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162 Unit 2 ■ Analyzing Comparisons and Representations Nafissa Thompson-Spires ■ Fatima, the Biloquist: A Transformation Story 163 UNIT 2

495 for Violet’s, pronouncing their approval of and ask if she wanted to hang out over the • • • Over time they grew to joke, a little 21 PERSPECTIVE It’s important to note that the
her “thickness” with grunts, smiles, and by weekend, “like at the mall or something, 575 Fatima wasn’t embarrassed of Violet or of awkwardly, about Fatima’s position at school, narrator has been very close to Fatima’s thoughts
Fatima wasn’t embarrassed of Violet or of
looking directly at her butt — when her see a movie?” 21 Rolf, but she wasn’t good at managing. She as one of two black girls. She asked Rolf if IDEAS IN LITERATURE and feelings during the narrative. While Fatima
Rolf, but she wasn’t good at managing. She
mother said, “You got a phone call, from Fatima counted to twelve, as per the rules was relieved, then, when their first and sec- 620 this was a thing for him or if she was his thinks that she isn’t embarrassed of Violet or of
a boy.” 540 (the universal ones, not just Violet’s) and ond dates went without a hitch — and ended first black girlfriend, because they had labels Rolf, there may be grounds to support that she
500 It couldn’t be one of the boys from theater said, “Yeah, that’d be cool.” She almost left with a gentle but sort of blank kiss — and by now. actually is — or at the very least, Fatima cannot
already; that would make anyone look the “l” off the end of the word, but caught 580 even more relieved that Rolf was okay with “I don’t see color,” he said. “I just saw you. manage the idea of integrating two social circles.
desperate. herself. “Which mall?” seeing each other during the week so that Like, one day there you were.”
Copyright (c) 2023 Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers. Uncorrected proofs were used with this sample chapter.
“Who is Rolf?” her mother smiled, “and “Where else?” Rolf said. “The Montclair Fatima wouldn’t have to explain to Violet 625 Violet would say that colorblind people 22 TENSION Fatima reveals very vulnerable
why didn’t you mention him before?” 545 Plaza.” why she suddenly had other plans on Fridays were the same ones who followed you in the information about Violet to Rolf in what some
505 Fatima nearly floated up to her bedroom. This would be her first date, and though and Saturdays. store and that Rolf’s game was hella corny. may consider a breach of trust, especially
Fatima remembered the lifelessness, before
She thought about calling Violet but called that was the kind of thing to share with a 585 “Tell me more about your other friends,” 23 Fatima remembered the lifelessness, before because Fatima doesn’t ask Rolf to keep this
Rolf back instead, waiting the appropriate best friend, especially one with more experi- Rolf had said on the phone one night, when Violet, of feeling like a colorless gas and information confidential either.
Violet, of feeling like a colorless gas and
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tried, in spite of a dull ache, to take Rolf’s
hour she had rehearsed with Violet for a ence, Fatima felt — in some deep way that Fatima was starting to think she might love 630 tried, in spite of a dull ache, to take Rolf’s 23 SIMILE Hearkening back to the opening of
words as a compliment.
hypothetical situation such as this. 550 hurt her stomach — that Violet didn’t need to him. He knew Emily from school, and he words as a compliment. the text, Fatima recalls the lack of confidence
510 By now, and with some authenticity, know about Rolf, not yet at least. She would knew about her family and had met her par- and identity that she felt being “like a colorless
Fatima could intone the accent marks in keep her lips glossed and parted, her two 590 ents and siblings by then, though she still • • • gas” and feels it is not aligned with her new
places they hadn’t been before, recite all the worlds separate. hadn’t met his. He knew she went to an AME The conventions of such a transformation understanding of herself after forming a
The conventions of such a transformation
names of all the members of Cash Money, church. He knew she was black. 24 friendship with Violet.
