Activism is critical in upholding or impeding social constructs, with the ultimate result of transforming and redefining the nation. It has been present throughout history, playing an important role in ending slavery, opposing racism, advocating for workers' rights, and many other global concerns (Martin). Literature can be recognized as a highly influential form of activism, as it is central to imagining divergent realities and also serves as a platform for critical thinking. In her novel Meridian, Alice Walker describes a dichotomous world in which she harmoniously combines personal and political issues through her depiction of the civil rights movement. By emphasizing the concepts of idealism, interdependence between past and present, as well as individual transformation, Walker manages to justify literature as a form of social defense. Literary activism is central to the text, as it attempts to rectify ruptures within racial stigmatization and reconstruct an alternative black perspective, thus establishing a meaningful defense in African American freedom. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Activist and author Alice Walker is known for expressing her views on racial inequality and often puts these concerns into action through her writing. As explicitly highlighted in his text, Meridian, Walker focuses on specific themes, each of which discourages the segregation that, for years, has darkened the lives of African Americans. The novel can also, in some respects, stand in for an autobiography, as Walker uses Meridian to reflect certain events in her life (growing up in Georgia, young pregnancy, etc.) and furthermore, Meridian's family to express her desire to stop racial oppression. (Stein). Within the text, he establishes a correlation between past and present, strategically exposing the unethical and illegitimacies behind discrimination. Depicted effectively through Meridian's father's beliefs, it is evident that Walker admires and respects African Americans and also recognizes the prejudices they must deal with. She therefore constructs and frames activism throughout her text, implementing an influential defense against oppression. In her text, Fiction as Restriction: Self-binding in New Ethical Theories of the Novel, literary ethicist Dorothy Hale argued that reading evokes a consideration of several aspects. perspectives within the reader, thus leading to more objective decision making in reality (Cosgrove). Not only is reading essential for imagining divergent realities, but it can also serve as a platform for critical thinking – a vital element underlying activism. By exposing the reader to the living conditions imposed on African Americans in the 1960s, Walker is not only educating his readers historically, but is also sharing the experiences known to those oppressed by cultural differences. By highlighting issues such as violence, oppression and stigma, it reveals past concerns that plagued our nation. The reader, often aware of such facts, walks away with an understanding and sense of empathy towards African Americans (Cook-Lynn). Successfully evoking an emotional response in the reader, Walker continues to effectively display activism throughout his writings. Meridian conveys the lives of a younger generation fighting to end racial oppression by challenging the institutional stigmatization that dominated the 1960s. Through protests, sit-ins and other riot techniques, Meridian and other activists sought to stir up aattitude adjustment amidst the segregationist conventions that governed the lives of African Americans. Because many of their goals and values ​​were shared with those of the civil rights movement, they ultimately found gratification in supporting it. Many of these young activists shared a common goal of shaping a more positive look at cultural diversity and are therefore recognized as the protagonists of the novel. Walker emphasizes their desire for equality; further persuading his readers to want the same thing. Within the text, activists aimed to challenge idealism and destroy stigma, ending racial discrimination. Walker establishes the interdependence between past and present, often transferring the reader's attention between the two. This is used as an approach to investigate the lives and perspectives of those from the past, as they constructed the present. For example, the Serpent Mound is a historical symbol within the novel that also serves as an integral affiliation between Meridian, her father, and their ancestors. It exemplifies the African American experience and serves as a reminder to appreciate and, furthermore, learn from the past: “They've been a part of it, we've been a part of it, everyone's been a part of it for a long time” (Walker). Walker emphasizes the concept of human experience and thwarts the idea of ​​racial diversity, suggesting that society shares a common history, be it of freedom or suffering. The interconnection between past and present is crucial to the successful promotion of activism within his writings, as he attempts to spark critical thinking in his readers. Walker highlights the need for change, suggesting that our beliefs and values ​​in the present time can ultimately influence the lives of future generations: “And so it was that one day in mid-April 1960 Meridian Hill became aware of the past and present