How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
But most important, she paid close attention to her mentor – the father who appeared before her sometimes and told her things. (1.5.150)
Pilate’s the most grounded and sensible person in the world of Song and the lady converses on a daily basis with her dad’s ghost. Hmm.
Quote #8
As soon as they both regained balance, there was a huge airy sigh that each one believed was made by the other. […] There was a deep sigh again and an even more piercing chill. […] The moonlight was playing tricks on him, for he thought he saw the figure of a man standing right behind his friend. (1.8.187)
Now we know for sure that ghosts exist in Song. Even though Milkman and Guitar are completely oblivious to the sighs and the ghostly figure of a man standing next to them, we the readers know that these sounds and visions are indeed Pilate’s dad. And now, it’s not only Pilate and Macon who have experienced ghost encounters, but Milkman and Guitar have too (even if they don’t realize it), making the witnesses of ghosts a grand total of five (Pilate, Macon, Guitar, Milkman, Freddie, and maybe even Ruth. The lady talks to her dad’s grave almost every night). The reason we’re so obsessed with who’s seen a ghost is that, if ghosts exist, then anything is possible. Including flying.
Quote #9
Perhaps this woman is Circe. But Circe is dead. This woman is alive. That was as far as he got, because although the woman was talking to him, she might in any case still be dead – as a matter of fact, she had to be dead. Not because of the wrinkles, and the face so old it could not be alive, but because out of the toothless mouth came the strong, mellifluent voice of a twenty-year old girl. (2.10.240)
For some reason, we’re not totally obsessed with finding out whether Circe is a dream, a mirage, a figment of the imagination, or a ghost. Circe is Circe, and it seems to make perfect sense that she is still around and kicking, living with a pack of inbred, nicely groomed dogs. It’s just another day in the life of Milkman Dead. We’re becoming accustomed to the Dead world, where we have to suspend our sense of reality or throw it out the window because, what is reality anyway and who decides?