A traditional hero's journey often involves a witch-like character, and Milkman's has Circe. However, several things about his meeting with Circe are distinctly un-heroic. First there is the fact that, upon approaching the house, Milkman compares his experience to Hansel and Gretel approaching the witch's house. He portrays himself as a child, which isn't very heroic. On top of that, Milkman's encounter with Circe almost doesn't happen because he is denied by a door which doesn't have a doorknob that turns. Then, almost by accident (after he initially gives up), he is granted access to the house by his impressive foe and gets to meet Circe.
After that, on his way to the cave to find the treasure, he repeatedly takes the much more complicated route and ends up destroying his clothes. While his struggles on the way to find the buried treasure in a cave that was guarded by his father's skeleton might seem heroic, he discovered that he really didn't have to go to so much trouble to reach the cave. After he climbs the rock wall to get to the cave he notices that there was a much easier path up the hillside to reach the cave. Then on his way back from the cave (after discovering that neither the gold nor his father's skeleton were in the cave) he discovers a bridge across the river that he had tried (and failed) to walk across. The bridge leads to a path through the woods that he had struggled through on his way to the cave. Milkman is taunted by the paths that he should have taken, not a situation a traditional hero would find themselves in.
Milkman's story is framed like a hero's journey, but Milkman himself makes it impossible for anyone to take him seriously in that role.
I agree. I think its interesting that his life is so boring for the first half of the novel and then he starts to do all of the crazy things, like get in a knife fight. But none of those things really make him a hero. He often either gets lucky on his journey or randomly decides to do things.
ReplyDeleteThis is a good take on our class discussions about Milkman's 'hero's journey.' I agree that everything we know about Milkman makes it all the harder to liken him to a real 'hero'. I mean, he's wearing a nice suit and an expensive gold watch as he climbs up a twenty-foot side of a mountain. But I think in the end, there is a sense of development, a sense of adventure and maturity, even if he's not really a hero. Although he sets out for the gold, it quickly becomes a different, less materialistic mission.
ReplyDeleteI think the interpretation of Milkman's story as a bastardized hero's journey definitely fits what we've seen so far. In a typical hero story, the protagonist experiences the most character development and ultimately impacts his world in some (hopefully positive) way. Unfortunately, Milkman's character development mimics his uneven legs: it limps. His progress throughout the novel seems to be two steps forward, one step back (he feels triumphant after hitting his dad, but doesn't pay attention to the implications of the action or use his vantage beneficially).
ReplyDeleteI agree, all of the ridiculous things that Milkman does definitely don't qualify him as a hero even though that's the role he plays in the story. Many of the things that go well for him are not because he works hard for them and are just because he got lucky or because he was born into the right family.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is interesting that you also characterized this as like a coming of age novel. I think that definitely fits with many aspects of the second part of the novel. Milkman is struggling to break out of the comfortable world that he has always inhabited but that is going nowhere. His journey to find out more about his ancestors is also helping him figure out who he is and where his place is in the world. He is finally learning about himself and beginning to come of age, even though it is extremely late.
ReplyDeleteYou're absolutely right that Milkman isn't very heroic in Danville. What I find quite funny is that he approaches each path that you pointed out like an ordinary hero, and he only later realizes that there was an easier path. I can see the scene at the door depicted in a comedy sketch where he tries literally everything to open the door, then just nudges it in disgust, and it opens. Milkman thinks he's being adult and heroic up until he looks back and sees that there was an easier way.
ReplyDeleteI like your point about how Milkman compares Circe's house to Hansel and Gretel which makes him seem more like I child. I had never thought about it like that before. I think we can also see the childishness in Milkman throughout his trip because he can never do anything for himself. He is always staying at someone else's house and eating their food. He can't even fix his car by himself so he has to have someone else do it for him. Even when he does buy food for himself he gets 6 hamburgers which just makes him seem immature.
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting post. In my opinion, Morrison is showing us that coming of age is a process that can't be forced. Milkman's entire purpose for this journey is to be independent, so in embarking on this quest he is essentially trying to reach adulthood, but things just don't work out. He ends up learning more from the encounters he didn't expect, showing us that coming of age is a process that comes naturally and only naturally, and while we can put ourselves in a situation that will grow us, we can't cultivate growth on our own.
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