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Throughout the book, Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison, the image of flight is a major symbol. It signifies true life and the living of it, as well as a sense of freedom, of release, and touches the lives of all the main characters in the book, as it is a part of the Deads family history. But the most affected is Milkman, who embarks on a journey of self-discovery, and discovers this true meaning of flight. The first instance of Morrison's use of the image of flight is at the very beginning of the book. "At 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday the 18th of February, 1931, I will take off from Mercy and fly away on my own wings. Please forgive me. I loved you all. Robert Smith, Ins. Agent" (p 3) Smith is unable to take the pressure of his life any longer and longs for an escape. He finds that escape in flight with blue silk wings, however short-lived it is, and the death following it. Before his death, he was one of the Seven Days, the small group of men devoted to keeping the balance of blacks and whites equal, which is one of the causes of his desire for an escape from life. As he says in his note, he had become one of the Seven Days for love of black people, not for any hate of whites. While the first image does not seem consistent with the