Leaving all her problems behind, Meredith starts a new chapter in her life after moving to Boston and gaining the confidence to leave her mother with words that put limits to their relationship. Moreover, the 4th part of the story talks about Meredith’s life at Harvard. It discusses her relationships sexually and socially in the new setting she lived in now. Meredith took this section of the book to share her experience and adventures she lived in the new school like being lonely and building new relationships, another new experience that Meredith lived was sexual contact with multiple individuals, falling in and out of love.
In reading this part I wonder can new experience and adventures make us forget our past and problems?
While reading the 3rd part of Fairest, we see that Meredith’s mother still selfish and bad and using her daughter and spending her money, that’s can be shown in a fight between Meredith and her mother “I don’t even know where my money goes,” I replied. “You’re just spending it when you go out.”
Excerpt From: Meredith Talusan. “Fairest.” Apple Books.,”.
However, this time and for the first time Meredith stand out to herself, after canceling the show Meredith’s mother had a lot to say but this time Meredith stopped her saying “I’m old enough to decide for myself” and “You’re not a real mother” and ‘I have nothing to be grateful for”. I really liked this part, because it’s the first time when Meredith is being strong and is standing out for herself as an independent individual.
After that Meredith moved to Talacsan, she was living with her grandma and went a new school and met Samuel that she really liked, and she met friends and made connections. She was happy until her grandma passed away! She lost the person she loved the most, and at her funeral half of the people didn’t recognize her and said that they didn’t knew she was a gay. She added “I felt disappointed over how I hid so well that even my most intimate friends didn’t know me.”
Excerpt From: Meredith Talusan. “Fairest.” Apple Books.
And that made me wonder Do we hide who we are scared from others or scared from ourselves?
The second part of the story Fairest give us an idea about Talusan’s relationship with her family members. Meredith had a grandmother that loved her and embraced her different skin tone as she thought it was beautiful and white not dark as the other’s in the town, and that is shown through a dialogue between the writer and her grandma.
“There are people in Manila who think I look abnormal,” I said. “They’re just jealous they don’t have a child like you.”
Excerpt From: Meredith Talusan. “Fairest.” Apple Books.page 47
Moreover, Meredith had a toxic relationship with her mother, Meredith described her mother as unfair and selfish, she even hated living with her but her grandma told her to live with her since she’ll be living with her in the US. Talusan’s mother was tough and selfish in the way she treated her and the way she hit her and the way she wanted to control her actions and her life. Meredith’s mother wanted to use Talusan for her own good. Furthermore, her mother uses a harsh way to deal with Meredith and that could be shown through an excerpt from the book that took place between Meredith and her mother.
“ Mama had slapped me across the face. I started to cry. “Be quiet or I will leave you here and never come back.”
Excerpt From: Meredith Talusan. “Fairest.” Apple Books.Page 79
Quote: “I, on the other hand, didn’t have the same solid sense of self.”
Excerpt From: Meredith Talusan. “Fairest.” Apple Books.
This quote caught my attention in all means. In it, Meredith admits a deep struggle and it takes a strong soul to do that. Throughout all the pages I’ve read, Talusan made it clear that her life was based on struggles and inside pain.Furthermore, Talusan was comparing herself to kit -a friend of hers- and talking about his confidence and how we wouldn’t change himself to please others, while on the other hand, her being consumed from all the pressure to be accepted by others, and that lead her to hide her true self.
Moreover, what I also noticed is her grandma that used to remind her about her skin tone all the time, which probably made her feel anxious. Furthermore, Talusan struggled from eye sight problems, but her description to things is so detailed and structured. When she talked at the begging of the story about the grass that she can barley see, then describe it prettier than what an eye can reflect.
Excerpt From: Meredith Talusan. “Fairest.” Apple Books.
“Google Image Result for http://static1.squarespace.com/static/534bed3ee4b09ed6294bec08/t/5ec9317240423e17ef88d117/1590243705053/mandj+%281+of+3%29.jpg?format=1500w” https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fstatic1.squarespace.com%2Fstatic%2F534bed3ee4b09ed6294bec08%2Ft%2F5ec9317240423e17ef88d117%2F1590243705053%2Fmandj%2B%25281%2Bof%2B3%2529.jpg%3Fformat%3D1500w&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fmtalusan.com%2Fstore%2Ffairest&tbnid=Y61nNpcejoUcAM&vet=12ahUKEwi8o-6T5-nzAhVTqnIEHeB0DroQMygMegUIARCyAQ..i&docid=C3VyhpNIGWvy0M&w=1500&h=1000&itg=1&q=fairest+meredith+talusan&client=safari&ved=2ahUKEwi8o-6T5-nzAhVTqnIEHeB0DroQMygMegUIARCyAQ
All the writers share the genre memoirs, but every story is uniq in its own way.
Meredith Talusan is the writer of Fairest, she’s a trans woman originally from Philippines that struggles with Albinism, she talked about her struggles both with her self and people.she also gives an advice to surround ourself with people that support us and know us.
Jaquira Diaz is the writer of Ordinary Girls, describe he life with her relation ships with her mom and her grandma “Mercy”, she describe the struggle of being a girl of color with her grandma that shamed her daughters for marrying black race. She said that her book is survival and performance of pain on paper, describing the generation trauma.
Kiese Laymon is the writer of Heavy, describe the racism, and how awe was tired form living in injustice over and over, he said that white folks make sure that many of them( black folks) don’t survive.A story of racial difference that print the pain of the writer on papers.
All in all, all the books share the struggling part, every story shine in its own way, reach the heart in a different way.
I am fine here and I wish you are doing well in your place! I’m looking forward to a happy and helpful semester, collage is a new journey for most of us , so I hope we can enjoy and benefit from it ,life had been harder for the past two years, we’ve all suffered and it was really hard being in a pandemic and being introduced to a whole knew life style, but hopefully we can work together and we can learn from each other, my expectation for this semester is to develop my skills in writing and analyzing and I’m planning on getting high grades and giving my best.In addition, I wanna be more social and less introverted,I’m hoping to be a great student, classmate, and friend!
Thank You
Zeinab Rkein
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