Hunger

Hunger is reoccurring motif in chapter 10 of Song of Solomon. Now I'm not talking about hunger in the sense that Milkman hasn't eaten a lot lately. At first glance, the reader may read it as simply Milkman's lack of food, but the meaning Toni Morrison has put behind his hunger is much deeper. 

Milkman's extreme hunger in this passage represents the absence of material goods and wealth he has experienced during his journey. He is so used to having everything he could ever want and excess money that when he is without his father's money, he goes through withdrawal. His withdrawal symptoms are shown when he "[begins] to shake with hunger" and when "his stomach [is] in a spasm"(253). He thinks back to his breakfast with Mrs. Cooper which was not good enough to eat because he was drunk. This symbolizes his lack of appreciation for material goods (Mrs. Cooper's breakfast) due to the fact that he has always had enough money and never had to worry about it (him being drunk). 

Milkman's hunger is also symbolizing his desire to learn his family's history. He states that he didn't know "how they grew" in reference to his family which is what he is looking for. Milkman "didn't know what to look for" when he left to search for his family. He has been on a search to find his family members or people who knew them but has been unsuccessful and frustrated. He wants to learn about his past so badly that he describes it as a "desire to taste something good"(253). He is starving, and learning his history would be like a good meal. Milkman's desire to know his origin and family history is so strong it is physically affecting him.