Dysfunctional Families in Song of Solomon The African-American families in Toni Morrison's Song of Songs present anomalies and dysfunctions. Normality, observed in joint families, is absent. The protagonist, Milkman, is shaped by his dysfunctional relationships with parental figures. The anomaly of the mother-son relationship is evident in the Song of Songs. The maternal figure seems to have wrong hopes. Toni Morrison, presents the image of an unnatural and prolonged time of maternal bonding. The character, Ruth, nurses her son, Milkman, until he is four or five years old. Ruth breastfeeds Milkman for this unnaturally long period of time because he makes her feel like her son is a part of her. Breastfeeding gives her immense pleasure and satisfaction. However, she hides her indulgence from the rest of the family until Freddie, the caretaker, surprises her. He knows it's wrong, but it makes his daily life bearable. Children show mild disrespect leading to severe denial of maternal compassion. We see this in a passage from the Song of Songs. "He had never loved his mother, but he had always known that she loved him. And that had always felt right, as it should be. Her undying and confirmed love for him, the love that he didn't even have to earn or deserve, made him it seemed natural(79).”Milkman has a particular view of his mother. He did not think of his mother “as a person, a separate individual, with a life separate from enabling or interfering with his own (75).” Milkman does not think of his mother as an individual who needs his love or as a woman. For him it is his duty in life to love him. He sees her as a fragile creature who needs protection because... middle of paper... his son hit him. However, he is proud of his son for standing up to him. The Song of Songs, combined with family dysfunction, presents an insightful image of the African American individual and family. Milkman, gained strength and courage through the trials of an abnormal, sometimes violent upbringing. Every scar, both mental and physical, was a lesson learned. Works Cited: Byerman, Keith. “Songs of the Ancestors: Family in the Song of Songs.” Approaches to Teaching Toni Morrison's Novels. Ed. Nellie McKay. New York: MLA, 1997. Middleton, David. The Fiction of Toni Morrison: Contemporary Criticism. New York: Garland, 1997. Morrison, Toni. Song of Songs. New York: The Penguin Group, 1977. Storhoff, Gary. "'Anaconda Love': The Intertwining of Parents in Toni Morrison's Song of Songs." Style 31.2 (1997): 290-309.