Where It All Goes Down
The South
While Meridian is a quintessentially American story, the novel focuses primarily on the South. Yes, that's right—the stronghold of Honey Boo Boo, NASCAR, and deep-fried everything. But sweep aside these hackneyed stereotypes (thought up by some dastardly Yankee, we reckon), and you'll see the region as Meridian does—a beautiful land that has seen some serious hardship, and has only grown more beautiful because of it.
Of course, we'd be remiss if we didn't mention the political turmoil going on at the time of the novel. Although slavery had long since been eradicated, black people were still persecuted on a daily basis through Jim Crow laws, racist regulations that enforce segregation. Beginning in the '50s (but really coming to a head in the '60s), the Civil Rights Movement sought to overcome this overwhelming evil. For better or worse, this is the world that Meridian finds herself in.
Country Grammar
Meridian comes from a small, working-class town in the rural South. This upbringing is unique at her college, as many of the students come from big cities like Atlanta. These city kids have a completely different approach to, well, everything. For example, Meridian's Atlantan friend Delores rudely "expressed belligerence and confusion" in response to Mrs. Hill's traditional belief system (1.12.45). While Meridian disagrees with her mom's lifestyle too, she can still respect it for what it is. This fact will be important later.
College-Bound
Saxon College exposes Meridian to a whole new world—kinda. On one hand, it does introduce her to new friends like Anne-Marion and their big-city values. But not everything is so different there.
When she first arrives, Meridian tries to give a speech about not believing in God, thinking that these intellectuals should at least respect her sentiment. Instead, they looked "about as if they expected lightning to strike, and her teachers let her know she was a willful, sinful girl" (1.13.4). The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Overall, Meridian's experiences at Saxon are a mixed bag. She loves the Sojourner more than anything, but during the student riots, "the only thing they managed to destroy was The Sojourner" (1.3.55). What's up with that? In an instant, any love that Meridian still had for Saxon is now is as dead as that once-mighty tree. This reflects how Meridian has become increasingly at odds with her peers over their approach to activism.
Home Is Where the Heart Is
Finally, Meridian decides to return to her roots. After getting fed up with the big talk (and no action) of her revolutionary peers, Meridian decides to "go back to the people, live among them, like Civil Rights workers used to do" (1.1.162). Meridian is different from the others because she places herself on the same level as the people she helps—she volunteers to suffer alongside them. As with all things, Meridian achieves a balance that others fail to attain.