Song of Solomon

Part 2 begins with Milkman having left his home, where he feels frustrated by his family and his lack of ambition. He’s now in Pennsylvania, on a quest for the gold that he believes may still be in the dead man’s cave. When he arrives in Danville, his father’s hometown, he meets Reverend Cooper, who remembers his father fondly. Reverend Cooper invites him to his home and talks with great admiration of not only Milkman’s father but also his grandfather. He tells Milkman about the house where Circe hid Macon and Pilate after their father’s killing. Milkman learns that the homeowners, the Butlers, were the ones who killed his grandfather because they wanted to take his land.

Reverend Cooper’s nephew takes Milkman out to the Butlers’ house. Because the land is overgrown with vegetation, Milkman must walk part of the way to the house. He discovers the house abandoned and in disrepair. When he peeks inside, he is overcome by the stench, but the odor suddenly disappears. When he enters the house, he discovers Circe at the top of the stairs, now a very old woman. She mistakes Milkman for Macon, but when he clarifies that he is Macon’s son, she asks about both Macon and Pilate.