Broken wings of freedom: bird imagery in Toni Morrison 's novels

Re is a de Es udios No eame icanos, n ° 7 (2000 ), pp. 75 -84 BROKEN WINGS OF FREEDOM: BIRD IMAGERY IN TONI MORRISON' S NOVELS SUSANA VEGA ÜO NZÁLEZ Uni e sidad de O iedo Linge ing spi i o he dead, ise up a nd posse ss you bi d o passage! Haile Ge ima, Sanko a Among he se e a! li e a y concep s ha could be applied o To ni Mo ison's no els a e hose o me apho and symbol. In he book Speci y in g: Black Women W i ing he Ame ican Expe ience, Susan Willis cha ac e izes Mo ison 's w i ing as « he mos me apho ical o oday's black women au ho s» (Willis 19 87: 8). Thus c i ics ha e pa id a en ion o he use o elemen s like wa e , i e, and ea h, o ins ance, as well as he employmen o na u e, whose na a i e li e u ns i in o one mo e cha ac e . Bu li le c i ica! a en ion has been paid o bi d image y in his w i e , in spi e o he ac ha i is an impo1 an aspec in he na a i e ha e ec i ely con ibu es o he po ayal o he mos nega i e side o A ican Ame i ca n social eali y in he Uni ed S a es. When d ea ling wi h me apho s in A ican Ame i ca n women w i e s, Jacqueline de Wee e a gues ha «[ )he images ha build he me apho s a e culled om na u e, om c ea u es o he ea h in mos cases, wi h c ea u es o he ai - he bi d o example- used occasionally» (De Wee e 1991 : 62). Ho we e , in he case o Toni Mo ison, i is equen ly a h e han occasionally ha she uses bi ds -and hei ligh - as me apho . I is he pu pose o his essay o asce ain whe he he image o he bi d is u ilized wi h i s usual adi ional symbolism o eedom o i ha a<>socia ion is e ised. I his is he case. we will also analyze he new meaning asc ibed o bi ds in M o ison 's no els and how ha meaning is ende ed. 76 Susa11a Vega Gnn zá /ez Those li le c ea u es ca lled bi ds ha e always a ac ed he a en ion o humans who ha e ied o imi a e h ei ligh no only in my hology, like Daedalus and Ica us, bu also in eal li e. F om ancien imes and ac oss di e en cul u es, bi d s ha e always inspi ed a whole ange o belie s, my hs, and me apho s. Because o h ei ab il i y o ly and soa up in he ai owa ds he sky hey ha e ge ne ally been associa ed wi h h e link be ween Hea en and Ea h; hey we e al so conside ed messeng e s om Hea en o possesso s o occul scc e s (Walke 1988: 396, C he a lie 1994: 86-87). In se e a! my hs, bi ds a e associa ed wi h hc sun, like he Eg yp ian phoenix, he hummingbi d o he eagl e, o in.s ance. The La in wo d «a es » mean bo h «bi d s» and «ances al spi i s» and hese c ea u es we e also symbo ls o ebi h and o h e lying souls which ascend o Hca en a e dea h (Walke 1983: 101 ). Bi ds we e al so assumed o u e wa nings an d p ophecies, «a powe de i ed no only om h ei access o o nniscien gods bu om hei associa ion w i h he dead, who we e supposed o ha e he p i ilege o o esee in g he u u e» (Lu wack 19 94: 11 8). As we can see, he lis o bi d symbols is long, al hough hey a e usually ela ed o ligh , because o hei wings, and he e o e o Hca en, because o hei abili y o ly in an upwa d di ec ion. Mo ison 's powe ul use o bi ds in all he no els is o en dis up i e a nd uncon en ional. In sani y, ha ed, e o , sla e y, se l ishness, and e il a e ali con eyed h ough images o bi ds like he hawk. he do e, he ca dinal, he peacock, he oo s e , he hummingbi d, and he obin. Bi ds a e always p esen in he no els and e en in he Nobel P ize lec u e she us ed, once again, he image o he bi d. In he speech , Mo nison ells us abou an old black woman who is blind bu wise and some young people, one