Physical Abnormalities
In Song of Solomon , two of the main characters, Pilate and Milkman, both have physical abnormalities. Pilate doesn't have a navel, where Milkman's one leg is shorter than the other. Even though both of their physical abnormalities seem minor, they have both impacted their lives. When Pilate was younger she was frequently ostracized from her different communities for her lack of a navel. As soon as someone would find out about her physical abnormality, usually while having sex, they would spread the word to everyone else in the community. Pilate then would often be thrown out, because the community members were scared of the impacts of being around a woman who's "different". Because of this treatment, Pilate changed her entire life to make sure no one would ever find out about her lack of a navel. When she worked with the island community and got pregnant, "Pilate refused to marry the man, who was eager to take her for his wife. Pilate was afraid that she w...