page 81[Freddie speaking] "A dead man ain't no man. A dead man is a corpse. That's all. A corpse."
Question: 1) How does Freddie's comment relate to Milkman's conclusion that "[your name] will die when you do"?
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• Just as a man dies his name can be forgotten. The only way it won’t be is to have done something to be remembered by. A dead man is a corpse, but his actions will live on. Those who are affected by his actions will carry a remnant of the man. The same goes for a name. If there is some story connected with the name it won’t be forgotten. Actions put both these concepts hand in hand. If a dead man’s actions are remembered, his name will be, too.
Milkman believes that your name dies when you do. He thinks that unless you did something memorable then you will be forgotten which means your name will be forgotten as well. It relates to Freddie’s comment; because a dead man is no longer alive why should he be called a man. It is a corpse because there is nothing left that it can do for the world. It is gone and no longer makes an impact on anything. So, it is forgotten just like Milkman says, but it is forgotten because it is no longer useful. A dead man can only be remembered if there is something or someone to remember him. So if you make an impression on anyone while you are alive then you will be remembered for it when you are gone which means you name will be remembered too. Both Milkman and Freddie believe that you are forgotten once you are gone and there is nothing you can do about it. I do not agree with this I think you will be remembered no matter what, everyone makes an impact in the world even if they don’t know they did.
Names are extremely critical in this novel. So critical, in fact, that they determine your life or your death. Milkman believes that when you die, your name goes with you. When Pilate's box with her name in it was ripped from her ear, that was the end of her. When you die, your name goes along with your corpse, just as Pilate's name went with her. This is how Freddie's statements relates with Milkman's conclusion, that if a man is no longer alive, he is no longer a man. Freddie's statement also accentuates the fact that Milkman is neither alive nor dead. His lack of spirituality originates from his lack of self-identity and family-identity. After reflecting upon his name, he concludes that it will die when he does.
Milkman wants to be remembered so badly but he realizes that he is barely remembered now and when he dies no one will remember him at all. The death of an individual's name is a strange thought because one is remembered for what he or she had done on this earth while they were alive and these actions are attached with their name. In the case of Milkman he doesn't have any actions that are labeled with his name. Freddie's statement relates with Milkman's beliefs because a corpse is just an object with nothing attached with it. A man at least has pride and dignity but a corpse is worthless just like a name if there is nothing with it.
I agree with both Anna and Gillie about how a dead man will be remembered by his actions. Both of these quotes seem inaccurate in the same way to me. They have a dull outlook on life: you live and you die, then you are gone. These thoughts are inconsiderate to the people these characters will leave behind. They also give me a feeling that a whole generation in this society has given up. Most people want to be remembered for something be it money, fame, success, etc. It seems like this group of people has given up and has lost the will to succeed.
A dead man is just as the quote says, a corpse and whether or not you are remembered or forgotten is determined by one thing. The actions and accomplishments you achieve in your life. I you live an average life and do nothing extraordinary then your name will die when you do because there is nothing to remember. The only way for you to be remembered is to do something out of the ordinary or achieve success in something. If you do this then you will be remembered and your name will be remembered as well and won't die with your body and be forgotten with your corpse.
Once you die then you are forgotten. You're no longer a man as you were before, you're juts a corpse. Simple and plain. Such as Milkman believes with your name. Your name matters when you are alive (or you matter when you're a living man), but when you die (and become a corpse) then your name is forgotten as is your body or living self.
I completely agree with Anna. A name will be forgotten unless that person does something memorable that can be tacked onto the name. Freddie and Milkman are saying the same thing: once you die, you will not be remembered. In other words, your influence is no longer around. I disagree with these statements. Not all people are forgotten when they die. People's actions can make a difference long after their death. For example, Martin Luther King Jr. is dead, but he is remembered because he made a difference that lasts. Since his actions were great, he is, and will always be, remembered as a great person. I don't think that people are simply forgotten when they die. Each person makes a difference in this world, whether its big or small. Each person's legacy will always be in the world, whether it's widely remembered or not.
Your name is who you are, it is shaped by what you do while you are living. This is a good and bad thing, because you can remembered for good things you did during your life or bad things that you did in your life. George washington is remembered for a lot of good, but then you have Adolf Hitler who is equally known in the world but he did terrible things. People can seize this opportunity and try to strive in life, but other people dont realize it until its to late.
A dead man isn’t a man anymore because he can no longer contribute anything to the world. The only way to live on after death is to leave behind a legacy. If you walk through life unnoticed, you can’t expect to be remembered and revered when you’re dead. This relates to Milkman’s comment because if people don’t remember what you did in life, they’re certainly not going to remember your name. Milkman didn’t really ever do anything positive with his life or make a name for himself apart from his father. For this reason I believe that Milkman’s name died.
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