How Does Milkman Dead Make His Way to Fly/Becomes Mature?

Childhood(not mature at all)

Dream to fly, "lost all interest in himself" (Morrison 9) after finding out he can't fly. At that time, he is of course too young for the actual flight.

His life is meant to be tied with flying, since the death of a 'flying' black man is followed by his birth.

Gets breast fed even if he is too old for that. Besides its literal meaning, the inappropriate breast fed also represents that Milkman's mom gives him too much protection, and contributes in his immaturity.

Teenage Years (still not mature)

Can't deal with the truth that a "whole man" (Morrison 70) deals, so Milkman goes to Guitar to get a person to talk to. But Milkman kind of refuses to listen what Guitar says and says he is "talking shit" (Morrison 87). He usually talks much and tells people about his troubles and struggles, but believes that he is not "responsible" (Morrison 277) for others' pain and unhappiness.

Since Hagar becomes "so free, so abundant" (Morrison 91), Milkman loses interest in her and wants to break up with this "third beer" (Morrison 91). Moreover, he pretends that he breaks up with her just for her own good. He has used her love to prove his manhood. Clearly shows his irresponsibility and "undeveloped moral sense" (Harris) of women are as properties that can be thrown away after using and becomes boring in men's eyes. Instead, he goes after rich women. Symbol of his obsession on material goods, and he is leading an aimless life.

Hit Macon just to prove his manhood and to prove that he is "taking over" (Morrison 216), but not out of the love for Ruth. Milkman believes that Ruth is "too substantial, too shadowy" (Morrison 75) to love. By saying the way she loves him is "natural" and it is "the way it should be" (Morrison 79), Milkman does not appreciate the love and efforts that Ruth devotes to him, and just takes her love for granted. Meanwhile, he hints that she is not worth loving, and it's not his fault to not love her and appreciate her.

When he is in trouble, he doesn't care a bit about others who are worse off than him, nor the bigger issues. By saying "Fuck Till, I'm the one in trouble" (Morrison 89), Milkman shows his selfishness and his belief that the world revolves around him. In his mind, people ought to love and care for him, but he is not "responsible" (Morrison 277) for other's unhappiness and pain.

Milkman "differed" (Morrison 63) from Macon as much as he can by growing facial hair, smoking and wasting money, in order to surpass him. Also is a typical state of mind as an immature teenager.

According to Guitar, Milkman is not "serious" (Morrison 104). This means that he doesn't take his responsibility, whenever there is trouble, he just wants to get away. He also doesn't offer help to anyone, including when seeing his mother is being strangled by the flowers. And he just goes to "whereever the party is" (Morrison 106).

Limp, "one of his legs was shorter than the other" (Morrison 62), this physical defect is a symbol of defects on his personality, and a symbol of his immaturity, since Macon tells Milkman the 'truth' between Macon and Ruth in order to make him a "whole man"(Morrison 70).

Be very cruel to the desperate Hagar by cursing her to die, even though he is the one who hurts her.

After Deciding to Travel

Milkman starts to want to be on his own, and tells Macon that he wants to leave. At this point, he starts to realize that he needs to grow up, leave home and makes a living on his own. But at this point , this kind of wish is still staying at a primary state. Now he feels like independence just means leaving home, but it's actually way harder and complicated than that.

When Milkman sees the white peacock, he feels his "unstrained joy" (Morrison 178) about flying again. A very important hint about flying. The peacock itself also has significant meaning: if people have too much vanity like Milkman is now, they will not be able to fly. At this point, Milkman still lives like Macon, and knows nothing about the kind of life without properties and material goods. However, his fascination of flying indicates foreshadows his destined journey to seek independence, and his ability to fly later.

After escaping Guitar's murder and walking on the earth his root is, he does not limp. Contrasted to his polio when he is young, this is a symbol that after the tribulations on his journey to the South, he is on his way to become a "whole man" (Morrison 70).

Till now, as a man in his thirties, he still "avoided commitment" and "shied away from decisions" (Morrison 180). Along with the fact that he is still working for his dad and living at home, it shows that Milkman is still immature. He doesn't want to take any responsibility, and is not taking things seriously, including his life. He kind of just wants to escape his family, but he is not ready to lead a fully independent life, since he is still dependent on his fame as Macon's son and Dr. Foster's grandson, as well as the money from Macon. Therefore, Guitar jeers him about his living on his own with a huge amount of money.

