Shreya's English Blog

So far, in the Song of Solomon, a major theme that is developed by Toni Morrison is the idea of “finding yourself” and character transformation. In the racially segregated society that this story takes place in, many characters struggle to find their place in society. One such character is Milkman, who doesn’t quite fit in anywhere. He doesn’t fit in the white society because he is African American, but he doesn’t fit in with the African American community either because of his differing socioeconomic status. Because Milkman’s father is wealthy, he has power and Milkman is unable to relate to the conflicts other African Americans face. For instance, when he traveled to Philadelphia, he unknowingly insults Mr. Solomon and the other men at the store. When Milkman was talking about how his car broke down and may need some repairs, he concludes that he will just buy another one. This comment isn’t unusual to him as he has the financial resources to do so. However, he fails to recognize tha...

A big part of today’s American society is celebrating the country’s diversity and differences. America is often known as the “melting pot” because of the people of many different backgrounds, who have settled in America. Even though we now understand that it is the diversity of people that makes up America, we haven’t always understood this. In history, many people have been oppressed and discriminated simply because they were different than their peers. One such occasion is portrayed in the book, The Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison. This book highlights the disparity in equality between whites and African Americans. During this time, African Americans were isolated from the white society and received harsh treatment. They didn’t enjoy the same rights as white people and were continually harassed and oppressed simply for who they were. Anyone who tried to go against this common idea was also isolated from society. It was expected that everyone should have the same viewpoint...

To me, the last page of Maus represented mixed feelings. In the panel where Anja and Vladek hug, the reader feels happy and relieved that both survived and were reunited after the war. Vladek and Anja are shown in the middle of a white spot while their surroundings are dark. This image ties back to the cover of the first volume of Maus in which the Nazis were shown in the white spotlight while the Jews were pushed aside into the darkness and shadows. After Anja and Vladek survived the war and the Nazis surrendered, the Nazis were no more in the spotlight and the Jews were able to return back into the spotlight; they weren’t being oppressed or in the shadows anymore. Anja and Vladek won against the Nazis. In the same panel, Vladek narrates that both of them were very happy to be reunited and that both of them “lived happily ever after” (Spiegelman). However, both Anja and Vladek still had personal struggles that took away from their individual happiness. Vladek was still not able to ...

On page 136, volume 1, Vladek is describing how he and Anna were trying to find a place to hide so that the Nazis wouldn’t take them away to concentration camps. In the first couple panels, Anna and Vladek go to Janina’s house because she had promised them before that she would help them when needed. However, her promises changed after the Nazis took over because she feared the safety of her own family. These panels contribute to Art’s recurring theme that fear of the Nazis forced the Jews and other people to completely change their values, promises and beliefs, in an attempt to stay safe. This contributes to the portrayal of power the Nazis held over the citizens; they had the power to alter  people’s fundamental beliefs and values. When Janina refused to help Vladek and Anja, they panicked a bit but decided to disguise themselves to avoid trouble. In the next panel, Anja and Vladek are shown holding masks to represent disguise. Vladek says, “I was a little safe. I had a coat and ...