Objectives

• Analyse how Morrison uses the motif of flight in Chapters 1 and 18 to frame the novel's argument about freedom and its cost.
• Explain how the characterisation of Macon Dead II and Pilate Dead in Chapters 2–4 establishes two competing models of Black survival in America.
• Trace how Milkman's encounters in Danville and Shalimar (Chapters 10–15) function as a bildungsroman structured around African American folk tradition.
• Analyse how Morrison embeds the children's ring-song in Chapter 14 to argue that oral culture preserves what written history destroys.
• Write a sustained, evidenced analytical essay that makes and defends an original argument about identity, freedom, or cultural memory in Song of Solomon, using at least four quotations from across the novel.

The sequence

1. Lesson 1: Robert Smith's Wings and the Price of Flight: Chapters 1–2

   55 min · ch. 1, 2

   Do now

   Read the novel's opening sentence: 'The North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance agent promised to fly from Mercy to the other side of Lake Superior at three o'clock.' Write two sentences: what does the word 'promised' reveal about Smith's mindset, and what does it imply about the insurance agent — a person who navigates risk and mortality — being the one attempting to fly?

   Teacher input

   Model a close reading of the paragraph in Chapter 1 where Robert Smith stands on the roof in his blue silk wings, with the crowd watching below. Focus on Morrison's choice of colour ('blue silk'), the significance of the word 'mercy' (the hospital's name), and the detail that Ruth Dead goes into labor upon seeing him. Show students how Morrison layers both literal and symbolic meanings: Smith's body represents not just a man but also a racial emblem, reflecting the desire to rise above a reality where Black lives are commodified and often lead to Black death. Demonstrate how to craft a sentence of analysis that identifies the technique, quotes the key term, and describes its impact on a reader familiar with the novel's context.

   Independent task

   Students will compose a single PEEL paragraph (around 150 words) addressing the question: 'How does Morrison use the opening scene of Robert Smith's flight in Chapter 1 to establish the novel's key tension between freedom and death?' They should include at least two quotes from Chapter 1, identify at least one technique that Morrison uses intentionally (such as symbolism, irony, or naming), and conclude their paragraph with a sentence that links Smith's leap to Milkman's birth on the next page — discussing what Morrison suggests by juxtaposing these two events.

   Exit ticket

   In one sentence, explain what the name 'Mercy Hospital' contributes to the meaning of Chapter 1 — and why it matters that this is the first place a Black baby is born in the building.

2. Lesson 2: Property vs. Pilate: Two Models of Survival in Chapters 2–4

   55 min · ch. 2, 3, 4

   Do now

   Before (AI-sounding): Without opening the novel, write the name of one thing Macon Dead II owns and one thing Pilate Dead owns. Then write one sentence predicting what Morrison thinks about each character's relationship to ownership. You will return to this prediction at the end of the lesson.

   After (Humanized): Without looking at the novel, jot down one item that belongs to Macon Dead II and one item that belongs to Pilate Dead. Next, write a sentence that captures your thoughts on how Morrison views each character's connection to ownership. We'll revisit this idea later in the lesson.

   Teacher input

   Model a close reading comparing two passages: first, the moment in Chapter 3 when Macon collects rent, and Morrison notes that 'the keys … had become a way of life.' This illustrates how the syntax reflects Macon's tendency to reduce people to mere property. Second, examine the depiction in Chapter 4 of Pilate's house — lacking gas and electricity, featuring the brass earring and the green bag hanging from the ceiling. Here, Morrison’s sensory details and the absence of modern conveniences portray Pilate as someone who resists being defined by material possessions. Show how to craft a comparative topic sentence that analyzes both characters within the same framework.

   Independent task

   Students are required to write two interconnected PEEL paragraphs (about 250 words combined) that address the question: 'How does Morrison use the characterization of Macon Dead II and Pilate Dead in Chapters 2–4 to illustrate two conflicting responses to racism and economic oppression in mid-twentieth-century America?' The first paragraph should concentrate on a specific moment from Macon's rent-collection in Chapter 3, while the second should highlight a particular detail from Pilate's house in Chapter 4. Students must conclude with a linking sentence that indicates which character Morrison seems to support and the reasons for this perspective.

   Exit ticket

   Write one sentence explaining what the brass earring containing Pilate's name — described in Chapter 4 — tells us about how Morrison values self-naming as an act of resistance.

