Meridian By Alice Walker Essay

Alice Walker’s historical novel, Meridian, explores sexual and racial discrimination through the perspectives of both the oppressors and oppressed. The almost purely negative portrayals of sex challenge the warped power dynamics under a patriarchal rule and emphasize the connection between personal experience of the oppressed and socio-political setting. Distinct perspective’s moral ambivalence underscore Walker’s implied argument about sexual politics via symbolism and irony.
The 1950s-conservative atmosphere silenced the voice of the groups on the lower rungs of the patriarchal hierarchy, sheltering women behind absurd double standards. Walker sets the stage for sexual politics through the tense and limited dialogue between ‘Mrs. Hill’ and Meridian regarding the wonders of life. The protagonist’s lack of sexual knowledge beyond her mother’s vaguely
Lynne conformed to the oppressive sexual norms of the earlier 1950s. Truman’s wounded ego flocked to reassure itself within the familiar embrace of Lynne’s assured virginity whereas he left Meridian after discovering her ‘impurity,’ reinforcing Walker’s message of male hypocrisy. Meridian represents the ‘Harriet Tubmans’ of the world, trailblazers who disregard the limitations society imposes on them and surpass them regardless of the risks they might be taking. In the chapter titled “Camara”, Walker restores the sanctity of religion in Meridian’s minds through a preacher’s sermon. The preacher advised the women to “stop trying to find husbands” and instead to “educate themselves,” a statement tremendously contrasting the oppressive status quo. Although Lynne was explicitly an educated woman who attended a prestigious university, Walker implies that women who consistently design their lives around those of men will not be able to gain Meridian’s eventual level of