Milkman's Song Of Solomon

The name of the main character of Song of Solomon, Macon Dead III (Milkman), is a hidden reservoir of significance, both to his function as a character and to the plot as a whole. His first name, Milkman, represents not only his physical upbringing and extended breastfeeding by Ruth, but it also represents his tendency through the majority of his life to suck energy, time, and effort from the people around him, specifically the women in his life that he tends to use without thought or considerateness. His lack of compassion and reciprocity towards the people in his life that offer him so much, such as Hagar or Ruth, who both offer him their complete and total love, makes him the equivalent of a baby continuously suckling; he is nothing but