Song of Solomon

In Song of Solomon (SOS), we get no real sense of passing time, and that is shown even in the way the characters do or don't develop. Milkman especially does not develop as the novel has gone on. His age is mentioned at random times throughout the book, and it is often surprising at how old he has gotten, because his character has not evolved very much. A prime example of this comes in Guitar and Milkman's relationship. Originally, Guitar and Milkman, although separated by a few years, get along fine and have a healthy relationship. However, when Guitar and Milkman get older, like a large part of America, Guitar gets involved in the black civil rights movement. Milkman simply doesn't understand the interest. Even though Milkman is black, he doesn't seem to have much sympathy for the blacks that are the victims of racism. For example, when Guitar angrily tells Milkman about what happened with Emmett Till, Guitar shrugs it off as no big deal.
Milkman's childlike attitude, as well as his ambivalence to the civil rights movement clash when he finds out about Guitar's secret Seven Days group, who kills a white person every time a black person is killed because of racial violence. Guitar tells Milkman he wouldn't understand, and Milkman doesn't understand. He simply does not get why anyone would risk so much for this cause.

Milkman's ignorance to the civil rights cause most likely has to do with his family's affluence. Milkman grew up in a giant house that belonged to his grandfather, a doctor. He doesn't really belong in either "group" of black people in his city. As with Guitar, who hangs out with the lower class black people in the city, does what they do, and joins the Seven Days with them. Milkman doesn't care for the violence that the Seven Days inflict, and doesn't believe enough in the cause. Why doesn't he fit in with the rich black residents? Well, he tries to hang out with Guitar and his friends, so the rich ones shun him.

Milkman's relationship with Guitar is not the only relationship he has that affects him greatly. Milkman has Hagar, his long-term girlfriend who really loves him. However, we see that Milkman isn't aware of the emotional level that his relationship should be at after so many years. Similar to the fact that we don't realize Milkman aging throughout the book, Milkman himself doesn't realize that his relationship has been going on for so long. When he realizes this and realizes the commitment Hagar is expecting, he promptly ends the relationship, putting himself in danger.

What conclusion about Milkman can we form from these relationships he has as well as his social standing in his town and how he feels about the violent civil rights movement?
We can see that Milkman never really does grow up. Like a little child, he is always caught up in too many things, wanting to be part of everything. He has no social identity, especially after ending his relationship with Hagar. With his only identity coming from his unpopular parents, he cannot go anywhere in the world. He doesn't seem to believe in anything and with no beliefs and no identity, he has nowhere to go with nobody. 

Words Describing Antoinette

In both Jane Eyre and after she goes crazy in Wide Sargasso Sea, Antoinette is described in a very dark light. However, in Jane Eyre, she is depicted as almost non-human. In Wide Sargasso Sea, she seems more pitiful and out of it.
Words used to describe her in Jane Eyre:

• mysterious
• lunatic
• mad
• maniac
• idiot
• drunkard
• embruted
• beast grovelled
• strange wild animal
• hyena
• cunning
• demon
• insane
• monster

Lots of these words describe non-human creatures, as if she is so crazy, we can't even categorize her as being a person anymore. In Wide Sargasso Sea, the words used to describe her are:

• not myself
• ghost
• dying
• cold
• fool
• stranger
• intemperate
• unchaste
• long
• sad
• dark
• alien
• disconcerting
• thirsty
• magic
• beautiful
• lonely
• sad
• mad
• bewitched
• crazy
• dead
• blank
• hate

Although some of these words seem dehumanizing, most of them just seem like Antoinette extremely out of it, and sad to the core, contrary to how she is depicted in Jane Eyre, with a sort of non-human evilness. 
We can use these words to see the change that goes through Antoinette through the end of Wide Sargasso Sea to Jane Eyre.  When Antoinette is trapped in the attic in Wide Sargasso Sea, she seems sad, yearning, and lonely. However, in Jane Eyre, she seems to have lost all hope and has become inherently evil.