Milkman is emotionally estranged from all the women in his life. In “Milkman's Rise to Race and Class Consciousness” and Song of Solomon, Milkman shows how he belittles and underestimates women. In Song of Solomon, Morrison illustrates how Milkman disparages the important women in his life specifically, Pilate and Hagar, and how through them he gains his self identity. In Doreatha Drummond Mbalia criticism called “Milkman's Rise to Race and Class Consciousness”, she further explains how this sexism is a result of class and racial oppression, or what is specifically called “class consciousness” (Mbalia). Through the criticism, Mbalia shows the exploitation of Hagar and Lena, and Milkman disregard due to his class consciousness. For example, during Milkman’s adolescence, when he peed on Lena, symbolized his disregard towards women…show more content… “He looked out the window and saw Magdalene called Lena coming out of the trees…, her face was crumpled in anger. Over her pale blue dress dark wet stains spread like fingers.” (Morrison 59) Here the quote shows Milkman’s oblivion even as a child. Additionally like Mbalia states, “Therefore, his act of urinating on Lena becomes an act symbolic of his pissing on all women, Hagar in particular” (Mbalia). Like the criticism states, Hagar was particularly affected by Milkman’s actions; he had no love for her and he only used her for his desires, and like the book states, “And she stood there like a puppet strung up by a puppet master who had gone off to some other hobby” (Morrison 301). Here, the book shows Milkman’s disregard to women, like the similar ideas stated in “Milkman's Rise to Race and Class Consciousness”. The quotes from Song of Solomon, and “Milkman's Rise to Race and Class Consciousness” correlate to show how Milkman took advantage of two important people in his
