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160 Unit 2 ■ Analyzing Comparisons and Representations Nafissa Thompson-Spires ■ Fatima, the Biloquist: A Transformation Story 161 UNIT 2

gangsta / No I’m not / You’s a gangsta.” No one at school poked out his tongue “Girl, a whole lot of everybody got black in 455 Now at school when Wally the Wigger 16 IMAGERY Fatima’s different colored lips
[Not as in “So You Wanna Be a Gangsta” and called her that, like they did in the poem them,” Violet started. looked like he was even thinking about say- may serve as a representation of the codes
from Bugsy Malone, which Fatima and her Wally read, but Fatima thought about Wally, 415 Fatima had heard some of Violet’s theories ing something to her, Fatima made a face IDEAS IN LITERATURE or languages that she uses depending on the
younger brother and sister used to sing his affectations, and Principal Lee. before. It was a game they played sometimes that warned, “Don’t even look like you’re context she’s in (a predominantly white cultural
335 around the house.] 375 “It’s not always comfortable,” she said. “It on the phone. The list included Jennifer thinking about saying something to me,” and space or an African American cultural space).
14. Ride or Die = a friend who’s down for can be real awkward, but I’m awkward.” Beals, Mariah Carey, and “that freaky girl 460 he obeyed. In her mind, she not only said
anything and will stand up for your cause, “You sure are,” Violet laughed, and Fatima from Wild Things,” Denise Richards, and now this aloud, but said it in Violet’s voice. 17 SHIFT One transformation that Fatima
even unto death. laughed, too. She was learning to do more of 420 apparently, Patty Mayonnaise. When Fatima She didn’t mind the laughter in her experiences is that of gaining self-confidence
Copyright (c) 2023 Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers. Uncorrected proofs were used with this sample chapter.
“So basically,” Fatima summarized, “you that, and to wear a kind of self-assuredness suggested Justin Timberlake, Violet said, parents’ eyes when she tried out a new after working with Violet. As a result, she meets
340 want me to turn good things into bad things 380 with her side-swooped Aaliyah bangs. “Nah, he’s like that Wally kid at your school.” phrase or hairstyle, because it was all work- Rolf and gracefully navigates a social situation
and vice versa.” Even with her usual levels of discomfort The nuances of these and other things 465 ing. There was something prettier about her that she would have dreaded prior to being
There was something prettier about her
Violet said, “Mostly.” in place, most interactions were easier with Fatima’s best friend since first grade, Emily, 17 now, too, and people seemed to see it before friends with Violet.
now, too, and people seemed to see it before
Fatima did, because a guy named Rolf at
Fatima tried pumping her shoulders in a Violet. Violet understood things. When she 425 just couldn’t understand, no matter how ear- Fatima did, because a guy named Rolf at 18 PERSPECTIVE Fatima is conscious of the
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brief Bankhead Bounce, but it was obvious told Violet, for example, the history of her nestly Emily tried or how many questions Westwood—a tall brunette in her history potential transformation from the shame and
Westwood — a tall brunette in her history
class, with whom she’d exchanged a few eye
345 she lacked the follow-through and wasn’t 385 name and how its spirit hovered over Fatima she asked, like why they couldn’t share sha class, with whom she’d exchanged a few eye melancholy that characterized her life prior
rolls over Wally — asked her for her phone
ready for dancing yet. like Jiminy Cricket or a mirror of unholiness — mpoo when she slept over, “What does ‘for 470 rolls over Wally—asked her for her phone to meeting Violet to a bold self-confidence in
number.
And it was almost like any romantic even without an accent or an “h,” wedging us, by us’ mean,” and why Fatima’s top lip number. herself.