o whom poses he ollowing ques ion o he : «Old woman, I hold in my hand a bi d. Tell me whe he i is li ing o d ea d» (Mo ison 1994: 6). La e on Mo ison discloses h e symbolism behind his s o y: h e bi d, she says, s ands o language and he old woman e p esen s he w i e . In he i s no el , The Blues Eye, Mo ison wea es an appa en ly simple s o1y abou a black gi l who hanke s a e blue eyes. Bu he play on wo ds he e y i le endoses hin s a h e humilia ion, wo hlessness, and ailu e ha domina e Pecol a's li e. E en a e achie in g wha she mos wan e d, o p ecisely because o i , she is « he blues! eye,» ha is , he saddes I: «E lbows ben , hands on shoulde s, she lailed he anns like a bi d in e e nal, g o esquely u ile e o o ly . Bea ing he ai , a winged bu g ounded bi d, in en on he blue oid i could no each -could no e en see- bu which illed he alleys o he mind» (Mo ison 1970: 162). Pecola is U n s desc ibed as a winged bu g ounded bi d whose b oken sel , a e ince s uous ape, p e en s h e ligh in o wholeness. This pa adoxical me apho is cha ac e is ic o Mo ison 's na a i e, which is ul! o appa en ly con adic o y e ms. The Blues Eye shows a wo ld whe e dis up ion is always p escn , whe e « he all b ings dea h, no ha es » (O en 1989: 1 O), wbe e he seeds die ins ead o g owing (Mo isou 1970: 10), whe e Cholly plan s his des mc i e secd in he daugh e 's womb in sp ing, he e ili y season, ende ing his season in o «a e ili y i e in e ed» (Ch is ian 1980: 71). Pecol a, he winged bu g o unded bi d, unde goes bo h a spi i ual dea h and a psychic dea h, as she ends up in he abyss o madness. This ype o dea h can be summa ized in he wo ds o Ma i n Foss who, app op ia ing he amo us Macbe hian sen ence Bmke11 Wi11gs o F ee dom : Ri d nuige1y i11 To11i Mo ison 's No e Is 77 s a es: «He e Ii e is a ' ale old by an idio ,' pe e ed and absu d. This isola ion and pe e sion can be called a 'symbolic dea h '- no dea h expe ienced as isola ion, bu an isola ion which can be me apho ically called a kind o dea h» (Foss 1966: 36). A plague o obins lying and dying announces he e u n o Sula, he wi ch- igu e, in Monison 's second no el: Accompanied by a plague o obins, Sula ca ne back o Medallion. The li le yam-b eas ed shudde ing bi ds we e e e ywhe e, exci ing e y sma ll child en away om hei usual welcome in o a icious s oning. Nobody knew why o om whe e hey had come. Wha hey did know was ha you couldn' go any- whe e wi hou s epping in o hei pea ly shi , and i was ha d o hang up clo- hes, pull weeds o jus si on he on po ch when obins we e lying and dying a ound you. (Mo ison l 987b: 89) Also. ou dead obins in on o E a 's hou se announcc hc a i al o he p odiga! daugh e in Medallion a e en yea s, hus ac ing as an o nen, as E a he sel admi s: «I migh ha e knowed hem bi ds mean some hing» (Mo ison l 987b: 89). Hc e again wc a e wi nesses o an abo ed ligh ; like he dying and dead obins, Sula ies o ind eedom in he me apho ical !ligh om he s ic u es o he communi y bu inally e ums o die in i . She is no willing o be jus a mo he and a wi e. He p ide and he de e mina ion o be only he sel , and nobody else's. is cu ailed by he black communi y o whom she is bu an e il ha mus be a e ed. This is he main example o bi d image y we can ind in Sula. Acco ding o Ba ba a Walke , Robin Redb eas . o «Cock Robin,» was a bi d o m o Robín Good ellow. one o he co n non na nes o h e so-called god o he wi ches. The ed-b eas ed bi d o sp ing was Cock Robin' s soul. The obin' s ed b eas is also ela ed o he blood o