The son of Solomon, father of Pilate and Macon Dead II, and husband to Sing. Though his real name is Jake, his legal name is Macon Dead I, because when he told a Freedman’s Bureau official that his father was dead and lived in Macon, the official mistakenly wrote “Dead, Macon” as his name. Macon Dead I was a respected man in his Virginia community, but a powerful white family, the Butlers, murdered him and took his land when Macon Dead II was a child.
Jake Character Timeline in Song of Solomon
The timeline below shows where the character Jake appears in Song of Solomon. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Part 1, Chapter 2
Milkman notices that Macon seems more relaxed and easy-going than usual. He asks how Macon’s father died. Macon remembers that his father, who was illiterate, was tricked into signing a contract... (full context)
Part 2, Chapter 10
...the four days for the trip, he meets other men who remember Macon Dead and Macon’s father as powerful, successful men who overcame racism and poverty. They’re delighted to hear that Macon... (full context)
Part 2, Chapter 12
...interprets the rest of the children’s song, realizing that they’re singing about his own family. Jake, his grandfather, was the son of a man named Solomon, who seems to have loved... (full context)
Part 2, Chapter 14
...Heddy; he learns that Heddy was Susan’s grandmother, an Indian woman, who took care of Jake after Jake’s father mysteriously disappeared. Heddy later gave birth to Susan’s father, Crowell. Susan had... (full context)
Part 2, Chapter 15