"Song of Solomon"

Paper Summary:

The writer discusses the experiences of Corinthians and Hagar's relationships with men in "Song of Solomon". The paper explains that Hagar pursues Milkman because she feels that with him she will always be content, but her lack of self-acceptance disables her from viewing herself as having the potential to be more than a positive asset to him, rather than desiring an equal partnership. It explains that Corinthians also seeks male companionship and that she is able to develop a fulfilling relationship only after she learns to accept herself. The writer explains that while Hagar becomes more critical of herself and her relationships become increasingly destructive, Corinthians becomes more accepting of herself and her relationship with Porter makes her happy. In conclusion, the writer feels that after analyzing the way these two women relate to others and perceive themselves, it is evident that while love is an important part of life, a person must reach a state of self-acceptance in order to establish a fulfilling relationship.

From the Paper:

"The fact that Hagar is unable to kill him when he finally refuses to fight back demonstrates her inability to understand her feelings or create healthy mechanisms for dealing with loss, since she obviously does not really want to kill him. Hagar does not genuinely intend to kill Milkman at any point, but without a solid base of confidence and self-esteem, his rejection of her ignites the rage in Hagar that stems from the poor image she has of herself. Milkman's love gives her affirmation that she is a good person, so when he takes that love away that affirmation is gone. Guitar tries to rationalize with Hagar when he says, "You think because he doesn't love you that you are worthless. You think because he doesn't want you anymore that he is right - that his judgment and opinion of you are correct.... You're turning your whole life over to him.... And if it means so little to you that you can just give it away, hand it to him, then why should it mean any more to him? He can't value you more than you value yourself (309)." Although Guitar's words are painfully correct, Hagar is unable to recognize the fact that the only judgment of herself that matters is her own. Without a way of dealing with her pain, Hagar lashes out at the man that she feels is the cause of it without realizing that her pain originates within herself. "

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