83 pages • 2 hours read
Sarah Weeks , Gita VaradarajanSave Me a Seat
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2016A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Part 1Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Part 1: "Monday: Chicken Fingers"
Chapter 1 Summary: “Ravi”
Ravi discusses how most people in America mispronounce both his first and last name; the last syllable of his first name is supposed to be emphasized because it means the sun in Sanskrit. His fifth-grade teacher, however, like most other people, incorrectly emphasizes the first syllable, which annoys Ravi, although he does not correct her.
Ravi discusses moving with his family from Bangalore to Hamilton and the changes that he now faces: no servants to make his food or drive him places and his grandparents now live with him: “We speak mostly English at home and I went to an English-medium school, but for some reason, people here in New Jersey have trouble understanding me when I speak” (5). Ravi’s grandmother, or Perimma, warns him not to become too Americanized. Ravi thinks about what a good student he was at his old school, Vidya Mandir, while his teacher mispronounces his name.
Ravi sees Dillon, the only other Indian kid in his class. After prompting by the teacher, Ravi stands up to introduce himself to the class, who all laugh at his formal manners and occasional misuse of words. Mrs. Beam tries to comfort him, saying that he can work with Miss Frost to improve his English, but Ravi doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with his English and gets frustrated but remains silent. He notices Dillon smiling at him, and Ravi is excited at the prospect of so quickly gaining a new friend.
Chapter 2 Summary: “Joe”
Joe talks about how most kids at school do not refer to him by name, and how he is really good at eating because he’s always hungry. Even though most kids shy away from school lunch, lunch is Joe’s favorite subject because it comes in the same order every week. Joe thinks about his two best friends who moved away last year; they all ate lunch together and went into Miss Frost’s room for special help. Joe discusses the problems he has blocking out noises. He talks about his fourth-grade teacher, Mr. Barnes, who is black, wears real bow ties, and can bounce his pink Hacky Sack a hundred times on his knee. Joe remembers Dillon saying rude things about Mr. Barnes, but Joe always liked Mr. Barnes because he was very understanding about Joe’s difficulties. Joe reflects on Dillon’s need for attention, like how he wears his pants down low so everyone can see his different-patterned boxers and how he sticks out his pointy tongue to make the girls scream: “He thinks he’s the smartest kid at Einstein, and he might be right. He’s definitely the meanest” (12). Mr. Barnes was the first teacher Joe had who liked Joe.
Joe sees Mr. Barnes first, and Mr. Barnes asks how it feels to be a fifth grader. Joe notices Barnes is wearing a new bowtie, and thinks about how Mr. Barnes always wears his bowties in the same order—one of Joe’s favorite sequences. Joe hopes that Dillon won’t be in his class this year, but when he gets to Room 506 he sees a gaggle of girls trying to cajole Dillon to stick out his tongue. He works his crowd and the girls start screaming, which bothers Joe, so Joe does some breathing exercises and thinks about putting in his earplugs. Mrs. Beam tells everyone to take their seats, and Joe is surprised to find Ravi sitting between him and Dillon. According to Joe, Ravi looks shrimpy and too proper; when everyone laughs as Ravi introduces himself, Joe thinks that “[m]aybe Dillon Samreen will decide to pick on this new kid with the weird name and the funny accent instead of me” (15).
Chapter 3 Summary: “Ravi”
Ravi thinks about how different school is in America, where they play games, versus in India, where his teacher gave him a test on the first day. He thinks that school will be easy for him, although he finds some of the games confusing. They partner up and draw Venn diagrams showing their commonalities, but Ravi’s partner, Emily, just giggles when Ravi speaks and asks him to repeat himself, so they only find their class in common. At lunch, Ravi looks for Dillon to sit next to him, but Dillon is in line to buy his food. Ravi sits down and opens his own tiffin box to eat his mom’s cooking that his grandmother had criticized as being too lumpy. Ravi is disappointed when Dillon sits at another table and thinks about the difference between his own Hanes underwear and Dillon’s patterned boxers: “I had been looking forward to having a good laugh with him about Mrs. Beam’s suggesting that I need special help. But it’s okay. I’m not worried. I’m sure that Dillon and I are going to be friends” (19). Joe sits down with Ravi, and Ravi doesn’t remember Joe’s name. Ravi is surprised when Joe silently shovels food into his mouth as fast as possible, and then notices the earbuds in Joe’s ears. Ravi eats his lunch, which he thinks his mom made perfectly, and goes to the bathroom to wash up before class. As he leaves, Dillon makes a joke and everyone laughs; Ravi smiles, thinking about how tomorrow he will sit with his new friend, Dillon.
