How we cite our quotes:
Quote #4
"Do you forgive me?" [...]
"Forgive you for what?" It had not occurred to her to blame him. (1.7.13)
This makes less sense than the series finale of Lost! Did Meridian ever ask Eddie for sex? Did Meridian impregnate herself? Like many women—and her mother—Meridian has internalized the woman-shaming mentality so common in society.
Quote #5
The thought of murdering her own child eventually frightened her. To suppress it she conceived, quite consciously, of methods of killing herself. (1.8.3)
Meridian can finally understand where her mom was coming from. For Meridian, her son has become a symbol of her imprisonment within marriage. It doesn't take long for those emotions to shift into straight-up resentment, which isn't a good thing for anyone involved.
Quote #6
She thought of her mother as being worthy of this maternal history, and of herself as belonging to an unworthy minority, for which there was no precedent. (1.12.59)
Although Mrs. Hill hated being a mother as much as her daughter does, Meridian has somehow convinced herself that her mom was perfect. Sure, you have to give mom some credit—she worked really hard for her family. But we call 'em like we see 'em, and we don't see much difference between these two women.