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156 Unit 2 ■ Analyzing Comparisons and Representations Nafissa Thompson-Spires ■ Fatima, the Biloquist: A Transformation Story 157 UNIT 2

Fatima, the Biloquist: A Transformation Story “The burgundy is pretty, but you could do 125 “It’s for you,” the girl said, following her. 5 CONTRAST Fatima is quiet, studious, and
And like that, they were friends — or
something darker.” 6 And like that, they were friends—or
In the ’90s you could be whatever you articulate her wrath into something more IDEAS IN LITERATURE unwilling to assert herself in social situations.
something to that effect.
wanted — someone said that on the specific. Later in the morning when Wally 85 Fatima peripherally saw the hair first, so something to that effect. Violet is a direct contrast: she is confident in her
news — and by 1998 Fatima felt ready to asked her for the fourth time that semester she didn’t expect the rest of the package. A • • • words and actions and is described as being
become black, full black, baa baa black sheep 45 whether she listened to No Limit rappers, voluptuous — really, that was the only word “loud” with “jarring features and booming voice.”
5 black, black like the elbows and knees on she nearly lunged at his face. Mrs. Baker sent that would work — girl with a wide nose and It was Violet’s appraisal, “You’re, like, totally 6 CONFLICT The narrator includes the
praying folk black, if only someone would her to the principal to “cool down” before black features stood next to her. Fatima had a white girl, aren’t you?” that set Fatima into qualification “or something to that effect” in this
teach her. Fatima’s fingernails could scratch off any of 90 a friend with albinism before in preschool 130 motion. They were eating dots of ice cream line to allude to the utilitarian nature of Fatima
Copyright (c) 2023 Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers. Uncorrected proofs were used with this sample chapter.
Up to that point, she had existed like a Wally’s freckles. who wore thick red glasses and blushed that same day at the food court after Violet and Violet’s friendship.
sort of colorless gas, or a bit of moisture, 50 It wasn’t fair, Fatima thought, that Wally almost the same color when she wet her showed Fatima how to get samples from
10 leaving the residue of something familiar, was praised, even mildly popular for his pants at nap time once. She recognized in Estée Lauder, Elizabeth Arden, and MAC. 7 PERSPECTIVE Despite being African
sweat stains, hot breath on the back of a FUBU shirts and Jordans with the tags still Violet similar features. Fatima felt a little like a gangster holding American, Fatima experiences a disconnection
95 “But you could get the same stuff at 135 up the reluctant sales girls for their stash,
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neck, condensation rings on wood, but never on them, yet Fatima was called “ghetto from African American popular culture and
a fullness of whatever matter had formed supastar” the one time she outlined her lips Claire’s for cheaper,” Violet said. “It’s not like but she had a nearly full bag of swag by community. She is not only insecure about
them. 55 with dark pencil. Nor was it fair that she old girl’s trying to help you anyway.” then — perfume, lip-gloss, and oil-blotting not fitting in around other Black people, but
15 The week she met Violet, Fatima had should get a warning from Principal Lee for The clerk, not chastened but amused, papers — without spending any of her allow- she also worries that African American culture
recited “An Address to the Ladies, by their “looking like she might become violent” moved back to her post and said, “May ance. It was already too good to be true, so is inaccessible to her because her family is
Best Friend Sincerity” before her eleventh- when Wally said “nigger” and got applause. 100 I help you” in one of those voices that 140 she didn’t feel sad when Violet said “white wealthier than many and because she attends
grade AP English class. She blended her She was still thinking about Wally when she means “get lost.” girl,” but almost relieved by the inevitable. a private school (with a vast majority of white
Fatima had been accused of whiteness
makeup to perfection that morning, but the 60 first encountered Violet. “I’m still — ” Fatima started. 7 Fatima had been accused of whiteness students). These feelings motivate Fatima’s
and race traitorism before, whenever she
20 other students barely looked at her, instead They met at the Montclair Plaza, where But the blonde girl spoke again, “We’d and race traitorism before, whenever she desire to transform herself by learning from
spoke up in Sunday school at her AME
busying themselves by clicking and replacing Fatima had been dropped off by her mother, like some free samples of some of the spoke up in Sunday school at her AME Violet about how to be “fully black” (as Fatima
church or visited her family in Southeast San
the lead in mechanical pencils or folding Monica, along with the warnings that she 105 lipsticks, that color,” she pointed, reaching 145 church or visited her family in Southeast San references in the opening lines of the text).