3. Lesson 3: Going South: Milkman's Quest and the Ruins of Lincoln's Heaven, Chapters 10–13

   55 min · ch. 10, 11, 12, 13

   Do now

   Look at the chapter heading for Chapter 10: Milkman arrives in Danville, Pennsylvania, asking about a man named Macon Dead I. Write two sentences: how can a name like 'Macon Dead' serve as both a reminder of his life and a way to erase it? Consider who assigned him that name and the context in which it was done.

   Teacher input

   Analyze the passage in Chapter 10 where Reverend Cooper and the older men from Danville talk about Macon Dead I's farm, Lincoln's Heaven. Pay attention to how Morrison uses the word 'heaven' and how the men transition from past to present tense in their storytelling, as if the farm is still alive in their memories. Guide students in examining this passage as evidence that Morrison views oral testimony as a form of resurrection; the way the men speak brings to life what written records cannot. Show how to embed a quotation within a sentence, followed by two analytical points—one focusing on language and the other on theme.

   Independent task

   Students are tasked with crafting a structured paragraph of around 180 words that responds to the question: 'How does Morrison use Milkman's arrival in Danville in Chapter 10 to argue that oral memory is more powerful than legal or written record?' They need to include a quote from Reverend Cooper or one of his companions discussing Lincoln's Heaven, pinpoint the specific tense or word choice Morrison uses for that speaker, and analyze what this reveals about the relationship between the Black community, storytelling, and the survival of history. Furthermore, students should compose a second sentence that links this to Guitar's argument in Chapter 7, which discusses how the state fails to record the cost of Black life.

   Exit ticket

   In no more than two sentences, explain why Milkman's discovery in Chapter 11 — that Circe, impossibly old, still lives in the decaying Butler mansion — is more than a gothic detail: what does her survival inside the house of her former enslavers suggest about the nature of Black endurance as Morrison presents it?

4. Lesson 4: 'Jake the only son of Solomon': The Ring-Song as Archive, Chapter 14

   55 min · ch. 14, 15

   Do now

   Read the children's ring-song from Chapter 14 printed on your handout: 'Solomon done fly, Solomon done gone / Solomon cut across the sky, Solomon gone home.' Without any context, write two questions this song raises — things you would need to know to understand it fully. Then write one sentence about the unique insights a song can offer that a history book may not convey.

   Teacher input

   Model a line-by-line unpacking of the ring-song in Chapter 14, focusing on three specific moves Morrison makes: (1) the verb 'cut' — a violent, precise, and irreversible action — applied to Solomon's flight across the sky; (2) the name 'Ryna' embedded in the lyric, which students will later discover is the name of the woman Solomon left behind; (3) the fact that the song is performed by children unaware that they are singing their own genealogy. Teach students how to craft an analytical sentence that views the song as a formal device — Morrison's take on an epic invocation — and ties it to the novel's argument that African American folk culture preserves what slavery sought to erase.

   Independent task

   Students will compose a detailed analytical paragraph of about 200 words in response to: "How does Morrison use the children's ring-song in Chapter 14 to argue that folk culture is the primary archive of African American history and identity?" In their paragraphs, students need to include quotes from the song, specifically two phrases, and analyze the impact of at least one specific word choice, whether it be a verb, noun, or proper name. Additionally, they should discuss how the children's inability to understand the meaning of their own song enhances Morrison's argument. Finally, students should conclude the paragraph with a sentence that links the song to Milkman's realization about his ancestor Solomon and the emotional cost associated with that realization.

   Exit ticket

   Write one sentence explaining why it matters that Milkman hears the children's song before he is told the story of Solomon directly — what does Morrison achieve by making the folk lyric arrive first?

5. Lesson 5: 'He could fly': Pilate's Death and Milkman's Leap — Writing the Whole Novel, Chapters 16–18

   60 min · ch. 16, 17, 18

   Do now

   Revisit the last two paragraphs of Chapter 18, where Milkman jumps toward Guitar at Solomon's Leap: 'Without wiping away the tears, taking a deep breath, or even bending his knees — he leaped.' One notable difference between this leap and Robert Smith's leap in Chapter 1 is that Milkman's jump is driven by a deep emotional moment rather than a calculated escape. However, both leaps represent pivotal moments of personal transformation and the characters' struggles with their identities.

   Teacher input

   Model how to create an essay introduction for the question below, using the opening of Chapter 18 — particularly Pilate's death and her last words, "I wish I'd a knowed more people. I would of loved 'em all" — as the anchor quotation. Guide students to identify Morrison's main argument (not just the topic), place the quotation accurately within the text, and conclude with a debatable thesis statement — one that someone might reasonably dispute. Highlight the distinction between a thesis ("Morrison uses flight to show freedom") and an argument ("Morrison uses the recurring motif of flight to assert that Black freedom is always collective, never individual, and that any flight that leaves others behind — like Solomon's or Smith's — constitutes a form of violence").

