Christopher Booker is a scholar who wrote that every story falls into one of seven basic plot structures: Overcoming the Monster, Rags to Riches, the Quest, Voyage and Return, Comedy, Tragedy, and Rebirth. Shmoop explores which of these structures fits this story like Cinderella’s slipper.
Plot Type : Rebirth
Humble Beginnings
Meridian Hill is a smart but naive girl born into a working-class family. As a teen, Meridian gets pregnant and marries a boy named Eddie—their son is named Eddie Jr. Things go bad fast: Meridian resents them both for destroying her freedom and getting her kicked out of school. Eventually, Eddie leaves Meridian for one of his mistresses, leaving her hopeless and alone.
Boys and Ballots
On the same day that Eddie leaves, Meridian learns about a voter registration drive in a nearby neighborhood. She joins the then-burgeoning Civil Rights Movement and starts to feel fulfilled. It certainly doesn't hurt that she's met hunky Truman, too. Things get even better when she gets awarded a scholarship to Saxon College. There, she meets her new best friend Anne-Marion, gets closer to Truman, and gets even more involved in politics. Things are certainly looking up.
Playing Dead
It seems like everything falls apart at once. Although Meridian and Truman sleep together (forcing her to get an abortion, no less), he abandons her for white exchange student named Lynne. Meanwhile, Meridian has started to become ill with seizure-like symptoms that send her to the hospital. After she recovers, Anne-Marion drops a bombshell on her—she doesn't want to be her friend anymore. This is reflected by an increasing difference of opinion between Meridian and her peers in the Movement.
Down South
Determined to continue her work for the Movement, Meridian heads South to live within the poor, rural communities she helps. Meridian becomes more and more frail and lives in worse and worse environments—her seizures have only increased in frequency, especially given her stressful work. Meanwhile, although Truman married Lynne, he continually visits Meridian, desperately trying to rekindle their relationship. Lynne and Truman's daughter dies, sending them into an even worse emotional state.
Passing the Torch
After the death of MLK, Meridian starts going to church and actually appreciates it for its sense of community. Later, she and Truman go around town trying to register poor folks to vote by helping them with their problems. But it's not until they meet a young girl who killed her child—reflecting Meridian's abandonment of Eddie Jr.—that Meridian is finally able to make peace with her life. Miraculously, her seizures disappear. Truman decides to remain in Meridian's place while she moves on to the next town. The story ends with Truman collapsing as Meridian once did, implying that he will pick up where she left off.