A Study of Alice Walker’s Meridian as an Eponymous Protagonist’s Journey from Ignorance to Self-Actualization
A Study of Alice
Walker’s Meridian as an Eponymous Protagonist’s Journey from Ignorance
to Self-Actualization
Ms. Trupti S. Handibag
Research Scholar
Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, MS, India
Dr. Sudhir P. MathpatiAssociate Professor and Research GuideDepartment of EnglishAdarsh Mahavidyalaya, Omerga Dist. Dharashiv, MS, India
Abstract:
The novel Meridian
reviews the life journey of the eponymous female protagonist. During the era of
slavery in America, being born into a black family was a great curse, and being
a woman in it was a subject of unimaginable torture. Meridian Hill is born to
parents who are financially independent. Her mother also does not want children
but once she has children, she takes care of them responsibly. Mrs. Hill's
failure to discipline their daughter Meridian results in Meridian becoming a
mother of one at seventeen, being expelled from school, and divorcing her
husband, Eddie. After the birth of her child she becomes aware of the responsibility
and takes a bold decision to hand over her child to her mother in law for
upbringing and enrolls herself in Saxon Institute for her further education.
After learning about the Civil Rights Movement, she realizes that this is the
goal of her life and she associates herself with this movement for the rest of
her life. Even though motherhood is a very intimate thing for a woman, Meridian
rejects motherhood and even rejects religion. Although this is a big step, she
proves that she is modern by boldly rejecting orthodox ideas. Truman comes into
her life and gives her more clarity about life. Meridian is very supportive of
Truman and his white wife, Lynne. Meridian has now moved beyond this
relationship and sees the individual as an integral part of society, and in
that spirit helps everyone. This revolutionary change in Meridian is
astounding. A very ordinary black woman has achieved a very high mental state
of self-actualization through extreme ups and downs.
Keywords: - Civil Rights Movement, Oppression, Struggle, Self-actualization,
Black, Feminism, Motherhood, Struggle, etc.
Meridian is the
second novel by Alice Walker, published in 1976. The novel describes the life
journey of a very ordinary African American woman who is the eponymous
protagonist. The plot of the novel unfolds against the backdrop of the Civil
Rights Movement in America in the 1960s. At the heart of the novel is the
drastic transformation in the role of the female protagonist of the novel
Meridian Hill. This is a journey of self-discovery of an ordinary woman in the
extremely volatile era. The plot of the novel revolves around the elements of
racial discrimination, equal rights, equal status and freedom in society.
The
most important discovery in the novel is Self-Actualization. It is astounding
how an ordinary woman can find her purpose in life under such adverse
circumstances. It is certainly astonishing that she treads the difficult path
of self-discovery alone with experience from the events that happened in her
life, the people she met.The psychologist Abraham Maslow is credited with first
introducing the concept of self-actualization. This concept assumes that the
latent potential in a person is fully developed and realized by that
person.Self-actualization is the act that a person wants to do for
self-pleasure and the satisfaction that he gets after all his basic needs are
fulfilled and he is freed from the cycle of ego.“What a man can be, he must be. This need we may call self-actualization” (Maslow, 93).
In the
1960s, the feminist movement contributed greatly to the cultural freedom of
women. In the novel Meridian, the idea of the feminist movement is largely purged. In
this novel, a big question mark has been raised on the role of motherhood which
is very important in a woman's life. Meridian's mother Mrs. Hill is also very
rebellious about the role of motherhood. Looking at the difference in nature
between Meridian's mother and father, it is hard to say that they are made for
each other.Mr. Hill and Mrs. Hill are both teachers by profession. Mr.Hill is
very calm, sincere and clean personality while Mrs. Hill is a thinking creative
personality. This family, which is financially prosperous, is also well known
in the society. After their marriage, Mrs. Hill gets introduced to post-marital
problems. When they had their first child then Mrs. Hill feels a tremendous
responsibility. Mrs. Hill is confused by this responsibility because until now she
has only thought about herself, but after this she has to put all her priorities
aside and think only about the needs of the baby. Mrs. Hill thinks that she has
been caught into a trap. Mrs. Hill feels that although the responsibility of
motherhood is so serious, no one has made her realize the importance of it.
Mrs. Hill realizes that her personal life is
over. Many women in the society are living only for children, henceforth she
also wants to live only for babies. She realizes very acutely that children are
a kind of burden. The feeling that an unwanted responsibility has suddenly been
imposed on her and that she has no chance of escaping from it depresses her.
