While reading Small Beauty, I found myself feeling identified through many different aspects of Mei’s character that really drove this “character effect.” I found myself reading through the first assigned section in one sitting and the other half in another, as this sense of “realness” left me feeling as if I was watching a film or looking down into a world of people and observing. The only time this effect was broken was when the author described specific cultural details unique to that of the characters that I could not relate to. They oftentimes made me think to my own cultural upbringing and thus “grounded” me back into my own reality for a while.
Mei was written so intimately that the novel felt like it was told in first-person. Ultimately, this caused the sense of “realness” to shift a bit whenever the author would switch perspectives to a different character. But overall, the author’s treatment of both Mei and the story-telling resonated with me. The author seemed to emphasize the environment many times (e.g. seasons, weather, nature) and oftentimes drew oddly-specific details of nature (e.g. storms, water, plants) that felt symbolic. This personally struck a chord as I place heavy emphasis on external, natural elements while traversing through the world; almost spiritually.
Additionally, Mei’s experience as a young, transgender woman was written so earnestly that I could immediately immerse myself in her thoughts and relate on a different level. There are details and encounters intertwined within the story that feel true to reality and spark an immediate identification for me. For example, when Mei speaks with the cashier at the grocery store who marvels on Mei’s “bravery” for existing as she does and who brings up her own trans relative (who she misgenders), my jaw dropped. I have had that exact experience, almost word-for-word, from a cashier at a clothing store this past summer. The reality of that experience, and Mei’s reaction to it, really locked in the “character effect” for me and from then on, everything felt real.