By telling Macon that Corinthians is dating with Porter, Milkman destroys his sister's happiness. Lena describes him as a person who "pee on people" (Morrison 214), since he interferes and messes up lives of the people around him and love him, and he never cares for them. However, Milkman refuses to listen at first, and still believes that the world ought to revolve around him. But after Lena harshly scolds him, he starts to face his faults and realizes what he does wrong to the family.

Feels ashamed when he was put into jail, not only because he needs both of his dad and aunt to get him out, but also feels bad for stealing Pilate's heritage. Initially, he steals it to obtain his dream of getting away from home, and also to fulfill his vanity (wanting to buy ship, planes, etc. when he gets the money). At that time, he ignores how important the sack is to Pilate, and ignores the love that she gives him. He hurts the person who loves him unconditionally, but now he starts to realize what he does wrong.

On His Journey (leads to his "salvation" (Harris)

The airplane flight to Pittsburgh "exhilarated" (Morrison 220) him. Another 'flight', but he is not the one who actually flies, it's the airplane which carries him. This symbolize that Milkman is approaching to his actual flight, and his decision to go alone to the South brings him onto the path leading to maturity.

Overall, his immaturity/inability to fly is caused by his lack of 'root'. Literally, without knowing his family history and where he really belongs to, Milkman's spiritual world is hollow and hopeless, especially when considering that almost everyone nears him wants his "living life" (Morrison 222) the whole time. He therefore leads an aimless and irresponsible life. However, after his journey to the South helps him find out his heritage, he really becomes mature and starts to reflect on himself and take responsibility. This time, he can finally fly. Figuratively, Milkman finds out that he is the kid of the flying Solomon after he goes to the South. Before knowing that, he is not able to fly. But this fact actually symbolizes his family heritage (before getting his sense of belonging and finding his root, Milkman is not able to fly). Since the 'flying' derives from the African folklore illustrating that African people could fly, the fact about Solomon symbolizes African American culture in a broader sense.

Milkman has never try to "make a pleasant impression" (229) and never needs anything from a stranger before, and now he he has to do it. He also never says 'how are you' to people before. As a selfish person, being at a place away from home enables him to realize how he used to treat people, force him to reflect on himself and treat people nicely.

However, Milkman is now still living under the title of Macon Jr.'s son. So he automatically gets good treatment and admiration from the people in his dad's hometown. But he is not very aware of it, but "grew fierce with pride" (Morrison 236).

After hearing that the white men who kill Macon's father are not caught, Milkman starts to feel angry and wonders why he is angry now. When Emmett Till gets killed, he does not care, so he is not angry. But now he is on his journey to maturity, and he starts to see and care about the world and other people, and a sense of justice is being developed in his mind.

After having a fight with the men in Mr. Solomon's store and be coldly rejected by Circe and Fred Garnett after offering them money, Milkman starts to realize that money and his status as Macon's son can't solve every problem. In Shalimar, he needs to live as him, and there is nothing else to rely on to get reputation and good treatment from others, all he has is himself. He has to respect and care for others now. Also, he starts to realize that his belief of women is not right
.

Milkman starts to reflect on himself by thinking of his frequently used word, "deserve" (Morrison 276). He starts to realize that he really is being selfish to his parents and Hagar, and his sense of deserve is wrong (he only want people to share their happiness but not their pain). He also starts to understand his parents and Hagar, instead of keep blaming them and pitying himself.

After realizing that he does not really care about anyone, he helps Sweet with things in return of her kindness. This symbolizes that he now starts to respect women. He also starts to miss Pilate, and truly understand his parents. He also starts to feel regret for the things he does to Hagar.

As his journey to find his family history goes deeper, he "feel connected" (Morrison 293) to the people in Shalimar, and starts to find his sense of belonging. He also starts to have "interest in his own people" (293), even though he never cares about anyone before. This is leading to the flight that he is going to have.

Had a dream about flying, symbolizes that he is getting more and more mature, and is approaching the day when he can fly.

After realizing that Hagar dies because of him, Milkman takes his responsibility and does not hide from the truth. Instead of being angry at Pilate, he offers to take Pilate to bury her father. Now he is a responsible man.

After Pilate dies, Milkman welcomes death, which is Guitar, without fear. He leaps as a grown-up, responsible and the descendant of the flying Solomon, and finally is able to fly.

Milkman does not limp after he encounters Guitar in the woods, and feels like he "belonged" (Morrison 281) to the earth. Symbolizes that he is becoming a "whole man" (Morrison 70).

Works Cited
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