racism
The effects of racism and the various ways that characters respond to it are explored throughout the novel, as Meridian, Truman, and others attempt to make sense of a world in which brutal racism is the norm. The civil rights movement provides the backdrop for the book: most of the plot takes place in a national moment when people throughout the country were joining in activism and faced hateful retaliation. Throughout the book, characters feel a sense of grief for the way that the system works against them; they try to determine how to forge a life in a world that is, in many ways, not built for their freedom.
sexism
In addition to racism, the issues faced by African-American women are fully explored throughout the book, particularly through the protagonist, Meridian. Meridian and many of her friends are constantly objectified by men, sexually harassed, and even raped. Many of the powerful figures in their lives abuse their positions to take advantage of young and innocent girls. From not being warned about the consequences of sex to secretly having an abortion and getting her tubes tied, Meridian not only never has a positive sexual experience, but also has many traumatic experiences with men.
motherhood
Black motherhood in Meridian is treated as a question and a problem. Many of the women in the book have children before they are ready, and are forced to give up dreams—of education, of a career—to care for children they never intended to have. When Meridian gives her child up for adoption in order to pursue a long-held dream, she does not feel liberation but rather a weighty sense of guilt that makes her depressed throughout college. She also feels like a burden on her mother, who has many children. Nevertheless, she understands that one of the deepest pains of slavery was the separation of mothers and their children, and empathizes with the powerful connection between a mother and her child.
violence
Violence is a major theme throughout the book, both on the domestic and national scale. The civil rights movement that serves as the backdrop of the book was characterized by constant, cruel violence against not only protesters but also innocent black men and women, even children and the elderly. The individual characters in the novel often experience violence as well, from Tommy Odd’s amputation to Camara’s murder. The futility of violence is ultimately symbolized by the tragic story of the thirteen-year-old girl who strangled her child, making Meridian infuriated at the state of the world. From her time in college onward, Meridian is tortured by the question of violence: would she able to kill for the revolution? Her final answer to that question is a wavering "yes."
friendship
One positive theme running throughout the novel is friendship. Throughout hardships and trials, Meridian and Truman’s enduring friendship allows them to support each other, and even for Meridian to forgive Truman for his treatment of her in college. Although Anne-Marion and Meridian don’t speak after college, the letters that they continue to send each other are a testament to the enduring bond that exists between them, a connection that even illness and drastic change in circumstances can’t fully break. Even Meridian and Lynne are able to sustain a friendship that supports Lynne during her darkest times, after Camara’s death. These positive relationships enable characters faced with hate and evil to maintain their strength and sanity.
education
Education is a major theme in Meridian; both conventional and nonconventional ideas of education and learning are explored throughout the book. Meridian views schoolroom education as one path to learning, which she defines as people asking each other meaningful questions; she looks at higher education such as college as an opportunity to improve herself. However, she takes issue with the perspective that many people, including her former husband, Eddie, have towards education: the focus is on getting through school and receiving a diploma, not on true learning. To Meridian, education and learning are central to her activism: they are the best ways to begin a revolution.
religion
Religion and spirituality are major themes in the book. Meridian’s mother is deeply religious, but rigidly so: she turns away from her own daughter when Meridian refuses to embrace the church. In contrast, Meridian and her father experience spiritual transformations outside of traditional religion when they stand on the Sacred Serpent burial mound. By the end of the novel, Meridian observes the way that traditional religious spaces are adapted and modified by the black community to become bastions of activism. One of the important figures in her life in college, Miss Winter, is an organist who plays music in church, deeply moving Meridian and allowing her to feel a spiritual connection.