Ch is sincc. acco ding o ano he legend, a obin ied o pluck away he homs om Ch is 's c own pie cing i s own b eas . which he ea e became ed (Walke 1983: 858). The e o e h e obín symbolizes Sula because shc is con si de ed as a wi ch who plays ha oc wi h he me nbe s o he communi y. s ealing hu sbands and b eaking ules. Once again. Mo ison u ilizes a bi d image o ep esen no eedom bu lack o eedo n, no li e, bu dea h. The no i o ligh is c ucial in he nex no el Mo ison w i es, Song o Solomon. A he end o his ajec o y, Milkman Dead su ende s o he ai and ides i in a me apho ical lig h o spi i ual eedom. Bu lhe image o ligh is ai ead y p esen in he no el om he beginning, whe e Milkman's bi h akes place in he same hospi al om which M Smi h, an insu ance agen ,decides o jump. One <lay a e his un o una e e en Milkman Dead is bo n; when he is ou he disco c s « he same hing M S ni h had lea ned ea lie - ha only bi ds and ai planes could ly» hus losing «all in e es in him se l » (Mo ison l 987a: 9). The Dead a e a amily domina ed by ma e ial possession and accumula ion de ached om lowe class blacks. The sel ish ma e ialism embodicd by Malcolm Dead is sy mbolized in he las na ne «D ead» which alludes o spi i ual dea h based on aliena ion. The i ual Sunday ides on he Packa d y o show o he whole amily and ils success: 78 Susana Vega González These idcs ha he amily ook on Sunday a emoons had become i uals and much oo impo an! o Macan o enjoy. Fo him i was a way o sa is y himsel ha he was indeed a suc ce ss ul man. I was a Iess ambi ious i ual o Ru h, bu a way, ne e heless, o he o display h e amily. (Mo ison 1987 a: 31) In e es ingly, he only hing Milkman can see om his sea is he «si l e winged woman poised a he ip o he Packa d» his a he d i es (Mo ison l 987a: 32). The i ony o his episode is clea : his image is bu a di ec allusion o íligh . Howe e , he me allic composi ion o he small s a ue and i s igidi y and lack o mo emen symbolize an abo ed ligh . The impossibili y o ly a ec s he Dead amily. Mo eo e , he Packa d Macon d i es so slowly is iden i ied by many as «Macan Dead's hea se» (Mo ison 1987a: 33). Pila e, Milkman's aun , is he he o's guide/pilo in bis ques o iden i y. His physical jou ney o he Sou h in sea ch o a bag o gold is umed in o a spi i ual joumey in sea ch o sel hood and cul u al iden i y. A e a long and complica ed p ocess he inds who he eally is and whe e he comes om, as we ll as he impo an! alue o his ances o s. « He joumeys om spi i ual dea h o ebi h, a di ec ion symbolized by his disco e y o he sec e powe o ligh » (Lee 1985: 353). Pila e's dea h a he end o he no el is ela ed o ano he image o bi ds; a e chis dea h, we a e old ha one bi d «di ed in o he new g a e and scooped some hing shiny in i s beak be a e i lew away» (Mo ison l 987a: 336), ha i s, Pila e's ea ing whe e she kep he name in a small box . Thi s symbolic scene ep e se n s Pila e's ebi h; a e he physical dea h, Pila e's soul is ca ied o Hea en by a psychopomp o spi i -guide - he bi d.1 l is hen ha Milk nan ealizes ha «I w ji hou e e lea ing he g ound, she could ly» (Mo ison l 987a: 336). She is no dead because now she belongs o he wo ld o he ances o s who a e no physically p esen bu a e spi i ually ali e. We can say ha Song o Solomon is he no el whe e bi ds a e used in a mos posi i e way in ha h ey symbolize ebi h and eedom wi h he excep ion o he winged bu g ounded woman on he Packa d. All in all, he linge ing image we will ha e when we inish eading he book is Milkman's ligh , which ep esen