A Place at the Table

“I cringe. I can’t help it. Her Pakistani accent is thick, even though she’s lived in the United States for almost three decades.”

Sara feels ashamed of her mother. Though Sara is part Pakistani, she was born and raised in the US, and feels the divide between her and her family. The authors place this statement early in the novel to highlight the generational divide between Sara and Mrs. Hameed as an immigrant/native-born family. Sara uses short, declarative sentences, underscoring her revulsion: “I cringe. I can’t help it.”

“I’m not so sure about this ‘new best friend, old best friend’ deal. One best friend should be enough for a person. It’s enough for me.”

Elizabeth struggles with The Desire to Find Belonging. She has various identities and feels that they isolate her from her friends. Maddy’s character is Elizabeth’s safety net, one that Elizabeth is losing. The repetition of “enough” emphasizes Elizabeth’s emotion and desire to stay connected to Maddy.

“I know you’re not a little kid, but Baba and I never want to burden you with our problems.”

Mrs. Hameed wants Sara to focus on her future, while Sara wants to help her family when they face challenges. The family’s financial struggles and Mrs. Hameed’s resistance to Sara’s help are sources of tension throughout the novel.