dictate that a snaggletooth, broken
Bad Boy, No Limit, Wu-Tang, Boyz II Men, • • • “I guess my other best friend, besides Em, dictate that a snaggletooth, broken
heel, or some other inconvenience
heel, or some other inconvenience
515 ABC, BBD, ODB, LDB, TLC, B.I.G., P-O, P-P-A, The week leading up to the date, Fatima tried is Violet,” Fatima said. 635 threatens to throw the recently realized 24 WORD CHOICE The narrator uses dramatic,
threatens to throw the recently realized
Ronny, Bobby, Ricky, Mike, Johnny, Ralph, 555 to play extra cool, asking Violet more ques- 595 “Violet,” Rolf repeated. “Cool name. She’s heroine back to her former life. That academic literary language to self-referentially
heroine back to her former life. That
Tony, Toni, and Tone, if she wanted. But when tions than usual when they spoke on the not at Westwood, is she?” discuss Fatima and Violet’s impending fallout.
she called Rolf, all they talked about were phone. Neither of the guys from the movie “No, public school.” snaggletooth, for Fatima, was either This language reveals how Fatima has processed
Rolf or Violet, depending on how you
skateboards and the Smiths, in whose music theater had called Fatima, but one of Violet’s “Ah,” Rolf said, in a tone which Fatima the event over time (i.e., in a way that is cerebral
520 Fatima had dabbled before Violet. three had asked Violet out, and she was interpreted as neutral. looked at things, and Fatima wasn’t sure rather than emotional).
640 how she did.
“The Smiths are way better than Morrissey,” 560 “letting him stew for a while before I let him 600 “She’s my girl.” She stopped herself from th
Rolf said. His voice was nasal but deep. know. Anyway, we’re supposed to check out saying Ace boon coon. “We hang out a lot on When she saw Violet, on April 4 — after
Fatima imagined that he was at least 6’7, Rush Hour this weekend.” the weekends, actually.” hiding her relationship with Rolf for three
months — approaching from across the
though she hadn’t stood next to him yet. “This weekend?” Fatima said. “How come you never mentioned her
525 When she did, he was 6’1. “This weekend.” before?” Lobby of Edwards Cinema with Mike’s arm
645 around her waist, Fatima’s first instinct was
“I don’t know,” Fatima felt her mouth lying
“You can barely tell the difference since 565 “I told my parents I would babysit this 605 “I don’t know,” Fatima felt her mouth lying
Morrissey’s voice is so overpowering,” she weekend, I forgot,” Fatima lied, feeling a bit 22 again, moving somehow separately from to grab Rolf’s hand and steer him towards
again, moving somehow separately from
the exit. But Violet was already calling her
her real voice. “She’s kind of shy. She got
said with her pink lip. like a grease stain on a silk shirt. her real voice. “She’s kind of shy. She got
teased a lot.”
“No, but The Smiths’ stuff is way darker,” “Since when?” Violet pushed. teased a lot.” name.
This wasn’t the natural order of things, for
“Oh, that’s too bad,” Rolf said.
530 Rolf said. “You should hear the first album. “We can go next weekend, or during “Oh, that’s too bad,” Rolf said.
650 these separate lives to converge. Other
“They called her Patty Mayonnaise,”
Then you’ll get it. I’ve got it on vinyl.” 570 the week,” Fatima said, and changed the 610 “They called her Patty Mayonnaise,” factors aside, the code went hos before bros,
“Okay,” Fatima waited. subject. Fatima said, and she didn’t know why she
Fatima said, and she didn’t know why she
was still talking.
She noticed that he didn’t invite her Before they got off the phone, Violet said, was still talking. school life before social life, family before
over to listen or offer to lend her the “I guess I’ll call Mike back then, and tell him “Don’t tell anybody this, but I always anyone else. But Rolf was both school and
535 album, but he did call back two days later I’m free after all.” thought Patty was cute on Doug,” Rolf said social, and Violet both social and nearly fam-
655 ily, and Fatima’s math skills couldn’t balance
615 and shifted to talking about all of his favorite
this equation.
cartoons. Fatima exhaled.
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Nafissa Thompson-Spires Fatima, the Biloquist: A Transformation Story 163

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