s he eedom o his soul om ma e ialism and his spi i ual ebi h (Julien 1996: 39). In o de o ly Milkman has o gi e up his ma e ial possessions and his g eed ha weighed him down like a peacock hinde ed by i s ail (Mo ison l 987a: 179). The peacock, which is ela ed o Osun, he Yo uba o isa o Lo e, A , and Sensuali y, as a symbol o he beau y, is also a emind e o he isks o o e indulging possessions and weal h (Neima k 1993: 143). Like his aun Pila e, and like bis ances o , he ly in g A ican Solomon, Milkman can inally ly: l. This i magc o hc bi d as soul-canic b ings lo mind Haile Ge ima's ilm Sanko a. which also includcs hc my h o h e ligh back o A ica. Whcn Nunu,one o !he sla cs on he plan a ion, is kill ed hy he son, pcople say hcy saw a big buzza d coming down and aking he bac.:k o A ica. And a he end o he ilm wc can hca Shola elling us how shc lies back o A ica akcn by a big bu7.za d oo. B oke11 Wings o e edom: Ri d Image y in Toni Mo ison 's N Jl'e/s 79 Wi hou wiping away he ea s, aking a deep b ea h, o e en bending his knees -he leaped. As lee and b igh as a lodes a he wheeled owa d Gui a and i did no ma e which one o hem would gi e up his ghos in he killing a ms o his b o he . Fo n ow he knew wha Shalima knew: I you su ende ed o he ai , you could ide i . (Mo nison l 987a: 337) Thus he no el ends wi h he he o's spi i ual e bi h g an ed by his acknowledgemcn o his Jegenda y pas .2 A he end o Ta Baby, Jadine's ligh back o Pa ís on he man-made bi d, he plan e, is qui e di e en om Milkman 's me apho ical ligh , as i akes h e away om hc possibili y o closeness o he ances o s and he cul u e. In s ead o s aying in he Ca ibbean and keeping a connec ion wi h hc oo s ha would empowe he p esen and he u u e, she lies o Pa is o join he well-o pa oe and con inue he li e o g andeu , des oying «a ny ela ionship o communi y in he sel » (Ch is ian 1985: 243). This is ano he case o spi i ual dea h b ough abou by cul u al aliena ion, simila o he one we could see in Milkman be o e his double jou ney. I he e is a no el whe e Mo ison makes a as and ex ao dina ily powe ul use o bi d image y, ha no el is Belo ed. Mo ison u ilizes di e en ypes o bi d in his s o y, namely he oos e , he ca dinal, be do e, he hawk, and h e hummingbi d. Thei ep esen a ion in he na a i e is such ha hey a e closely associa ed wi h he ho o s o sla e y and he ensuing al e a ion o human na u e. The i s bi d ha appea s in Belo ed is he oos e . Among i s nume ous mcanings and associa ions we can men ían i s classi ica ion as a sola symbol because i s c owing he alds he dawn and announces he end o da kness (Che alie 1994: 209, 211). Sudanese people o Mali ela e i s oo o he symbolism o he c oss- oads because o i s shape. This bi d is also one o he many symbols associa ed wi h Ch is , in he New Tes amen s o y old in Ma hew 26, and Ma k 14. As Ch is had p edic ed, Pe e h ice denies his discipleship be o e cockc ow, hence i s as socia ion o he dea h and esu ec ion o he Sa iou (Walke 1988: 397). I al so symbolizes p ide (Alonso 1995: 183) and masculini y as shown in i s phallic ep esen a ions in Roman sculp u es (Walke 1988: 397). When Pa ul D digs in o he pas and desc ibes his humilia ing imp isonmen , he does no conside he pain and deg ada ion caused by he i on bi he was o ced o wea in his mou h. Wha he ound mos humilia ing was he s a e and appa en smile o Mís e , he oos e whom he had helpcd o ha ch: «He 2. Jacquelinc de Wee e poin s ou an in c cs ing in e sion o he my h o he !lying Daedalus: «unlike Daedal us , who lies because o hub is, hc hc o Milkman llics because o !o e» (De Wc e e 19 91: 4 ), lo e o Pila e and o his ances o s. In a simila mannc , Dcbo ah Gu h makes a <lis inc ion bc ween Solo mon's o iginal íligh hack o A ica o escape sla c y and Milkman's ligh a he end o he no el: «In his onc momen he [Mi!kman] inal!y epossesscs his my hic he i age. Mo e han ha , he gi es i new meaning. Fo Solomon 's o iginal !ligh de in cd ccdom asan escape om he p esen : bu as Milkman leaps in o he ai and in o he a ms o he 'b o he 'poised o kili him.hc emb aces he p esen as well as he legenda y pas and de ines cedom as a comp lex connec edness» (Gu h l 993: 584). This is an examplc o Monison's simul ancous use and c ision o my h. 80 Susa na Ve.¡¡a Gom:. ále z sa igh hc e on he ub looking a me. l swea he smiled ... Mis e , he looked so . .. ee. Be e han me. S onge , oughe . Son o a bi ch couldn ' e en ge ou he sheJI by hissel bu he was s ill king and l was ... » (Mo ison 1988: 72). The image o he oos e s a ing a Paul D is augh wi h i ony in ba he man is no only di spossesse d o his manhood bu also o his humani y h ough sla e y. His condilion is such ha he e en somehow wishes o be in h e posi ion o Mí s e , no as much because i is king and mís e /mas e bu because i s na u e has no been deg aded: Mis e was allowed o be and s ay wha he was. Bu I wasn' allowed o be and s ay wha I wa s. E en i you cooked him you'd be cooking a oos e named Mís e . Bul wasn ' no way I' d e e be Paul D again, li ing o dead. School ea - che changed me. 1 was some hing else and ha some hing was less han a chic- ken si ing in he sun on a ub. (Mo ison 1988: 72) Jns ead o announcing dayligh , he oos e he alds comple e da kness o Paul D. He wonde s: «How could a oos e know abou Al ed, Geo gia'1» (Mlmison 1988: 229); he o eknowledge a ibu ed o his bi d is in e ed he e as i is no ligh hu pain and da kness ha i o e ells. The nex bi d Monison in oduces wi h hi ghly symholic conno a ions is he ca dinal. «Belo ed u ned a ound and le ... pausing o wa ch a ca d inal hop om limb o b anch. She o ll owe d he blood spo shi ing in he lea es un il she los i and e en hen she walked on, backwa d, s ill hung y o ano he glimpse» ( Monison 1988: l O 1). This bi d o b igh ed plumage in he mal e an d swee oice he e s ands as a emind e o he hlood shed when Se he cu s he baby 's h oa . The «blood spo » Belo ed hanke s a e p obably signi i es he hi s o e enge mixed wi h !o e o he mo he . La e on in he no el, he image o he ca dinal is again ela ed o blood om killing. This ime S amp Pa id sees some hing simila o a ed ca dinal ea he on he bo om o he i e ; as he ugs a i , he ealizcs ha i was ac ually «a ed ibbon kno ed a ound a cu l o we woolly hai , clinging s ill o i s bi o scalp» (MmTi son 1988: 180). Once again, he ho o s o sla e y a e conju ed up h ough images o bi ds. Wha could be a beau i ul ca dinal ea he u ns ou o be he ema ins o a lynched black pe son. The do e has always been one o he mos e nblema ic bi ds, ep esen a i e o peace and !o e. I s whi e plumage has con eyed he idea o pu i y; e en in he New Tes amen Jesu s e e s o do es as «innocen » (Ma l h ew 10: 16 ). The do e also ep esen s he Holy Spi i who descended upon Ma y o imp egna e he h ough he ea . In Mo ison 's no el he posi i e symbolism a ached o h is bi d is in e ed and dis up ed. Wc i s hea o do es when Paul D is chained-up in he p ison camp: The dew, mo e likely ban no , was mis by hen. Hea y so me imes and i he dogs we e quie a nd jus b ea hing yo