It is no secret that Toni Morrison finds names and denominations very important in her novel The Song of Solomon. Declaring the importance of names early on, the novel's epigraph reads: "Fathers may soar / and children may know their names" (Morrison). When first reading the novel, people may be surprised by the large quantity and obscurity of the characters' names. Names like “Milkman,” “Guitar,” and “Empire State” seem strange and meaningless, but as readers explore the novel, they see the importance of these names and how they further benefit the story. We see the value of these names in different ways. We see both how others see themselves through their names as well as how characters see themselves through the identity that is their name. Morrison also uses the name extensively as a source of symbolism and intertextuality, naming characters after their biblical similarities as well as their attributes. Morrison expresses the importance of naming throughout Song of Solomon through the characters' perception of themselves and others through their name as well as the meaning of their name. Morrison names each character with a reason, using both intertextuality and symbolism. Characters such as the names of the First Corinthians and Magdalena come from the Bible and are used as further characterization. The two most important biblical characters in the novel are Pilate and Hagar. Hagar's biblical counterpart was a concubine in Genesis. This is a reference to the way she is treated by Milkman, used only for her gender which she longs for his love. She does not know the meaning of her biblical name unlike Pilate. The name Pilates was chosen by his illiterate father by choosing "a group of letters that seemed strong and beautiful to him" (18). H...... middle of paper...... it's in his handwriting. We see her use it as a literary tool using intertextuality in names such as Pilate and Hager to help convey the characters more fully. We also see Morrison appreciate the power of names in how characters identify themselves and each other. Ultimately, Song of Solomon is a story of self-discovery. MorrisonWorks City of Plagues. (nd). Collins English Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 10th Edition. Retrieved April 11, 2014 Davis, Cynthia A. "Self, Society, and Myth in the Fiction of Toni Morrison." » Contemporary literature. 3rd ed. Flight. 23. Np: University of Wisconsin, nd 323-42. JSTOR. Internet. April 17, 2014. .Dreifus, Claudia. “CHLOE WOFFORD talks about TONI MORRISON.” The New York Times. Np, September 11, 1994. Web. April 10, 2014. Morrison, Toni. Song of Solomon. New York: Knopf, 1977. Print.