Milkman's Short Leg - SoS

In chapter three, the reader learns that Milkman has one leg that is shorter than the other. This deformity does not exclude him from activities, although he is known to move a little differently from others. As we learned in How to Read Literature Like a Professor, an author does not add a disability to a character unless it has a deeper, symbolic meaning or other reason to do so. In the case of Milkman, there could be many reasons why the author pays close attention to the length of his legs. For one, it helps to illustrate Milkman's relationship with his. Given that Milkman shares a name with his father, it is easy to try and compare the two, but Morrison uses Milkman's shorter leg to show contrast, "because of the leg, he could never emulate him" (63). Milkman's deformity also leaves room for lines like "The deformity was mostly in his mind" which may suggest themes of racism with the idea that those who see African Americans as less capable than Whites have simply made up the notion in their minds (62). Lastly, this bit of information about Milkman's deformity develops Milkman's character as a charismatic young man. While some kids might be bullied for a funny walk, Milkman was embraced for it. They even mentioned that although Milkman's dance move looked a little different than the normal way the dance move is done, the other kids thought it was cool and wanted to emulate it. Even this small bit of information about the main character gives the reader a lot to analyze and learn about the novel.