Chapter 4 Summary: “Joe”
Joe gets his food and sits near the trash cans, trying to lie low. After he finishes eating, he notices Ravi eating something that looks strange. Joe thinks about getting seconds but doesn’t want to risk the unwanted attention it will draw. A kid walks by and bumps Joe’s shoulder, calling him Puddy Tat, which is Dillon’s nickname for Joe because of his last name and the Tweety Bird cartoons. Joe doesn’t like the nickname, even though his mother tried to convince him it was a sign of affection. He remembers this morning when he made her promise she wouldn’t embarrass him with corny mom stuff. Joe watches Dillon, thinking of all the ways Dillon has tormented him: filling his pockets with ketchup or dirt and punching or tripping him: “His favorite thing of all is to sneak up behind me and make a loud noise because he knows how much that freaks me out” (25).
Joe thinks about how Dillon always steals things, which no one else knows, but Joe is too afraid of payback to ever tell on Dillon. Joe’s mom once asked if Dillon was bullying Joe, but Joe denied it, saying he had plenty of friends. Joe’s mom thought his friends were too rambunctious, even though she didn’t know that they stole their dad’s car and drew dirty pictures on the bathroom walls. Seeing that Dillon is busy with his friends, Joe tries to leave but Dillon notices him and puts his arm around Joe’s shoulder. He pulls out one of Joe’s earbuds and crushes it beneath his shoe, making Joe’s hearing feel lopsided. Joe starts doing his breathing exercises, and Dillon asks Joe about the new lunch lady, talking slowly to pretend as though Joe doesn’t understand him. Joe finally looks at his mom, who blows him a kiss, which is exactly what Joe had talked to her about not doing earlier. Dillon’s friends start mocking Joe, but the bell rings, saving him from further humiliation: “The rest of the afternoon is a total waste of time. Mrs. Beam calls on me twice, even though my hand isn’t up. It’s only the first day of school and fifth grade already sucks” (29).
Chapter 5 Summary: “Ravi”
Ravi’s mother and grandmother interrogate him as soon as he steps off the bus; his mother takes his backpack even though Ravi wants to carry it himself. Ravi gives them some nondescript answers, refraining from telling his grandmother about Dillon because he knows she doesn’t like ABCDs. The women caution Ravi not to go near the pond they walk past because there might be leeches and Ravi could drown, but Ravi just wants to get home. His grandmother asks if he didn’t like his mother’s cooking, and that’s why he’s being so quiet, carrying on and on like she does. Ravi thinks about how his grandfather turns off his hearing aids so he doesn’t have to listen to his grandmother. Ravi’s mother, or Amma, embarrasses Ravi by taking out his tiffin box to prove to Perimma that he ate all of his food: “she and Perimma got along much better when they didn’t live in the same house” (32). Ravi runs to the house and waits there because it is locked. He hugs his mom and thanks her for her delicious food. During dinner, Perimma complains about Amma’s cooking, and Ravi’s father, or Appa, comes to his wife’s defense. Ravi tries to redirect the conversation by talking about possibly buying lunch, which is what he has noticed many other kids do. His mother asks if the lunch is vegetarian, but Perimma says that even the salad dressing is made from animal products.
Chapter 6 Summary: “Joe”
Joe’s mom waits for him at the end of the day in her car, and Joe thinks about how she used to be a nurse before she got laid off, just like his dad now drives a truck to pay the bills. Joe refuses to get in the car, even when his mom offers pizza, preferring to walk home because he is still upset at his mom. His mom drives away, and Mr. Barnes runs over to ask how school went, and it is all Joe can do to keep from crying. Mr. Barnes asks after Dillon, and then gives Joe some advice: “‘The world is full of Dillon Samreens […] The trick is not to let them get to you’” (37). Mr. Barnes offers to write it down for Joe because he remembers that Joe has difficulty remembering speech. Mr. Barnes leaves for a faculty meeting, but offers Joe an ear if he ever wants to talk. Joe thinks about how hungry he is but he is still angry at his mother for embarrassing him. When Joe gets home, his dog, Mia, greets him and his mom asks if they can talk, but Joe doesn’t want to, instead grabbing a snack and going to his room.
