and it is this self-reflection journey that milkman goes through in the novel that makes him understand the importance of understanding his family, which was disconnected due to the heavy weight of racism.
this self-reflection is culminated in milkman having the bravery to stand up to guitar
to his familial roots in a sense. the bottom of page 293 shows a whole monologue of milkman trying to understand and come to terms with his families' past, and again understanding the impact of what slavery did to his family in the past (even affecting his own last name, "DEAD")
but he grows to actually take an interest and understand what his familial background after he begins talking to Susan and understanding more truths about his family. so in that sense while the weight of racism broke families apart in the first place, it also has some way of reconnecting milkman
as seen on page 292 - "he was curious about these people. he didn't feel close to them, but he did feel connected, as though there was some cord or pulse or information they shared."
in this sense - the weight of racism (dislocating families) managed to disconnect milkman from his family,
i believe this disconnection of the family pushed milkman so much to one spectrum that he (for a large portion of the novel) felt disinterested from his lineage, but after talking to Susan he begins to pick up an interest in his family again.
furthermore - this weight of racism continued to disconnect his family - as seen on page 290 "after she went to that Quaker school we lost track of her."
due to the racism and oppression black people faced in this very country they lost track/connection of their own family members.
the weight of racism also has genuinely disconnected milkman's entire lineage. he states "'we're all split up, my family, and some folks in town thought you might know some of them." (p. 287).
his family was split up because of generational trauma that happened due to slavery in the first place.
the weight of racism also has a element of violence to it. after he is jumped milkman says "What did these BLACK NEANDERTHALS think they were going to do? Fuck 'em." (p.270). again we see milkman calling members of his own community racist slurs, a further sign of internalized racism
this remark leads to him being jumped by these fellow Black men in Soloman's store because he is so tone-deaf and doesn't understand the privilege he is speaking with. so we see the weight of racism also pit members of the Black community/family against each other
"if they can't find one, let me know right away. I may have to BUY ANOTHER CAR to get back home." (p 266)
milkman has so much economic freedom (this town where it is rare to have a car in the first place given the generational trauma that has prevented Blacks to accumulate wealth) that he says this
this weight of racism is also seen due to economic circumstances. milkman again (isn't the brightest social creature by any means) but says this to a group of black men in Solomon's store...
what milkman is referring to obviously again shows his ignorance in failing to understand why black people left the south (to be free) but it again shows how the weight of racism can operate on a pure geographical scale and separate families in that manner
the weight of racism has many different levers in the book. some of it is purely geographical, as milkman felt more warmth and love in the South than what he experienced in the North: "All that business about Southern hospitality was real. He wondered why black people ever left the South." (p. 260)
furthermore, I feel that it is important to analyze the weight of racism that is present in toni morrison's novel, "song of Solomon." upon a further look at the events in the novel, it is seen that the weight of racism keeps milkman's family disconnected
the weight of racism is sadly felt in many facets of our day to day life. whether that is through how racism affects our daily interactions at the supermarket or who people associate themselves with, the weight of racism has its presence in many different avenues of life.
so am I really wrong for saying that while time has changed in America, the trauma that comes from colorism has stayed the same? this urge and need to appease to White beauty standards still poisons society to this day. when will we give "racial capital" to each ethnicity's unique features?
this idea of being indoctrinated at a young age to appease White beauty standards still holds in the present day.
from personal experience -- I am a Punjabi teenager and since I was a kid my mother would always forcefully apply fair & lovely, a skin-whitening cream, on my face
it is common knowledge that lighter-skin in America results in higher paying jobs, more social acceptance, and leads to better marital outcomes, all discussed in Hunter's reading in depth.
we see Nel at a tender age having her hair straightened and told to try to straighten her nose in Sula.
but we see the same themes of parents forcing their kids to fix their ethnic facial features (in this case it was Nel's nose) to satisfy White beauty standards in 2025.
not only does this bluntly shows institutionalized racism as Black people are subjected to jobs that are not only paying less but more labor-intensive.
