Song of Solomon

Chapter 2 begins with a flashback to Milkman’s childhood, when the whole family went on their regular Sunday afternoon drive in their luxury car, this time to Honoré, a beach community. The daughters, Lena and Corinthians, ask why they are going to Honoré because they think only White people own beach houses. Macon explains that he is interested in buying property because he predicts a beach community for Black people will soon develop and thrive there.

When Milkman is 12, he meets Guitar, who is a few years older and will become his closest friend. Guitar introduces Milkman to Pilate, Milkman’s aunt, even though Macon has forbidden Milkman from seeing her. Pilate tells Milkman about her childhood, remembering Milkman’s father as a loving boy who cared for her after she was born. Their mother died right before Pilate was born; their father was shot when Pilate was 12 and Milkman was 16.

Milkman also meets Pilate’s daughter Reba and granddaughter Hagar. The women show the boys how they make wine from berries. Milkman enjoys his time with the women, thinking that “it was the first time in his life that he remembered being completely happy” (47). He feels more at home with these three women than he does at home with his parents and two sisters.

Macon is outraged when Freddie tells him that Milkman has spent time at Pilate’s house. When Macon confronts Milkman for breaking his rules against going to her house, Milkman protests that he doesn’t understand why he can’t visit his aunt’s house. Macon then reminisces about his childhood, telling Milkman about where he grew up. His father owned 150 acres of land, a farm he called Lincoln’s Heaven, and Macon grew up working the land alongside his father, which Macon remembers with fondness.

Macon explains that his father’s name, also Macon Dead, was a result of miscommunication. In 1869 Macon’s father, a former slave, had to register with the Freedmen’s Bureau, and when a drunk man recorded his name, he confused the father’s answers about his birthplace (Macon) and the fact that his father was dead, recording those two answers as the father’s name.

Macon then warns his son about Pilate, saying she is “a snake, and can charm you like a snake, but still a snake” (54). Macon then tells Milkman that it’s time Milkman starts working at his real estate office.

Macon begins working for his father, collecting rent from his father’s tenants. Macon is happy to have a stronger influence over his son and delighted that his wife no longer has as much influence over Milkman. By the end of World War II, Macon’s real estate business is doing well.

When Milkman is 22, he fights his father when Macon threatens his mother over a seemingly trivial incident. Although Macon has verbally and physically abused Ruth all Milkman’s life, Milkman is now old and big enough to challenge his father. Milkman threatens, “You touch her again, one more time, and I’ll kill you” (67). Macon is shocked by this role reversal but takes pride in how his son asserts himself.

Later that night, Macon confronts Milkman. He explains why he treats Ruth the way he does despite Milkman protesting that he doesn’t need to hear any of it. Macon explains that Ruth’s father always looked down on Macon, who disapproved of how Ruth’s father delivered all of their children. He recalls, “I ended up telling him that nothing could be nastier than a father delivering his own daughter’s baby” (71). Macon’s feelings of anger and jealousy rose when Dr. Foster refused to loan him money to develop land that was about to increase in value substantially.

Later, on Dr. Foster’s deathbed, Macon discovered Ruth lying naked on the bed, kissing her dead father’s fingers. Macon was ready to kill her, but “she talked [him] out of killing her” (74). Macon tells Milkman all this so he can understand some of the context for Macon’s feelings and behavior toward Ruth.

Shocked, Milkman leaves the house, thinking about everything his father said. He suddenly has a memory that he believes confirms his mother’s inappropriate behavior; he remembers her nursing him when he was way past the age to be nursing. This memory disorients him, and he seeks his friend Guitar for help. He finds Guitar at the barbershop with several others as they listen to the news that a 14-year-old Black boy from Chicago, Emmett Till, was murdered in Mississippi for supposedly whistling at a White woman. The men discuss the killing, wondering if the newspapers will even pay attention to the boy’s murder and wondering if there will be any justice for the boy’s death.

Guitar eventually leaves with Milkman to get a drink, and Milkman tells Guitar that he fought with his father. He doesn’t tell Guitar the details of his father’s story, but Guitar understands that Macon’s revelations have greatly upset Milkman. Guitar tries to empathize with Milkman, eventually urging him to forget about whatever Macon said.