Comparing Song Of Solomon And Such A Long Journey

Literature is an art form unlike any other, with a special ability to allow us to peer into the lives of others. In turn, we then are able to peer into the lives of these characters, revealing a more nuanced, complex portrait of human nature. The two books, Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison and Such a Long Journey by Rohinton Mistry both allow the reader to experience this complexity, by contrasting the characters reactions to the extraordinary and mundane events in their lives. By doing so, they both provide the same insight into human nature: the key to achieving one’s dreams is balance, and it is only by accepting the complexity of one’s own life, that one truly gets what they desire. In Such a Long Journey, an uneventful, quiet life seems
Milkman’s life is the one Gustad strives for: while they are both minorities in their respective countries, Milkman’s family has accumulated and maintained their wealth, and Milkman has a clear path and role within that. He has a secure position within his father’s business, but the simplicity of that existence seems to dull him. In his childhood, his sisters and mother did everything for him, and he was loved and revered by his mother (it is also worth noting that although she breastfed him well into his childhood, this was yet another thing Milkman regarded with boredom.) As an adult, he is the object of Hagar’s obsession, and yet he does not seem to feel strongly one way or the other about any of them. His dullness is also demonstrated on page 211, when he asserts that “The alcohol didn’t change him at all but it had a tremendous effect on whomever he saw while he was under its influence.” This solidifies the idea that Milkman has spent his whole life in a stupor, as the effects of alcohol are indistinguishable from his normal state of being. We also see how discontent he is with the comfort of his existence in his interest in flight in various forms. In the episode with the Sunday drive, the narrator states that he sat backwards because he felt like he was flying, and more symbolically, he is restless and desperate to “fly” in a sense from the town.
Song of Solomon describes the importance of one’s identity, and demonstrates that as being central to ones happiness. At the same time, Such a Long Journey advocates for trust, in the people around you, but also in the universe at large, illustrating the importance that plays in life. However, their methods belie a very similar idea about human nature as a whole. Both of them deliver their messages by allowing the reader to witness the protagonists navigate both the daily and extraordinary events that befall them. It is only by accepting both aspects of the human experience that the characters are able to achieve what they really want. And so, it is clear that Such a Long Journey and Song of Solomon both argue that acceptance of the complexity of life is a necessary aspect of human