Men who run are searching for their dreams, women who run are irresponsible. A women's obligation and "responsibilty" outshine their own personal needs or wants in the context of this story. Pilate from a young age travelled from state to state searching for a way to rise above this. She lives many places, some better than the others, but none would allow her the type of freedom she wanted. Freedom from the idea of abandonment, which leaves only a burden which she would bare alone. Not even having a daughter with a man was enough to hold her to one place, she would only hold onto what was hers, the children. When she arrives and finds her brother who was "inhospitable, embarrassed and unforgiving," she is all but ready to quickly abandon him, before she herself becomes the abandoned one. The only thing which stops her is her sister-in-law whom cannot leave. To be abandoned would leave burden and loneliness inside of Pilate, which she fears, especially since her father and brother did that very thing. The only thing she could do was abandon others first, ironically leaving her alone with none to share her burdens but herself. The women without the navel would be different than the other women. She demands to be her own.
The other woman of the story all suffer from abandonment. Ruth was abandoned the day her father was killed. "The only one who ever really cared if I lived or died. Lots of other people were interested if I lived or died, but he cared." She is left alone with a man who on multiple occasions has harmed her, and is not actually there as a husband. The only reason that Ruth stays is because of Milkman. Macon Jr. is the support of the family, and without it, she could not take care of her son. Milkman is a man who Ruth has tried her hardest so he will never abandon her. By breastfeeding him even while he was still walking just so he wouldn't leave. Sadly, he still wanders far from her side when he grows older, and the only thing she can do is prevent him from permanently abandoning her the way her father did. Death. Ironically, the more she struggles to keep him close, the farther Milkman is pushed in his disguist and confusion. The small attachment Milkman feels is one of protection for harming the gentler sex.
Hagar is more obvious than the other two in her fear of abandonment. She goes the way of her mother and tries ardently to be the one who does the abandoning. What better way to ensure that than to kill the man right? She is absolutely obsessed with a man who has no interest in her, because he was the first to treat her the way she wanted to be treated since a child. With sincere love."Some days I went hungry." There is hardly anything more ironic though, then when you try to keep something close to you by killing it.
These women need love, affection, attention, a need to be needed. The world of this book leaves them with nothing but themeselves and their troubles. To escape from this fate, the women struggle to be independent or be the ones who are depended upon. Ironically, no matter what they do, they end up being the ones who are left alone.
The other woman of the story all suffer from abandonment. Ruth was abandoned the day her father was killed. "The only one who ever really cared if I lived or died. Lots of other people were interested if I lived or died, but he cared." She is left alone with a man who on multiple occasions has harmed her, and is not actually there as a husband. The only reason that Ruth stays is because of Milkman. Macon Jr. is the support of the family, and without it, she could not take care of her son. Milkman is a man who Ruth has tried her hardest so he will never abandon her. By breastfeeding him even while he was still walking just so he wouldn't leave. Sadly, he still wanders far from her side when he grows older, and the only thing she can do is prevent him from permanently abandoning her the way her father did. Death. Ironically, the more she struggles to keep him close, the farther Milkman is pushed in his disguist and confusion. The small attachment Milkman feels is one of protection for harming the gentler sex.
Hagar is more obvious than the other two in her fear of abandonment. She goes the way of her mother and tries ardently to be the one who does the abandoning. What better way to ensure that than to kill the man right? She is absolutely obsessed with a man who has no interest in her, because he was the first to treat her the way she wanted to be treated since a child. With sincere love."Some days I went hungry." There is hardly anything more ironic though, then when you try to keep something close to you by killing it.
These women need love, affection, attention, a need to be needed. The world of this book leaves them with nothing but themeselves and their troubles. To escape from this fate, the women struggle to be independent or be the ones who are depended upon. Ironically, no matter what they do, they end up being the ones who are left alone.