u could h ea do es. Kneeling in he mis hey wai ed o he whim o a gua d. o wo , o h ee. O maybe a li o hem B o ke11 Wings o F eedom: Bi d /mage in To11i Mo ison 's N<ll'e/s 81 wan e<l i . Wan ed i om one p isone in pa icula o none -o ali. (Mo i son 1988: 10 7) This is one mo e in e sion o adi ional bi d ima g e y ; a om b eing a peace ul and lo ing si u a i on, i seems o be a pa o he wo ld gone aw y: black men kneeling do wn wa i ing o hei in ake o seme n om he i whi e opp esso s. «Üccasio na lly a kn ee li ng man cho se gunsho in hi s head as he p ice, ma ybe, o aking a bi o o eskin wi h him o Jesu s. Paul O did no know ha hen. He was looking a his palsied hands, sme lling he gua d, lis ening o his so g un s so like he do es'» (Mo ison 1988: 108). The s iking and i onic compa ison be ween he gua d 's g un s and he do es' sound eminds us o he dis up i e condi ion o sla e y, which mean «[l]is ening o he do es ... and ha ing nei he he igh no he p enniss ion o enjoy i because in ha place mis , do es. sunligh , coppe di . moon -e e y hing belonged o he men who had he guns» (Mo ison 1988: 162). Ou nex en co un e wi h ano h e ype o bi d occu s in he mo s hea ending sc ene in h e no el: Se he's mu de o h e baby daugh e o sa e he om sla e y. S amp Paid associa es his en aged mo he wi h a hawk: «he ace beaked ... he hands wo k ed like claws» (Mo ison 1988: 157). The hawk was he o emic o m o he Egyp ian go d Ho us and he pha aoh 's une al ce emonies «o en included he elease o a li e hawk o depic he d ea d king's soul lying away o i s home in hea en» (Wa lke 198 8: 403). Bu i is i s condi ion o bi d o p cy ha is used in i s ela ion o Se he, wi h a special ocus 011 he b eak and claw s:1 In his ep isode he e is a second equ a ion o be maddened mo he o ano he bi d: he hummi ngbi d. When Se he se es School eache and he o he men app oaching, she hea d wings. Li lc hummingbi ds s uck hei needle beaks igh h ough he headclo h in o he hai and bea hei wings .. . She jus lcw. Collec.: ed e e y bi o li e she had mad e, ali he pa s o he ha we e p ecious and ine and beau i ul, and ca ied, pushed, d ngged hem . .. whe e no one could hu hem. O e he e. Ou side his place, whe e h ey wou l<l be sa e. And lhe hum- mingbi d wings b ea on. (Mo ison 1988: 163) Th esc sma ll bi ds wi h long beaks < <look like well equipped wa io s ... Thc beak s esemble buil -in pie cing weapons; so ne spccies ha e hin, cu in g beaks ha a e longe ha h ei bodies» (Benson 1989: 4). They a e agg essi e bi ds. Bccausc hey can ly s aigh up and down, o wa d an <l backwa d and hey can ho c in place, 3. The sa me imagc o beaks and claws hal Mo ison cmploys in Belo ed appca s in Gayl Jones's Co eg idnm. U sa ha s a d ea m wh : e she no iccs «lha my bclly was ~wollcn and cs less» and also eels « he humming and hea ing o wings ami claws in my highs and 1 cl a s i pcnis insidc me ... H is hai was likc whi c wings and we we c uni ed a hi h» (Jon es 1986: 76-77). Hc c Co egido a. he P011ugucsc sla e mas e who haun s hc women o he amily, is cqua cd wi h a bi d o p cy. 82 Susana Vega González hey a e associa ed wi h he Sun, ha seems o pe o m hese mo emen s oo (Hun 1977: 67-68). The hummingbi ds a e highly e i o ial and will de end hei g ounds « igo ously, whe he o no he in ude is o hei own amily, and qui e ega dless o size» (ci ed in Hun 1977: 67). In his case, he agg essi eness o he hummingbi d, oge he wi h h e gua ding o i s e i o y seem o i Se he in he mos unbea able expe ie nce. Like he bi d , she de end s he g ound a