The two key components of knowing of self-knowledge and abandoning all burdens are the steps necessary to obtain the ability to fly and the chance to soar.
Flying requires people to abandon burdens, even those that are close to the heart, and allows a person to reach a place of freedom. Solomon, the legendary figure of Shalimar and Milkman's sought out grandfather, leaves a huge burden behind when he flies off to freedom. By flying, Solomon was able to escape from a life of slavery, as he is described, "He [Solomon] could fly his own self!.He didn't need no airplane. He just took off; got fed up He flew baby" (328). The use of anaphora emphasizes the fact that Solomon escapes from his life of slavery. Unlike other slaves, Solomon took the initiative to find a way to leave the slave world behind. As long as he lets everything go, he can fly. Leaving behind his family and his past, Solomon soars up into the air to break free from a life he dreaded. By realizing that he needs to escape from his current life, Solomon knows that his identity will not be found if he stays as a slave. In the same way, Solomon is seen as a man that was able to fulfill his goal to fly, but left his family behind. He was the one exception to all of the slaves, being able to reach freedom. His legacy is left in the form of a song, as the people of Shalimar sing, "Everybody! He left everybody down on the ground and he sailed on off like a black eagle. 'o-o-o-o-o-o Solomon done fly, Solomon done gone/ Solomon cut across the sky, Solomon gone home!'" (328-329). By flying off to reach his own freedom, Solomon left everyone behind. He soared off as like a strong black eagle, but he never came back for any of his people. The people of Shalimar sing his song, hoping for his return, but they know that he is never going to come back. He has returned to his home away from slavery, but they continue to hope that someday he will return to his home in the roots of slavery.