Diego (Southeast a universal geographical
and flicking paper footballs over finger better not: 1. spend more than she had, 2. over Fatima, to a pot of dark gloss, “and Diego (Southeast a universal geographical
marker for the ghetto), or when a cute guy
goalposts — even during the part she said 65 use her emergency credit card for non- that one.” marker for the ghetto), or when a cute guy
who was just about to ask her out backed
25 with the most emphasis: “Ah! sad, perverse, emergencies, or 3. pick up any riffraff, “We only give samples,” the clerk said, who was just about to ask her out backed
away saying, “You go to private school, don’t
degenerate race / The monstrous head ruffnecks, or pregnancies while she was “to — .” away saying, “You go to private school, don’t
“To everyone who asks, right?” Violet
you?” It was why she didn’t have any black
deforms the face.” They clapped dull palms there. Number three was highly unlikely — 5 5 110 “To everyone who asks, right?” Violet 150 you?” It was why she didn’t have any black
finished.
friends — and why, she worried, she would
for a few seconds as Fatima sulked back to and Fatima knew Monica knew it — but she finished. friends—and why, she worried, she would
never have a boyfriend, even a riffraff, to
The clerk frowned, looked back at her never have a boyfriend, even a riffraff, to
The clerk frowned, looked back at her
her desk. But they sat up, alert, when Wally 70 said it anyway as easily as “stand up
upset her mother.
colleague, looked at Violet and Fatima, and
30 “the Wigger” Arnett recited “Incident” and straight,” because she had to. colleague, looked at Violet and Fatima, and upset her mother.
frowned again. “I’ll get those ready for you,”
The allegations upset her but never
said the word that always made the white Fatima moped near the Clinique counter frowned again. “I’ll get those ready for you,” The allegations upset her but never
she said.
moved her to any action other than private
kids pay attention. with her heavy Discman tucked in a tiny 115 she said. 155 moved her to any action other than private
Fatima considered putting her headphones
crying or retreating further into her melan-
“You know, I identify with Countee Cullen backpack and her headphones wrapped Fatima considered putting her headphones crying or retreating further into her melan-
back on and trying to float out of the depart-
choly belief that her school, Westwood Prep,
and all,” Wally, with brown freckles and a 75 around her neck, trying to decide between back on and trying to float out of the depart- choly belief that her school, Westwood Prep,
and her parents’ high-paying jobs had made
ment store, away from this loud girl with the
35 floppy brown haircut, finished up. “He was a one shade of lipstick and another. The col- ment store, away from this loud girl with the and her parents’ high-paying jobs had made
her somehow unfit for black people. She
jarring features and booming voice.
black man, and he was, like, oppressed for lege student behind the counter ignored jarring features and booming voice. her somehow unfit for black people. She
who he was and stuff.” her, chatting with another colleague. In 120 “Here,” Violet said, handing her the dark 160 usually turned her Discman up louder, sink-
The hands pounded a hero’s applause as situations like this, Fatima usually bought gloss in its tiny gloss pot. ing into the distantly black but presently
Wally headed back to his seat next to Fatima, 80 something expensive just to show the store “You keep it,” Fatima said and started try- white sounds of ska and punk, and sang
40 looking like he expected a high five. She clerk that she could. A blonde girl with a ing to vaporize towards the shoe depart- under her breath, “I’m a freak / I’m a freak”
rolled her eyes at him, but she couldn’t short bob sauntered up next to her and said, ment. (in the style of Silverchair, not Rick James).
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Nafissa Thompson-Spires Fatima, the Biloquist: A Transformation Story 157

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