ali cos s; and like he hummingbi d, she wins as success ul wa. io in ha School eache will no ha e he baby. Howe e , wha she loses is he own pas , as she will keep i a bay in he dim ecesses o he mind. The episode o he hummingbi d is epea ed a he end o he no el, when Se he akes Den e 's em pl oye , M Bodwin, o School eache , ying his ime o kill him ins ead o he daugh e (Mo ison 1988: 262). While Paul D wan s o keep he unbea able pas whe e i belongs, «in ha obacco in bu icd in his ches whe e a ed hea used o be,» Se he keeps «bea i ng back he pas » (Mo ison 1988: 72-73), a pas oo ho ible o ela e. These a e h e unspeakable hings unspoken Mo ison speaks abou ; she ips he eil ha co e s he u h. Wi h his no el, Mo ison demons a es ha i is possible o come back om he cccsses o his o y o «exo cise one's ghos s»; Belo ed is no only Se he's daugh e bu also he ghos s o hose six y million and mo e sla es who pe ished unde sla e y a nd h ough he Middle Passage. Thus Mo ison in e s Belo ed's a e: ins ead o emaining si lenced he ghos is made lesh and comes ou o ela e how i eels o be in da kness. Like he Egyp ian phoenix, he ghos o he pas esu ec s i sel . Mo ison,like many o he A ican Ame ican au ho s, econs uc s he pas h ough he «imagina i e ac .» as she pu s i (Zinsse 1987: 11 2) and uses ha pas o imp o e he p esen and he u u e. This un ion o pas and p esen embodies he essence o he bi d sanko a , which in h e Akan language means « e u ning o you oo s, ecupe a ing wha you' e los , and mo ing o wa d» (Wool o d 1994: 103). So o Mo ison i <loes no seem jus a ques ion o nos algia o he pas , bu a necessa y e ie al o i o help unde s and ou p esen be e . A e his analysis o bi d image y in Mo ison's wo ks we can conclude ha hcy cons i u e one mo e example o in e sion in his w i e . Th ough he ic ion. she ums h e wo ld upside down, in clea e lec ion o he i alionali y o he sys em and en i onmen ha engul ed A ican Ame icans om he i ea ly expe ience in he Ame icas. Dis np ion and in e sion o human na u e we e a he hea o sla e y and acism and his is wha Mo ison in cnds o p011 ay in he no els. l human beings a e umed in o animals, hen bi ds can be g ounded wi h b oken wings. We ha e seen ha in many o he cases we ha e s udied, bi ds a e o en augh wi h negali e meaning, une o su e ing, pain, humilia ion, madness, and dea h, in keeping wi h he dis up i e cha ac e o na u e ha is p esen in his au hoi; as i happens a he beginning o Sula, o ins ance. Only in a ew cases does Mo ison abide by he adi ional equa ion o bi ds/ ligh and eedom o ebi h. Wha we ha e le is he hope o spi i u al egene a ion and, like he bi d sanko a, hc possibili y o mo ing o wa d a e exo cising hose haun ing ghos s om he pas , e en i ha pa s is ull o dying ob in s, smiling oos e s, bloody ca dinals. g un ing do es, p eda o y hawks, maddening hummingbi ds, and g ounded bi ds. B oken Wings o F eedom: Bi d lm age y in Toni Mo ison 's No els 83 WORKSCITED ALONSO, J. FELIPE. 1995. Dicciona io de Alquimia, Cábala y Simbología. Mad id: T igo. BENSON, ELIZABETH P. 1989. «In Lo e and Wa : Hummingbi d Lo e.» «in w e and Wa : Hummingbi d w e» and O he Selec ed Pape s om L.AIWALIIA 's 1988 Symposium. Ed. Ma y H. P euss. Cul e Ci y, Cali o nia: Laby in hos. 3-8. CHEV ALIER, JEAN, and ALAIN GHEERBRANT. 1994. A Dic iona y o Symhols. T ans. John Buchana-B own. Camb idge, Massachuse s: Blackwell. CHRISTIAN, BARBARA. 1980. Black Women No elis s. The De elopmen o a T adi ion, 1892-1976. 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