Mrs. Hill wants to return to the teaching profession but things have changed a
lot. Due to the responsibilities of children, she does not get enough time to
study anymore. She is now finding it difficult to pass the exam required for a
teaching position and will no longer be able to match the new generation of
students in the classroom. It becomes impossible to satisfy own desires and
aspirations while satisfying the feelings of others.
After
Meridian grew up Mrs. Hill used to give her two pieces of advice, 'Keep your
panties up and your dress down' and 'be sweet', but she didn't give the teenage
girl enough ideas about sex. As a result Meridian also repeats her mother's
mistake and gives birth to a child at the age of just seventeen. Meridian is
not mentally competent to take responsibility for the child. She was still only
seventeen. A drop-out from high school, a deserted wife, a mother, a daughter
in law” (Walker, 73).
Meridian
eventually hands over her baby to the mother in law and is freed from the responsibility
of the child. Mrs. Hill dislikes her daughter for not raising the child. Even
though Meridian's mother did not want children, she dutifully raised them with
utmost responsibility. “I just don't see how you could let another woman raise
your child," she said. "It's just selfishness; you ought to hang your
head in shame. I have six children," she continued self-righteously,
"though I never wanted to have any, and I have raised everyone myself” (Walker,
88).
Refusing
to raise children in a context where slavery has forever torn countless
children from their parents is a betrayal of our ancestors. Meridian's great
great grandmother, who had two children sold, cleverly got her children back by
promising her owner to provide for them. Even though Meridian's grandmother
took responsibility for raising the child and gained custody of the children
only on the promise of earning twelve dollars for the children's education,
Meridian's denial of responsibility for the newborn, despite its history of
permanent separation of countless children during a time when the buying and selling
of African American slaves was common, is tantamount to treason.
Meridian's
mother tries to teach her to surrender to God, to have faith. Meridian tries
too but finds it all annoying and never wins her mother's heart. Her father's
rationality appeals more to her, so many of the decisions she takes in the
novel are intellectual rather than emotional. A good example is giving her
child to her mother in law.
Meridian's
mother Mrs. Hill also lives her life without much compromise. Mrs. Hill stays out
of politics and never votes. Being a teacher herself, she has immense respect
for teachers. However, her world is limited, so she is not aware of the rapid
changes in the outside world, which is why she is not able to bring up children
and guide them according to their age. Mrs. Hill's neglect leads Meridian to
come into contact with Eddie, a boy at high school. The friendship between the
two turns into love. It is Eddie who forces the sexually cold Meridian to have
sex, thereby impregnating her. Meridian leaves her mother's home to marry Eddie
and becomes the mother of a son at the age of just seventeen.
Marriage
to Eddie frees Meridian from the one thing she dislikes about being chased by
many boys. She gets tired of chasing her, so she gets rid of this trouble after
marriage. The pursuit of a black woman for sex sheds light on women's
insecurities and their status as objects of consumption in society. Meridian
doesn't enjoy sexual intercourse too much but Eddie is always eager for
physical contact. She is expelled from school for getting pregnant while
studying in high school. Eddie takes care of her during this difficult time and
works as a waiter to earn money. Although it is common for husband to beat
their wives in African American families, Eddie never beats Meridian. Like her
mother Meridian is also very annoyed to iron his clothes. She tried to be happy
in this mediocre situation.
Before
Eddie, George Dexter, a mulatto, and his assistant tried to sexually assault
her but were unsuccessful. The mentality which is more important is that for
white people a black girl is considered public property. Black people are not
behind in this kind of exploitation, they also see the girl as a property and
an object of consumption. It is a stark reality that many immature black girls
fall into the trap of sweet-talking boys and become victims of gender-based
violence.
The
first event that changed Meridian's life was the birth of her son, Eddie
Junior. After this, Meridian realized the true meaning of motherhood responsibility.
Suddenly her entire movements were controlled and all priorities changed.
Meridian compares motherhood to slavery. She is so burdened by the feelings of
motherhood that she dreams of killing herself or murdering her baby every
day.She starts doubting her abilities. On the one hand she feels like she is in
a vortex of despair and on the other hand she starts having doubts about Eddie.
