Character Analysis of Pilate in Song of Solomon, a Novel by Toni Morrison

Natural Imagery

Toni Morrison uses nature and natural imagery to characterize Pilate as a down to earth person because rather than chastising Milkman and Guitar, she welcomed them into her house in order to explicate the story of her life. The kids were more inclined to "...go inside the wine house of this lady who had one earring, no navel, and looked like a tall black tree" (Morrison pg. 39). The author compares Pilate's appearance and height to a tall black tree using simile. Trees are always grounded and deeply rooted. The fact that the tree is tall and deeply rooted indicate the ability to envision what is ahead and behind while still maintaining one's stance. Pilate relates to the tree because she is a wise woman with a tall stature and always stands her ground. An example would be when her brother, Macon, instructed her not to come to his house anymore. Because she has her own house, she refrained from going to his. So rather than going to Macon's house to be insulted about the way she dresses, she stays under her own roof enforcing her own laws. Pilate is also knowledgeable about the past and has a vision of what the future might look like, which is the main reason why she sat the kids down to enlighten them about their family's heritage. However, the author points out that she "...had one earring, no navel" to declare Pilate as an independent woman. A typical woman will have on two pieces of earrings: one on each ear, but Pilate only has one in one ear. Furthermore, the author figuratively emphasizes that she doesn't have a navel in order to convey the absence of having a strong connection with her mother before and after she was born. When a baby is in the womb, he or she would receive oxygen and nutrients from her mother. In Pilate's case, "she had not come into this world through normal channels..." (Morrison pg. 28) and did not get to know much about her mother before she died. Therefore, she is not born in the way a normal person would be born. Readers can infer that her unique birth is what led her to be prevalent in her field of business. Since she is a self sustained women, she has pride in what she does in other to work her way up the ladder of success.

Toni Morrison uses simile to compare Pilate's fingernails to Ivory. She indicates "The whites of her fingernails were like ivory" (Morrison pg. 38). Ivory is a precious material that can only be found on the tusks of an elephant, walrus, and narwhal. It takes a brave soul to defeat these types of animals that use their ivories as a defense mechanism. Being that ivory is something that many people wish to have but can not access to, she is aware of the value and realizes that she can not do without it as much as she can not do without her fingernails: it enhances the sensitivity of the fingertip. The characterization of her fingernails as ivory suggests an identity rooted in Africa because of the origin of ivory. Since ivory is a representation of Pilate's African roots, she can not trade her identity for anything else. Pilate can be characterized as a steadfast, hardworking individual with strength because she has in possession a tangible gem that many people will pay a huge sum of money to acquire. Besides, hands being multipurpose serves to show that she knows the value of her labor as a bootlegger and, at the same time, grasps her cultural identity by holding onto it tightly. With this understanding, a parallel can be drawn between ivory and her African heritage. Pilate's roots in Africa indicates that she must have been through hell and back to see value in the labor she has been enduring for years Toni Morrison uses electricity as an allusion to power. Pilate is not concerned by that fact that electricity is not radiating inside of her house. The author asserts "she had no electricity because she would not pay for the service...they warmed themselves and cooked with wood and coal..." (Morrison pg. 27).

Part of being an authoritative figure means standing up for what one believes in. Pilate believes that electricity is not as important to her and her household as it is to others because she is happy being a simplistic person. This can also characterize her as a conservative woman who prefers to save up her money rather than wasting her hard-earned money on materialistic elements. The electricity provider is running their own business with the aim to make profit. Pilate is trying to do the same thing as well. She realizes that as soon as she is unable to pay her monthly dues, the electricity provider will cut her line off. Therefore, she refused to pay for the service. Her failure to pay is her way of rebelling against conformity. She cooks in the traditional way; although, it might take longer for the food to cook properly. However, she would not need to subscribe for electricity because she rarely cooks. From the kind of person that she is, "No meal was ever planned or balanced or served. Nor was there any gathering at the table....They ate what they had or came across or had a craving for" (Morrison pg. 29). She made the right decision considering that she is a mere bootlegger who makes little amount of money than a working class household. Since her family do not eat much, it would not be necessary to her to pay for a service she knows she does not need.

Pilate is classified as the epitome of nature because she is practical. She "....loved, as a girl, to chew pine needles and as a result smelled even then like a forest" (Morrison pg. 27). The author uses simile by comparing Pilate's smell to a forest. For her to smell like a forest, she has to be earth herself. In a forest, there are a lot of different species of plants available. This acknowledges that Pilate does not only have one aspect that defines her character. She is multi faceted and dynamic. She is like an average human because she is not perfect; she makes her own mistakes sometimes. Besides, the fact that she chews pine needles as if it is a bubble gum suggests that she is a genuine and honest person. She is the kind of person that will be blunt while giving advice to someone else, regardless if the words that come out of her mouth hurt the person's feelings. This is because pine needles are so sharp, and if it pokes someone, the person will feel the pain and react to the situation temporarily. Same thing goes for advice that can hurt someone's feelings. However, the pain will not kill the individual. It will only make the person stronger either physically, socially, or mentally if they yield to the advice..

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