by Toni Morrison
FINAL PROJECT
ENGLISH 10 HONORS
This is the final written project of the year. In an effort to bring closure to an academic class that has examined the American Literature Canon from the 1830's until present I would like you to use the novel Song of Solomon as either a comparison work or a work of in-depth analysis. You may decide to return to the journey myth, compare it to other novels read this year, tackle the question of race in American Literature or write an in-depth analysis of the symbols, names or women in this classic American novel.
Here are some ideas for this paper:
Comparisons:
1. Trace Milkman's journey. Use Jung and Campbell's examination of the hero-quest myth as a template for Milkman's journey.
2. Compare Huck Finn, Holden Caulfield or Rabbit Angstrom to Milkman.
3. Compare Pilate to Hester Prynne.
4. Compare any of the charaters from Song of Solomon to characters from your two independent reading novels.
5. Compare Hagar to Jay Gatsby
Analysis:
6. Examine the Greek, Western African and biblical allusions in The Song of Solomon.
7. Using the inscription "The father's may soar and the children may know their names" to examine Morrison's obsession with flying. Compare it to such things as the Tuskegee Airman, Paul L. Dunbar's "Not They Who Soar", African flying myths, Air Jordans and Virginia Hamilton's "The People Could Fly"
8. Examine the symbolic use of names in the novel.
9. Discuss Morrison's idea of "rememory". Discuss how each character has a story to tell, often about the same event, from a different point of view.
10. Examine the women of the novel:
Women who over love, women who teacher, powerful women, women who can fly.
11. Examine Guitar and racism in the novel. Find the roots of hatred.
12. Examine the unbelievable in the novel. From ghosts, to spirits, to the downright outrageous. Is there such a thing, as Morrison says there is, called "Magical realism"?
13. Examine the generations of people in this novel. Is it possible that greatness skips generations? Is Milkman a reversion to type? Hagar?
This is to be at least five pages typed. Use quotes and passages.
Due Date: June 13th, 2004.