City Milieu, Love and Alienated Gender Relations in Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon

In fact, many of relations and bonds of black people in Morrison suffer from alienation (spiritual or physical detachment from each other) and it is argued here that these relations suffer from alienation in the long run because of capitalistic urban environment. It is found that women suffer more from this alienation in Morrison and they have to struggle to survive under patriarchal exploitation created by capitalism and urbanization. The common experience of the black women to be alienated from their lovers or life partners urges them to form mutual bonds to deal with their problematic present and fight against the discrimination on the basis of race, class and gender. Morrison’s 1977 novel Song of Solomon, by portraying alienated relationships, emphasizes the omnipresent power of patriarchy and warns women of the dangers that they are exposed within urban world in America after their migration from rural south to cities. It brings to light Morrison’s concern with African Feminism as she brings fore the issue of alienation that women have to deal with in their struggle against patriarchal forces.