-
Birth
Milkman is born as Robet Smith decides he can fly and jumps to his death from the top of Mercy Hospital "Macon Dead could not leave" (30). -
Milkman meets Pilate and Hagar for the first time
Milkman and Guitar go to Pilate's shack and Milkman meets Pilate, Hagar and Reba for the first time. He is immidialty smitten with Hagar. "What kind of a word is that" (36)? -
Christmas shopping
Milkman does all of his Chirstmas shopping at Rexall's drug store. He doesn't care about what he get his family, or even Hagar for that matter. It is a classic "Old Milkman" move. "Once again he did his Christmas shopping in a Rexall drugstore" (90). -
Milkman learns some family history
Milkman follows his mother to a graveyard way out in the country, where she explains that her father was the only man that she ever loved, becaue he was the only man who ever loved her. Ruth explains that she kept her father alive too long, and sucked on his fingers after he died, and also explains the rumors of her sleeping with her father are not true. "Only when the wheels were actually turning and the engine had cleared its throat did Ruth begin, and she began in the middle of a sentence as -
Attempt on Milkman's life
Hagar, distraught with Milkman's breakup, goes on to try and kill him at least once a month. She is unable to because she loves him so much, going so far as to get into his room to stab him, yet barely breaking the surface of his skin. -
Pilate's story
Pilate tells Milkman the story of her life, from when she had to leave the family farm up until she came to Detroit -
Emmett Till
Emmett Till is murdered in Mississippi, and Guitar explains about his involvement in the Seven Days -
Macon Jr.'s History
Macon Jr. tells his story, from when he was born on the family farm to the time that he came to Detroit. He explains about the gold that him and Pilate found in the cave, and that he thinks she took it. -
Arrest
Milkman and Guitar are arrested for stealing a bag of bones, and Pilate comes to get them out of jail. She must appeal the racial sterotypes of the police officers and do what Milkman calls her "Aunt Jemima" act (209) -
Begining of the Journey
Milkman decides to go back to where his family came from and try to find the gold that was left by Macon, Jr. and Pilate. He takes his first ride on an airplane ever, from Detroit to Pittsburgh, where he then takes the Greyhound bus to Danville, PA -
Meets Circe
Milkman wanders out to the Butler household and meets Circe, who is watching the house fall down and not keeping it in shape. She guides Milkman to the location of the cave. -
The Cave
Milkman finds his way to the cave that Macon and Pilate hid out in. He finds no gold in the cave, only the skeleton of the white man that Macon Jr. killed. -
Helping out
Milkman walks though the town freight station, and is asked by a man to help him out with a very large package. Milkman obliges, and is the start of his change in personality. He is also seen by Guitar, who interprets this action the wrong way -
Shalimar
Milkman finds Shalimar, VA purley by accident when his car breaks down. He gets into a fight with one of the local people -
The hunt
Milkman goes out hunting with some of the men in Shalimar. He is found by Guitar in the woods, and Guitar trys to strangle Milkman before the rest of the hunters can get back and catch him -
Meets Sweet
Milkman goes to Sweet, a prostitute. He does some of her chores wilingly, and begins to show his shift towards what he will become. "He scouerd the tub. She ironed his clothes and hung them out to dry. He paid her fifty dollars" (285) -
Talks to Susan Byrd
Milkman goes to Susan Byrd and learns about his ancestors. He learns that he is the direct decendant of Soloman, the man who flew away. Milkman is the grandson of the one kid that Soloman tried to take with him -
Goes With Pilate to bury her father
Milkman goes with Pilate back to Shalimar to bury the bones of her father, whose bones were in the bag tahat she had been carrying around with her. "Pilate laid the bones carefully into th esmall grave. Milkman heaped dirt over them and packed itdown with thebak of his shovel" (335) -
Milkman leaps a guitar
As Milkman and Pilate go into Ryna's gulch, Guitar shoots Pilate, and then Milkman leaps at him. "Without wiping away the tears, taking a deep breath, or even beding he kness--he leaped" (337).
