Material things

When looking into the relationship between a character and their physical possessions, Milkman Dead and Guitar are on opposite ends of the spectrum.

Milkman Dead places a high emphasis on his physical possessions, the location where he lives, and where spends his free time (such as Honoré Island). Guitar on the contrary, doesn’t care much about physical objects but rather about the ability for all blacks to control their own lives.

Macon Deads interpretation of the “inheritance” that the green sack hanging from Pilates ceiling contains demonstrates plenty about what he values, money. After attempting to steal the gold that he believed lied in the sack (with the help of Milkman and Guitar) he is shocked to discover that the contents of the bag are actually not valuable at all. In reality though, the several physical objects that Pilate has kept are extremely valuable to her because of the sentimental value that they posses.

It is interesting to note that the only attributes that Macon Dead and Milkman truly share (other than their name) is their “lover for good shoes and fine thin socks,” (Pg 63) a superficial and material thing. It likely represents their mutual feeling of superiority over other individuals, including other blacks in their community. Additionally, Macon Dead utilized his car to parade his family and as as a means to “...satisfy himself that he was indeed a successful man.” (Pg 31)

Lissette Estala