"'Why Don't He Like My Hair?' Constructing African-American Standards of Beauty" was written by Bertram D. Ashe, an English professor at University of Richmond that writes about contemporary black American culture in literature. In this article, he discusses the importance of hair and appearance of female characters in Song of Solomon.
Ashe proposes that in Song of Solomon, Morrison set up Pilate and Hagar Dead as opposite sides of a coin regarding their stance on changing their hair to meet the white female standard of beauty. He claims that Pilate is dismissive of the expectations, choosing not to "attempt to emulate the 'cultural ideal of femininity'. Instead, after cutting her hair, Pilate looks within for answers". Hagar, on the other hand, "is trapped between her own African physical features and the white-female ideal of beauty. She is perfectly aware of the priority men...place on female hair, and Hagar is well aware that she doesn't quite measure up." These claims appear to be reasonable, as Pilate is noted throughout the novel to defy the expectations set of her: making and selling liquor, her closely shorn locks, her clothing not meeting her brother's standards. Hagar does immediately try to 'improve' her appearance when she spots Milkman with a girl with "silky copper-colored hair".
Ashe proposes that in Song of Solomon, Morrison set up Pilate and Hagar Dead as opposite sides of a coin regarding their stance on changing their hair to meet the white female standard of beauty. He claims that Pilate is dismissive of the expectations, choosing not to "attempt to emulate the 'cultural ideal of femininity'. Instead, after cutting her hair, Pilate looks within for answers". Hagar, on the other hand, "is trapped between her own African physical features and the white-female ideal of beauty. She is perfectly aware of the priority men...place on female hair, and Hagar is well aware that she doesn't quite measure up." These claims appear to be reasonable, as Pilate is noted throughout the novel to defy the expectations set of her: making and selling liquor, her closely shorn locks, her clothing not meeting her brother's standards. Hagar does immediately try to 'improve' her appearance when she spots Milkman with a girl with "silky copper-colored hair".
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