Eddie seems attracted to a girl from Dexter. Even after having a son, Eddie’s
behavior is the same as before. He has not realized the responsibility of a
child and is still behaving like a school boy. He is also not very interested
in education because he has no knowledge of society and the outside world as
much as the world Meridian only knows from watching TV and listening to the
news. Eddie sees no other goal than sexual pleasure. Overall the mental state
of Meridian is very disturbed.
To get
out of such a situation, Meridian takes a shocking decision. She entrusts her
son to her mother-in-law for upbringing. Her mother doesn't like this decision,
but the hardships endured by the women of the past and the sacrifices made by
the mothers of the past are not possible for women nowadays. Meridian says that
women did not have choices then, but today's women have plenty of choices.
Meridian also receives a scholarship from a wealthy white family so she attends
Saxon College for further education. Without engaging in the traditional
responsibilities of motherhood, she renounces the motherly spirit and gives
more importance to education because on the basis of this education she can
fight against injustice in the society.
Meridian
settled in Atlanta because it was a two-hour journey to college. She has left
her son but a guilty conscience has formed deep in her mind. Meridian feels
like a failure as a daughter first and a mother second. At Saxon College, she
hides the fact that she is married and the mother of one child. From this
mental stress, her physical problems begin to form. She starts suffering from
hair loss and severe headaches as well as having vivid dreams that end in
someone's death. She decides to concentrate on her studies to correct the
failures and mistakes made so far and considerher lucky to have the opportunity
to study in such a prestigious college.
Meridian
gets a lot of support from her teacher Miss.Winter in such a mentally vibrant
state. Miss. Winter has no children of her own; she forms a mother-daughter
relationship with Meridian. They understand the confusion of Meridian's mind
and one day Miss. Winter whispers into Meridian's ear as if he's having a
self-realization, his words being "I forgive you". These words clear
the Meridian of despair and give him the energy to come out of the pit of
despair and start a new life. All these things help Meridian to get out of his
small circle and forget his own pain and look at the society in a new way
It is
true that seeing the numerous types of suffering in the society can make any
person forget his own suffering or reduce the intensity of the suffering.
Meridian is looking for a bigger goal but isn't clear on what exactly she
wants. Meridian's moment of clarity in her life comes with a major blow. Is it
the impact of a bomb blast that opens her ears and eyes? After this bomb blast,
she decides to volunteer and work in the Civil Rights Movement and at the age
of seventeen takes on a new role. After this, she plays this role honestly.
Meridian actively participates in freedom march, sings songs, and conducts
awareness programs. During the protest, the police chase her away, after she
falls down, the mob runs over her. The Sheriff grabs her and kicks her but she
doesn't let out a scream of pain. In a way, these events happen only to realize
the latent power in her. While working in the Civil Rights Movement, she works
to educate illiterate people and also does typing work. Due to all these
factors, the process of major change begins in her life.
A
Sojourner tree on the campus of Saxon College was a hot topic of debate among
students, especially African American students. As the Sojourner tree has a
dark history hidden in its plantation itself, this tree became an inspiration
to the students and many legends were created about this tree. The tree was
planted by a slave woman named Louvinie. Because this slave woman was ugly in
appearance, she was assigned to work in the garden and the rest of the people
tried their best to keep her out of sight.A legend was also created about this
slave woman that no one had ever seen her smile. Louvinie was very fond of
telling stories and used to tell scary stories to children. One of the children
of her master is born with a very weak heart and dies after hearing a horrific
story told by a slave woman, Louvinie. The slave woman is not at all at fault
in this incident but is held responsible for the death of the child and
severely punished by her master. The punishment is that her tongue is cut from
her throat and her voice is permanently silenced. Shepicks up her tongue, which
has been cut into the soil and trampled underfoot by her master, and digs a pit
and plants a tree over it, the Sojourner tree. Now the age of this tree is
forty years and it is the largest among the numerous
trees there.It is believed that these trees have some divine power. It is said
that the tree can speak, make music, and if a slave escapes and takes refuge in
this tree, he will not be seen by anyone. A podium is built around this tree
and it is believed that if a couple in loves goes there, they become invisible,
so many people take shelter of this tree.
Scholars
and critics have argued that The Sojourner tree is a metaphor. Oral literature,
music, and dance are very important in African American society.In the same way
that Louvinie's tongue was cut out and her voice was forever silenced, black
voices throughout history have been completely silenced. The history that has
been written has been written from the point of view of white people and black
people have no place in it.