   Independent task

   Write a complete analytical essay of 600–800 words in response to the question: "How does Morrison use the motif of flight in Song of Solomon to examine the cost of freedom for those left behind?" Your essay should: begin with an introduction that presents a clear, debatable argument and places it within the novel's historical and cultural context; include at least four quotations from a minimum of three different chapters, ensuring each quotation is integrated into a sentence and followed by at least two analytical insights; discuss Robert Smith's leap in Chapter 1, Solomon's abandonment of Ryna revealed in Chapter 14, and Pilate's death in Chapter 18 as your three main pieces of evidence; and conclude with a closing argument that revisits your initial claim and refines it based on your analysis—avoid merely repeating earlier points. You might also consider Hagar's death in Chapter 16 or Guitar's ideology in Chapter 7 as additional supporting evidence.

   Exit ticket

   Having written your essay, write one sentence that names the single most important thing you would change or add if you had another thirty minutes — and explain precisely why that change would strengthen your argument about Morrison's use of flight.

Activities

Assessment

• Lesson 1 exit ticket: checks whether students can read a symbolic detail (the hospital's name) as an argument, not just a fact.
• Lesson 2 independent paragraphs: checks whether students can hold two characters in a single comparative analytical frame and commit to a judgement.
• Lesson 3 exit ticket: checks whether students can move beyond plot summary of Circe's appearance to a thematic interpretation of Morrison's use of the Gothic.
• Lesson 4 independent paragraph: checks whether students can treat a folk lyric as a formal literary device and connect it to the novel's wider argument about cultural memory.
• Lesson 4 exit ticket: checks whether students understand Morrison's sequencing — why the song precedes the explanation — as a deliberate structural choice, not an accident of plot.
• Lesson 5 exit ticket: checks metacognitive awareness — whether students can identify a specific gap in their own argument, which is the precondition for revision.

Standards covered

Common Core 11 12

• RL.11-12.1 — Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.
• RL.11-12.2 — Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyse their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account.
• RL.11-12.4 — Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyse the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone.
• RL.11-12.6 — Analyse a case in which grasping point of view requires distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is really meant (e.g. satire, irony, understatement).

AP Literature

• Literary Argumentation (LAN-1) — Develop a thesis that makes a defensible claim about the literary text and situates it within a line of reasoning.
• Textual Evidence (STL-1) — Select and use relevant evidence from the text to support interpretive claims, embedding quotations within analytical sentences.
• Figurative Language and Imagery (FIG-1) — Analyse how an author uses figurative language, imagery, and symbolism to contribute to meaning.
• Narration and Structure (NAR-1) — Analyse how an author's choices about structuring a text and ordering events contribute to its overall meaning and aesthetic impact.

AQA

• AO1 — Articulate informed, personal and creative responses to literary texts, using associated concepts and terminology, and coherent, accurate written expression.
• AO2 — Analyse ways in which meanings are shaped in literary texts, including Morrison's use of naming, the folk-song form, and the motif of flight across Chapters 1–18.
• AO3 — Demonstrate understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which literary texts are written and received, including the post-Civil Rights era, the Black Power movement, and African American folk traditions of the flying African myth.
• AO4 — Explore connections across literary texts, for example between Morrison's use of oral tradition and wider African American literary and cultural contexts.

Edexcel

• AO1 — Articulate informed, personal and creative responses to literary texts, using associated concepts and terminology and coherent, accurate written expression.
• AO2 — Analyse ways in which meanings are shaped in texts, focusing on Morrison's deployment of symbolism, structural parallelism (Chapters 1 and 18), and the embedded folk lyric in Chapter 14.
• AO3 — Demonstrate understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which texts are written and received, including the 1977 publication context and the novel's engagement with Black nationalist thought and African American oral tradition.
• AO5 — Demonstrate understanding of the contribution of different interpretations to the understanding of literary texts, including feminist readings of Solomon's flight and Hagar's death.

IB Lit

• Reader, Culture and Text (Strand 1) — Analyse how the text reflects and shapes cultural values, specifically Morrison's reconstruction of African American genealogy through folk myth.
• Language and Literature (Strand 2) — Examine how Morrison's stylistic choices — naming, the embedded song, the Gothic — create meaning in Song of Solomon.
• Intertextuality (Strand 3) — Explore connections between Song of Solomon and the biblical Song of Solomon, African flying-African folk narratives, and the blues tradition.