The protagonist of Toni Morrison’s *Song of Solomon* is nicknamed Milkman. His formal name is Macon Dead III, but he receives the nickname because his mother, Ruth, continues breastfeeding him unusually late into childhood.
The nickname is given after one of his father’s employees witnesses Ruth nursing the four-year-old boy. It becomes the name by which he is known throughout most of the novel, reflecting both his family history and the way the community perceives him. His father is also named Macon Dead, so “Milkman” distinguishes the son from the father.
Milkman’s journey drives the novel. As a young man, he is detached from his family and Southside community, but his relationship with his aunt Pilate leads him to investigate his ancestry. His search eventually connects him to the African American folk story of enslaved people who flew back to Africa, making flight a central image of freedom, memory, and inherited identity.
Pilate, Hagar, and Guitar are important characters, but none is the protagonist’s nickname. Hagar is Milkman’s former lover, Pilate is his influential aunt, and Guitar Bains is his childhood friend.