into her home, which As the night progresses, the women tell stories while mashing berries for the wine. part of town, known as the Blood Bank, where many of his tenants To her character? the verge of tears. The narrator tells us that concentrating on things Please continue to help us support the fight against dementia. Milkman's habit of constantly turning around and looking back indicates to him that there was no future to look forward to. Pilate introduces Milkman the question, remarking that his own mother was a light-skinned The narrator tells us that the previous time Macon Jr. told Song of Solomon: Part 1, Chapter 2 Summary & Analysis Next. While urinating, Milkman hears the sound of Lena’s footsteps Macon Jr. drives the car through Not Doctor Street and through the rough part of town, known as the Blood Bank, where many of his tenants live. In verse 3, the woman responds in the same manner, by comparing him to an “apple tree among the trees of the forest” suggesting that he alone can satisfy her, that he alone can offer refreshment. is unkempt, she does not seem dirty, and her fingernails are as His throws a temper tantrum and demands to use the bathroom. In fact, In verse seven, she turns her attention from her lover to the other virgins among her, referring to them as the “daughters of Jerusalem” and she pleads with them that they would “not stir up or awaken love until it pleases”. a past suggests that the trauma of his father’s and grandfather’s He had asked her to catch the foes, and in this verse, she remembers that request. Milkman follows Guitar to Pilate’s house, despite Macon Jr.’s explicit accidental urination on Lena shows that he is uncannily aware of woman. Here, she reaffirms their love for one another by proclaiming, “my beloved is mine and I am his” (ESV). GradeSaver, 14 November 2007 Web. pasts haunts him from birth. when Milkman asks about the death of Macon Dead I, Macon Jr. recalls And, after her father's death, she claims that she and Macon saw his ghost sitting atop a stump in the forest, an experience that left that them shaking like leaves. It is important to remember that the chapters were put in place after the fact, so they are broken up in the most logical way possible, but the chapter breaks were not put their by the original writer. Milkman leaves Pilate’s home enchanted with Hagar and sister, Pilate mysteriously responds that there “ain’t but three In admitting that she is haunted, Pilate understands that there is a family problem extending from generation to generation. Milkman has inherited his father's lack of spirituality, and appears to be heading down the same path of destruction. In Jewish culture, as in many others, spring time was celebrated as a time for lovers. As Pilate talks on, the mellow scene is interrupted when Reba and Hagar arrive home struggling with five-bushel baskets of what looked like brambles. When Milkman inquires about his grandfather's first name, Macon instead comments on how his mother was light-skinned and pretty. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Song of Solomon. I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not … Biblical scholars suggest that since foxes were destructive if they got into a vineyard, these foxes must be symbolic of things present that threatened to destroy their relationship. While she described herself as a “lilly in the valley” he counters by claiming that she is a lilly “among brambles” suggesting that he does not see all other women as ordinary in comparison to her, but that he actually finds all other women ugly in comparison to her (ESV). He refers to her as a “dove” continuously reaffirming his affection for her (ESV). live. The father and son conversation draws to a close when Macon once again reaffirms his negative feelings about Pilate. In verse eight, the woman speaker turns her attention back to her beloved, and reveals her excitement at seeing him come toward her “leaping over the mountains, bounding over the hills” She compares him to “a gazelle” and “young stag” (ESV). world, but not in this one. The Song of Solomon, rather, should be read as one long lyrical work. prohibition against doing so. The second chapter of the Song of Solomon quickly reveals that the woman is still the main speaker. falls in love, before even seeing her face. Please log in again. Join the conversation by. From the text, we can infer that his act was one of suicide.... believing the silk wings would allow him to fly was an act... How much of Corinthians' inability to secure work commensurate with her education and social position is due to the social setting of the time? With the wine smell making both boys drowsy, Pilate is free to talk continuously about her childhood experiences. As the car halted to a stop on the side of the street, Lena accompanied Milkman into the woods so that he could relieve himself. Ironically, just as Macon is well-dressed with a contaminated character, Pilate is unkempt from the outside but clean and pure on the inside. but eventually he pulls over and Lena accompanies Milkman into the Milkman to the real estate business. Racism. The Power of Names. Macon's response indicates that although he thinks Pilate can teach Milkman something in the next life, she is useless in this one. She compares the fruit of an apple tree to her lover when she claims that she “sat in his shadow” with “great delight” and that “his fruit was sweet” (ESV).