Chapter 7 Summary: “Ravi”
Ravi’s dad comes in at bedtime to ask about Ravi’s day, and Ravi talks about how he has already made friends with the other Desi boy in class. Ravi’s father tells Ravi to brag a little to show off how great Ravi is, but Ravi thinks Dillon is already his friend. Ravi does not mention the trouble he had with Mrs. Beam. Amma comes in to tell him that she is making vegetable biriyani for him to take for lunch tomorrow, and Ravi thinks about how much he likes the story Mrs. Beam assigned. Ravi thinks about how he will fix what Mrs. Beam thinks of him tomorrow during math.
Chapter 8 Summary: “Joe”
Joe’s mom makes him meatloaf to try to cajole him out of his room: “My mom is a great cook, and even though I don’t want to eat dinner with her, I’m so hungry now I’m actually seeing stars” (43). Joe thinks about how his father would just tell him to man up. Joe eats as fast as he can and then goes upstairs to read the book Mrs. Beam assigned, which he really enjoys. Joe did not like how Dillon used the book’s title to make fun of the nickname Dillon gave Joe. Joe remembers another assignment Mrs. Beam wrote down—the personal collection project—but doesn’t remember what she said about it because people started mowing the lawn outside and Joe couldn’t concentrate. Joe wonders if Miss Frost talked to Mrs. Beam about him yet. Joe’s mom comes up to say goodnight, but Joe pretends to be asleep. Joe’s mom promises she won’t embarrass him again, but Joe doesn’t believe her, thinking that she has ruined the only thing he likes about school: lunch.
Part 1 Analysis
The first eight chapters introduce both protagonists, Ravi and Joe. This section serves as the first day of school for both students, identifying various aspects of both students’ backgrounds as well as foreshadowing some of the problems Ravi and Joe will encounter. The audience sees that Ravi must undergo much adaptation to his new environment, as his expectations are constantly being thwarted by a number of external factors, namely other students and his teacher, none of whom seem to understand him, both in the literal and the figurative sense. The audience sees this conflict arise internally within Ravi’s monologue, as he feels conflicted between what he wants to say and what he actually says, which is usually nothing. The audience begins to understand that ingrained into Ravi’s personality is obedience: he does not want to rock the boat and so never really stands up for himself. Joe also faces problems with standing up for himself, primarily against Dillon, Joe’s longstanding nemesis and bully. Unlike Ravi, who does not seem to notice many things but rather attempts to enforce his point of view upon the world, Joe notices many things that other people don’t seem to see, such as the fact that Mr. Barnes always wore his seventeen bowties in the same order. Joe’s quiet personality sharply contrasts with Ravi’s showmanship, although Joe also has trouble standing up for himself as well.
Many other similarities exist between Joe and Ravi that are explored within these first few chapters. Joe and Ravi both have slightly overbearing or, at the very least, highly-involved maternal models, both of whom demonstrate their love for their only children via food. The boys also experience frustration at the fact that no one in class seems to call them by their correct names: Joe has a nickname he hates and Ravi has a name that no one seems to be able to pronounce correctly. Similarly, both boys are also mistaken for not being as smart or educated as other people, and both boys worry about who they will eat lunch with as neither of the characters have friends at the beginning of the school year. This similarity aligns with the title of the novel itself, which recalls the childhood desire to sit by one’s friends at lunch. Unfortunately, both Joe and Ravi begin the school year alone and must face the changes of fifth grade by themselves, a daunting task that foreshadows great internal growth on the part of both boys. Although on paper, it might seem as though Joe and Ravi have nothing in common, the authors tease out these specific commonalities in order to foreshadow a possible friendship between these seemingly different characters.
The seating arrangement of Room 506, specifically the arrangement of the three boys based on their last names—Dillon, Ravi, and Joe—can also be seen as a symbol for the boys’ personalities themselves. Dillon is popular, smart, and attention-seeking, so his seat is first. At the other end of the spectrum, Joe prefers to be left alone, constantly sinking down in his seat in the hopes that he will remain unnoticed, which is difficult due to his size. Ravi’s middle seat, then, demonstrates his own inner conflict. At his previous school, he was cruel yet popular, like Dillon, and so there is a part of him that also wants the constant praise of both his peers and teachers. However, as previously discussed, there are also various aspects of his personality that are like those of Joe. As such, Ravi’s middle positionality can be seen as being one of internal conflict, indicative of whether he will remain the same close-minded individual he was at his other school like Dillon or whether he will be more open to developing new and growth-oriented friendships like Joe.