of the wider world” (Walker). The symbolic meaning of the mound changes dramatically when it is taken over by the government and transformed into a park where African Americans are prohibited from entering. This vital link to the past is quickly severed, as the historical importance of the symbol becomes seemingly irrelevant. Such irony is used to evoke a sense of compassion in the reader, forcing them to reevaluate traditional stigma and understand the importance of cultural ancestry. Meridian can therefore be read as an effort to mend fractures within racial oppression by recontextualizing the past, in the hope of shaping a new perspective on cultural diversity. Meridian Hill wanted a sense of direction and so began a personal search. transformation by turning to the civil rights movement. Walker uses this journey of self-discovery as a method of symbolizing the political activity of the 1960s, particularly those that emulate existing power structures: “The novel emphasizes that the civil rights movement often reflected the oppression of capitalism patriarchal. Activists simply turned political rhetoric to their own ends, continuing to repress spontaneous individuality. To overcome this destructiveness, Walker resorts to a new definition of revolution. His hope for a just society lies not simply in political change, but in personal transformation” (Stein). After joining the revolution, Meridian must take an oath, vowing to die and kill for the cause. Hesitant about such widespread dedication, the group became hostile towards Meridian and ultimately rejected her. It is arguable that, here, Walker exactly reflects the systems of power that these rebels are trying to eliminate and therefore contradicts hisgoal of ending discrimination (Martin). However, he is instead taking a non-violent approach to doing so: "He...wondered whether Meridian knew that the sentence of enduring the conflict in one's soul that she had imposed upon herself - and experienced - must now be endured. in the terror of all others” (Walker). Working and living among destitute communities, Meridian emerges as a capable and determined young woman. This can largely be attributed to the struggles she has been forced to overcome on her journey to self-awareness courage and realizes that great changes can begin within oneself. Throughout Meridian, Walker reconstructs his vision of activism and replaces the notion of innovation with the more positive theme of transformation. Readers can appreciate the nonviolent form of support that Walker promotes throughout her text and, moreover, admire her for this. Despite the premise of eliciting an emotional response in the reader, the text must also be seen as an ethical fabrication created and used strategically. to promote Walker's anti-oppressive beliefs. Writers make conscious decisions about the content of their work and are therefore responsible for the kind of reality they portray in their writing. In his review, Teaching James and the Ethics of Fiction: A Conversation on The Spoils of Poynton, literary ethicist James Phelan argues that "the ethics of reading involves a dialogical relationship between the values ​​of the reader and those of the text" (Phelan ). Most literature subjects the reader to some degree of moral commitment, yet one has the choice to support or oppose the actions and attitudes within the novel. Discrepancies are not uncommon between a reader's values ​​and those represented in a novel. For example, readers may not necessarily agree with the lack of commitment Meridian demonstrated when she was unable to kill for the revolution. However, this can, on the other hand, be recognized as a commendable quality. Alternating between past and present, Walker extends multiple perspectives regarding concerns of racial segregation. Ultimately it is the reader who determines whether or not they will allow themselves to engage emotionally with the text: “…to open a novel is to open oneself to a type of decision-making that is itself intrinsically ethical. For new ethicists, the novel requires each reader to make a decision about their relationship to the imaginative experience novels offer: Will I submit to the otherness the novel allows? An affirmative response launches the novel's reader into a transactional relationship with another agent, an agent defined by its otherness to the reader” (Hale). If the reader comes away understanding and agreeing with Walker's activist views, he or she submits to a different point of view. than that of his own, thus confirming his success in effectively supporting and promoting his beliefs. By using literature as a form of activism to give voice to the inconsistencies within our society, Walker is forming an alternative black perspective. Meridian, one of many pieces of activist literature, ratifies a critical defense of African American freedom. The text serves as a catalyst for public recognition, introducing him to a wide range of global issues. Walker installs a strong sense of ambivalence about traditional stigmatization, crushing the kind of hierarchical system that governed the 1960s. Literary activism is central to Walker's novel, as it arises from the recognition that internal thinking is connected to external change. Literature can be recognized as a tool used to promote activism. Walker skillfully combines concerns..