Without pausing to consider anything,
comedy where the sassy black person her between two religious worlds, both 430 was darker than her bottom one. Without pausing to consider anything,
moves in with the white people and agreeing on her need for chastity and Fatima picked up some theories on her she gave it to him.
she gave it to him.
own, too, without Violet or the literature. The
350 teaches them how to live their lives in 390 immaculate conduct — Violet said, “Word, 16 own, too, without Violet or the literature. The It might seem, up to this point, that
thing about the brown top lip and the pink
color and put some bass in their voices, that’s deep,” and explained that she, too, felt thing about the brown top lip and the pink 475 Fatima simultaneously wore braces, glasses,
only Steve Martin wasn’t in it, no one was a the weight of her name, because the Johnson lower one, Fatima had learned after moving and forehead acne, when you hardly needed
lower one, Fatima had learned after moving
between Violet’s guidance and her school
maid or a butler or nanny, and the romance family was all single moms and dads with 435 between Violet’s guidance and her school to glance to see the gloss of her black hair or
life, was that you could either read them as
was between two girls, it was platonic, and eight kids and three jobs and no peace, and life, was that you could either read them as the sheen on her shins, with or without
lotion. Fatima knew this truth instinctively,
two souls trying to merge into a better self,
355 they were both black this time, but one 395 she couldn’t end up like her mother, even if two souls trying to merge into a better self, lotion. Fatima knew this truth instinctively,
but buried its warmth under the shame of
or you could hide them under makeup and
didn’t look like it, and one didn’t sound like it meant she had to run away and start a or you could hide them under makeup and 480 but buried its warmth under the shame of
talk with whichever lip was convenient for
it consistently. new identity one day. talk with whichever lip was convenient for early childhood teasing and a preference for
early childhood teasing and a preference for
18
melancholy self-pity. It was more romantic
the occasion. At school and with Emily, she
Violet confided that, despite her 440 the occasion. At school and with Emily, she melancholy self-pity. It was more romantic
• • •
talked with her pink lip, and with Violet, she
to feel ugly, modest to pretend she couldn’t
confidence, she had a complex about talked with her pink lip, and with Violet, she to feel ugly, modest to pretend she couldn’t
“They racist up at that school? I can’t stand 400 her albinism. She could call other black peo- talked with her brown one, and that only hold her head just right, unleash her
hold her head just right, unleash her
talked with her brown one, and that only
beautiful teeth and make a skeptical man
cocky white people,” Violet said one day ple like Fatima white, but to be called white created tension if she thought too much 485 beautiful teeth and make a skeptical man
created tension if she thought too much
kneel at her skirt’s hem. She just didn’t have
about it.
360 while they sat at their usual table, near the herself pushed Violet to violent tears. Just about it. kneel at her skirt’s hem. She just didn’t have
the practice, but she was hopeful that she
flower divider in the mall’s arboretum. Some ask her ex-boyfriend and her ex-friend 445 Fatima passed the time at school by imag- the practice, but she was hopeful that she
might get it, with Rolf or one of Violet’s
white guys from Hillwood sat across the way, Kandice from middle school, who had called ining the time she would spend after school might get it, with Rolf or one of Violet’s
cousins, hopeful that the transformation had
laughing loudly. 405 her Patty Mayonnaise in a fit of anger and with Violet, who promised to teach her how cousins, hopeful that the transformation had
taken hold.
Fatima didn’t like to talk about her gotten a beatdown that made her wet her to flirt better on their next excursion and to 490 taken hold.
365 school, but everyone in the Inland Empire pants like Fatima’s preschool friend. possibly, eventually, hook her up with one of
knew Westwood and Hillwood, their analog “Why Patty Mayonnaise?” Fatima said. 450 her cousins, but not one of her brothers, • • •
and football rival. “I don’t think so,” Fatima “You know, from Doug; she was the black because “most of them aren’t good for She had just returned from a movie with
said. 410 girl on the DL who looked white, and anything except upsetting your mother, if Violet — where in the space in front of the
“What do you mean you don’t think so? mayonnaise is white. It’s a stupid joke.” you want to do that.” Fatima did not want to theater, not one but two guys had asked for
370 Either something’s racist or it’s not.” “Patty was black?” Fatima said. do that. her phone number, though three had asked
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