The Happy Mother
- Meridian gives birth to a son named Eddie Jr. Strangely, she begins "to dream each night [...] of ways to murder him" (1.8.1). These thoughts make her shameful and suicidal.
- Things are getting worse with Eddie, too—the dude is cheating like his name was Robin Thicke. Meridian has grown resentful of her husband—but more for the education that he takes for granted than his extra-marital nonsense.
- Then, it happens—Eddie leaves Meridian and the baby. That same day, Meridian walks past a house with a big hubbub going on. Although it's in a black neighborhood, there are white people there—a rare sight for Meridian.
- When she returns home, she turns on the TV and sees that the house is hosting a "voter registration drive" (1.8.13). Whatever that is.
- Tragedy strikes that night, however—the house is destroyed in the middle of the night by racists with fire bombs. Although the group had hired a guard, several children and adults are killed.
- This whole scene is a shock to Meridian—she has never been "aware of the past and present of the larger world" before this moment (1.8.16).