The
tree has become a symbol of the atrocities committed against black people
during the slavery era. When Meridian sits under this tree for the first time
after joining Saxon College, she feels very peaceful. She feels invisible under
these big trees. While studying in the second year of college, the management
tries to cut down the tree, but Meridian and the students protest to save the
tree, which saves the tree by destroying the podium under the tree. Meridian
gets a lot of inspiration from this tree and so she decides to take a big step
and do something grand.
One of the biggest turning points in
Meridian's life comes after meeting Truman Held, a professor active in the
Civil Rights Movement. Truman is drawn to Meridian upon first meeting. Truman,
who is aware of black women's rights, actually treats women the same as white
people. Meridian decides to be with him and compromises her feelings about sex.
Both actively participate in the movement and agitate for the rights of
children. Meridian is also shot at for taking part in the protest in Atlanta
but luckily survives. What surprises her the most is that even children are
falling prey to bullying. The screams of the girls coming from the other end of
the prison tell her that they are being tortured.
After a
little girl named Wild Child is hit by a car, Meridian tries hard to save her but
is unsuccessful. While all this is going on, a white girl named Lynne
Rabinowitz arrives in the South. Truman falls in love with a white girl and
eventually they get married. This incident sheds light on Truman's character.
On the one hand, Truman calls Meridian the "black queen" and wants
"beautiful black babies" from her, and on the other hand, he wants to
equal white people by marrying a white girl. Truman wants to exhibit that he
too possesses a white wife. Meridian sees all of this and observes the changes
in Truman's personality, and a radical transformation begins in her. At first
she wonders why Truman is doing this, that there is something lacking in her
that makes her so neglected, but then she realizes it's a manly attitude and
she stops hating herself. Meridian explores her own femininity and black
culture. She realizes that Truman and Lynne's marriage will not last because of
cultural differences. Meridian realizes that she will no longer be trapped in
such a relationship.
White
girls' careers end after marriage; on the contrary, black girls who come to the
city for education are ambitious and pursue their own careers in different
professions. The change seen in black girls who are doing business and working
is that such girls are imitating white girls as much as possible. All these
traps come to Meridian's notice and she gets rid of them all.She learns about
the glorious past of African Americans and is proud to be a descendant of a
mighty woman like Harriet Tubman who led the army in war.
Truman
can't choose between Meridian and Lynne, so she tells a confused Truman that
Lynne is the perfect partner for him. Meridian doesn't want to be tied down
anymore so she makes it clear to Truman, who is very conscious of his
reputation in the community, that “Oh, no.... you wanted a virgin, don't you
remember? You wanted a woman who was not 'sexually promiscuous'. But on the
other hand, you wanted a woman who had had worldly experiences.....to match
your own. Now since I already had a son, whose existence you frightened me into
denying, and since you also wanted to make love to me, and since I had no worldly
experience to speak of marriage between us never reached the point of
discussion” (walker, 150).
Meridian
gets pregnant again from Truman but she decides to have an abortion and asks
the doctors to tie her tubes so that she will never have to deal with unwanted
pregnancy again. Meanwhile, she decides to go to the south to work fulltime in
the Civil Rights Movement. After Meridian resumes the work she loves, her
worn-out physical condition begins to recover and she feels a renewed sense of
energy. After Truman and Lynne's relationship becomes strained, they both
return to Meridian. Meridian treats Lynne like a sister and pulls her out of
the tension. After the death of Camara, Truman and Lynne's daughter, Meridian
guides them even when the thing that binds them together is no longer there.
Now Meridian does not think about anyone personally but only thinks about his
brothers and sisters in society in a bigger perspective.
Meridian has completely freed herself from her past and is working for the society. She has shown an unusual courage and brought about a revolutionary change in herself. Now she lives not for herself but for society and raising her voice against injustice in society and making people's lives bearable has become her mission in life. Meridian has fully realized herself and fully understood the purpose of life. This journey has never been easy for her but she has risen to the challenge ably. In this way the Meridian has been self-actualized and is living in the extreme stage of 'a completeness of being'.
References
Maslow, A. H. (1987) Motivation
and Personality. New York, NY: Harper & Row. Print.
Walker,
Alice. (1976) Meridian. California: Harcourt
Brace Jovanovich. Print
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