49 pages • 1 hour read
Safia ElhilloA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
“i long ago begged mama to stop packing
leftovers for me to take to school and the smell alone
one morning filled the entire bus despite
my seat in the back where i waited
for everyone to pile out through the folding doors
before slumping outside myself throwing away
the offending plastic container of okra & lamb & rice
before anyone could know it was mine
now instead i make my own dejected sandwiches
damp in their paper towels two pieces of untoasted
white bread & between them a single slice
of plasticky american cheese”
Nima describes a traumatic moment when those on her bus make fun of her food. This influences her to take food she does not enjoy—evident in her description of the sandwich as “dejected” and the cheese as “plasticky”—to school just so she does not endure teasing. This reinforces the theme of The Impact of Racism on Identity Development because Nima chooses something less desirable to avoid racist harassment.
“nima meaning grace it would be funny
if it weren’t cruel i stumble over my own overlarge
feet & knock over the clay incense holder its coal
burning a perfect circle into the wooden table i brush
an uncoordinated elbow past the counter & the tray
holding tea for guests a full set of dishes
teapot & milk jug & sugar bowl & saucers
& matching cups painted
with tiny flowers goes crashing to the tiled floor
i trip on the carpet’s hem & fall chipping a tiny corner
of my bottom front tooth & in calling my name
in exasperation my mother calls
for the grace i don’t have”
Nima presents the meaning of her name, which is grace. Her clumsiness makes her name ironic. This description contrasts with later depictions of Nima as a dancer in her mother’s eyes. Because of this contrast, it is evident that the irony is only from Nima’s perspective, which reinforces the negative self-perception she possesses.
“even when he calls me the nostalgia monster
he makes it sound like a compliment
full of affection & pure joy has never
made me feel that there is anything wrong with me at all”
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