Real Roses Have Thorns, Fake Roses Have Monetary Value

"Her half-grown daughters scrambled about trying to catch them, while their mother moaned and held the underside of her stomach."

     We discussed in class that the fake rose petals dropped by Ruth in chapter one symbolize the fake love between many characters in the book, but when I reread the chapter, I noticed something else: every time the fake velvet rose petals are discussed, it has something to do with Ruth's "half-grown children".

     We observe in chapter 1 that Ruth has some interesting maternal tendencies, of which she is obviously aware since she was so ashamed when Freddie saw her partaking in them. It can be inferred that Ruth partakes in these activities not for a loving maternal purpose, but instead for her own pleasure (yeah, nasty), which is implied by Morrison's tone and the allusion to Rumplestiltskin, which we discussed in class.

     This idea leads to the notion that the weight of Ruth and Macon Jr's loveless marriage is dropped entirely on the fragile shoulders of their children. Morrison ensures that the fragility is subtly but notably touched on by her repetition of the phrase "half-grown" when referring to Ruth's children, who picked up the fake flower petals, and "spent hour after hour tracing, cutting, and stitching the costly velvet." (side note: "costly" hints at Macon Jr.'s materialistic values, which can be assumed to be a factor in his detachment as a father and his lack of empathy for Mrs. Bains!)

     Moving on, we notice that Milkman's name is another example of the burden placed on him by his mom. He first received it from Freddie, who witnessed the breastfeeding incident, and had to deal with not understanding how he got it while having a hunch about its hidden meaning. That's tough.

     Furthermore, Morrison's inclusion of Ruth's pregnancy and her inability to help pick up the petals shows that she relies on her kids to ensure that she won't have to put effort into anything other than her maternal duties (depicted by her pregnancy with Milkman) as well as to save Macon's love from being "soiled" (as shown by the mention of "Gerhardt's Department Store", by which Macon Jr. is represented).

     Essentially, Morrison's first chapter is loaded with character introductions, uncomfortable descriptions, and a downright insane amount of hidden meanings within just 30 pages, all introducing the dysfunction of the Dead family and how it contributes to the children's lives.