History/GWS 249 Reading Guide
Women and Civil Rights
- Alice Walker, Meridian (1976), finish.
Questions:
- How does Walker structure the book? Why? Why does she tell the story in a non-linear way? What does she accomplish by weaving back and forth through time, both in the present and in the past?
- Why was activism so important to Meridian? Was Meridian fighting for choices or for rights? What is the difference? What does “voice” mean in this book and this context?
- While the events and the people who defined the moment provide the context for the book, is this a book about the Movement? Within the context of the Movement, where did Walker think women’s energies and identities should go?
- Consider black women’s double oppression—racism and sexism. What are the parallels between these? Consider the various dualisms with which Walker’s characters struggle: black women v. black men; black women v. white women. Does Walker resolve the various conflicting relationships in the book? What kind of future does the story predict?
