Character Anaylsis of Pilate

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Pilate the Living Dead Pilate is arguably the protagonist of “Song of Solomon” by Toni Morrison; she is a woman unlike any other. Pilate is set apart throughout the book by a series of contrasts. She is smart, but uneducated. She is hard working but not successful. She was born without a mother. She can fly but always stays grounded. She is an incredible, strong woman who lives life by her own standards. Pilate knows what is important in life. She is not attached to material things. In fact all of her possessions could fit in her brother’s car, a bed, a washbasin, a rocking chair, a geography book, some rocks, a knife and a bag of bones. As a moonshiner she has little regard for the law or her position in society. Her love of people is far greater than her love of things, just the opposite of her brother’s attitude. She loves her granddaughter and nephew most of all; everything else in her life revolves around those two people. Fine, upstanding Christians are always told that material things are not important; however when faced with someone who lives by that ideal they marginalize her. This does not bother Pilate, she just keeps moving. Her constantly moving mouth holds and works on little things just like her hospitality revolves around little things. Pilate makes a decision to live a life based on generosity and hospitality. She does her best to live up to these ideals (149). Everyone that comes into her home is offered food. She compares her caring for people to the kindness of animals. This is ironic as her brother sees her as a snake, a despicable animal. Her warmth and joyful singing draws her brother to her, even though he won’t talk to her. He tries to hate her but cannot escape the pull of her love. Pilate’s search for truth leads her to have “generosity so wholehearted it seemed like carelessness (92).” Even as she lies dying she

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