Meridian is the story of Meridian Hill, a black student who joins the Civil Rights Movement and enters a tumultuous romance with another member of the cause. Her lover, Truman Held, is mercurial in his commitment both to the movement and to Meridian. Meridian herself remains steadfast even through enduring an abortion and the messy end of her relationship with Truman as he leaves in pursuit of financial success and a romance with a white woman. The novel deals with the place of women in the Civil Rights struggle.
Walker wrote the novel at a time when many young black people were steering from the tenets of nonviolence and civil disobedience that had characterized the early years of the movement and took on more militant and extreme positions that alienated their supporters. Some literary critics believe that the novel is a critique of the path that the Civil Rights Movement had taken. They claimed that Walker felt that the revolution never addressed the suffering of women; rather it merely perpetuated destructive and often chauvinistic values.
Many critics also felt that Walker used Meridian to showcase her womanist (as opposed to feminist) attitudes. A strong believer in the inherent power of the woman, Walker depicts her title character as an innately tough and resolute person, though not one without problems as well. In fact, Walker argues that personal struggles are an unavoidable part of life and yet this is how one overcomes one's obstacles and, ultimately, define their character. Meridian frequently turns to earlier examples of strong female role models, especially Walker doubts her own inner strength.
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