Essay Questions

How is the way that the black children treat Minisha symptomatic of a larger, national race issue?

The black children’s treatment of her is a result of the way that their people have been treated for hundreds of years. Their insults towards her stem from the dichotomy of black/white race relations dating back to slavery. They have been subjugated why the richer white children into being ghettoized and they are not welcomed by Minisha’s eventual friends, the rich white children. Their treatment of her is the way that they have been treated their whole life by white people, and their way of paying it forward, in a sense. Minisha invading their space can also be seen as a metaphor for colonialism and the black children pushing back against her presence can be likened to the slave revolts of the early 1800s.

In what ways does Anora contrast Minisha, and how does this reflect in Minisha’s character development?

Anora is the rebellious contrast to Minisha’s straight-laced self. Anora’s ability to fit in with the neighborhood kids sparks not only jealousy in Minisha, but also determination. Minisha seeks out relationships and friendships after seeing how well her sister fits in. she changes herself to fit in with the children. Anora constantly gets herself into trouble, fighting with children and stealing from local stories. This causes her father to be very chuffed and prefer Anora, loving her more than Minisha. Minisha is jealous, and distances herself from her father, despite wanting his attention more than anything. Towards the end, despite her best efforts, Minisha still seeks her father’s approval and does so through kindness, which finally wins her father’s respect and admiration.

Why does Minisha only believe in a rich/poor dichotomy, and how does this influence her worldview?

Minisha comes from very different backgrounds. Her father is from a central city area, surrounded by poor people, primarily people of color. Her mother’s half, on the other hand, is surrounded by affluent white people. Minisha grows up thinking that there is only very rich or very poor people in the world. This creates an unequal balance of how she views race relations as well as status. It also means that she eventually has to have a talk with her mother about how there is a medium between extreme wealth and poverty.