Why A Bobcat?

When reading the novel "Song of Solomon" I often find myself setting the book down in order to process the work of the author. Toni Morrison, I would say, is known for her numerous hidden meanings and symbols in her texts. As a class, we are constantly reminded to take note of scenes that stick out to us. Most likely, those out of the ordinary scenes signify an idea or may grow into something more as the books continues to develop. Most of the time after discussing the significance behind these scenes, I walk out of the classroom in shock. For example, this past Friday in class we touched on the scene regarding Milkman and his hunting friends and their experience in the woods. First off, we came to the conclusion that the bobcat that the boys hunted and killed represents Guitar. Why a bobcat? Little did we know, Morrison has been comparing Guitar to a cat since the beginning when she referred to him as the "cat-eyed boy" (Morrison 7). In opposition to killing the bobcat, the boys original intent when coming into the woods was to hunt a racoon. A racoon sounds much like the slang term "coon" used to refer to a person of color. The urge to hunt racoons can then symbolize Milkman's hope to eventually fight off the racial barrier in his society. You may then ask, why did they end up killing the bobcat instead? Since the bobcat represents Guitar, it can be concluded that Guitar was the source of the problem when it comes to race in regards to Milkman's life. Him being apart of the Seven Days was ironic because he said he did such duties out of "love for his people" (Morrison 157), yet then he talked dirty about women of color. Metaphorically killing Guitar was a way for Milkman to close off the root of the problem regarding racial inequalities in his life. Have you ever heard of the saying "getting to the heart of the problem"? It can be inferred that when Milkman was the one to reach inside the bobcat's chest to remove the heart that it signifies the closure of Guitar's impact on Milkman's life. With this analysis, it can be hypothesized that Milkman will kill of either Guitar or some type of racial barrier in the incoming chapter.