Toni Morrison is one of the most talented and successful African American authors of our time. Famous for works such as The Bluest Eye, Sula, and Beloved, Morrison has cultivated a wide audience of all ethnicities and social classes through his creative writing style. It's not Morrison's talent for creating new stories that attracts his fans. Instead, it is his talent for revising and modernizing traditional biblical and mythological stories that have been present in literature for centuries. Morrison replaces the characters in these myths, who would have been middle-class white men, with characters who depict the cultural practices of black communities. The protagonists in Morrison's works are primarily African American women overcoming a struggle. However, in Song of Solomon, Morrison takes a new turn by casting a man as the protagonist, depicting the struggles that the average African American man would face in a time of extremes. racism and poverty in our country. Song of Solomon begins in 1930s Michigan, when your protagonist, Milkman, is born. At this time in American history, racism was on the decline in the Northern states and more turbulent than ever in the Southern states. Many African Americans believed they could gain more freedom and better job opportunities. This was the Great Migration, which brought an abundance of African Americans to northern cities, such as Boston, Chicago, and Detroit. Milkman's family participated in this migration, coming from Virginia, as well as his best friend, Guitar, who moved from the South to Michigan after his father's death for a better life. This migration also led to strong racial tensions in both the North and the South in the 1930s. Ironically, Macon Dead II or Milkman, middle of paper... Before Milkman knew who his family was, he didn't know who he wanted to be. In conclusion, Toni Morrison does a wonderful job portraying the themes of Marxism, feminism, and escapism. Works Cited Morrison, Toni. Song of Solomon. New York: Knopf, 1977. Print. Samuels, Wilfred D. and Clenora Hudson-Weems. Tony Morrison. New York, NY: Twayne Publishers, 1990. 53-78. Print.Demetrakopoulos, Stephanie A. Modern Critical Interpretations: Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon. Philadelphia, PA: Chelsea House Publishers, 1999. 41-56. Print.Hernandez, Krystle. “The Flight Motif in Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison.” n. page. Internet. May 9, 2010. .Garnick, Vivian. “Into the dark heart of childhood.” Village Voice August 29, 1977: p. 41. Print.