59 pages • 1 hour read
Randa Abdel-FattahThe Lines We Cross
Fiction | Novel | YA | 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.
Chapters 52-62Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 52 Summary: “Mina”
Mina converses with Adnan, one of the employees who is on a bridging visa. He had to leave school early because immigration stopped funding his education when he turned 18. Late that night, she reassures her stepfather that she’s spoken to someone with ties to Aussie Values and persuaded the organization to leave the restaurant alone. He answers that the group can’t scare him after what he’s survived and observes that “there is something the majority wants us to do in order to be fully accepted, but they never tell us what it is” (339).
Chapter 53 Summary: “Michael”
Mary tells Alan about their son’s decision not to pursue architecture, and Alan brings Michael some brochures for a graphic design exposition. Alan says that he feels that he and his son “have grown apart these past few months” (340), and he listens patiently as Michael explains what he wants to do even though he isn’t happy about his son’s decision. At school, Terrence avoids Michael, who doesn’t mind spending time with his other friends. Michael encourages Jane to get over Terrence.
Chapter 54 Summary: “Mina”
An uneventful night at the restaurant leads Mina to believe that Michael’s father reined in his followers just as Michael asked. Paula feels devastated that her beloved dog, K4, has developed skin cancer, but she feels guilty talking about her problems with Mina. Mina reminds her that grief isn’t a competition and consoles the lonely girl as best she can.
Chapter 55 Summary: “Michael”
Jeremy and Margaret, the couple from Aussie Values who harassed Kabul Kitchen, contact the immigration office. As a result, the three restaurant employees on bridging visas are sent to Villawood Detention Center. Michael’s parents try to defend themselves by saying that they’re not responsible for the actions of everyone in their organization, but Michael demands: “You’re actually going to tell me you’re surprised that people who spend their time opposing an Islamic school might join Andrew’s witch hunt?” (351). When Jeremy and Margaret return to the restaurant with a reporter, Michael wants to go intervene but his father doesn’t want him driving when he’s so upset. They go to Kabul Kitchen together and Alan asks the reporter to speak against Muslim immigrants but to leave Kabul Kitchen out of the story. The reporter directs the camera on Michael and asks for his stance on Aussie Values. The young man explains that he is “against [his father’s] organization and everything it stands for” (354).
Chapter 56 Summary: “Mina”
Inside the restaurant, Mina reassures her parents that they don’t have to speak to the media. Her stepfather is terrified that the immigration officers will deport the three people who were taken to Villawood. She sees Michael talking in front of a camera while Alan looks on with a devastated expression. Later, she breaks down in tears during a phone call with Michael. He apologizes and says that he thought his father was going to take care of the situation.
During the night, someone vandalizes Kabul Kitchen by throwing a brick through the window and painting Islamophobic and xenophobic graffiti. Mina’s mother tries to put on a brave face for her, but Mina wishes her mother realized that she was no longer “that little girl on the boat who can be distracted with a story, or song, or forced big smile” (359). Mina’s mother urges her husband not to abandon hope. Mina’s mother doesn’t want to tell her new friends what happened, so Mina explains the situation to them. Tim helps Mina’s family clean up the graffiti.
Chapter 57 Summary: “Michael”
Michael feels anxious because his father hasn’t spoken to him since the interview and because Mina is absent from school the following day. He learns about the vandalization of the restaurant from Paula and wonders why Mina hasn’t told him. When Michael returns home from school, his parents accuse him of publicly betraying them. Although sorry that he hurt them, Michael stands by his words, asking them: “[I]nstead of thinking about the humiliation, can’t you stop to think about the effect of what you’re saying and doing?” (367). His parents are surprised to hear the restaurant was vandalized. Alan calls Andrew, who denies being involved but acts suspiciously smug. Michael tries to help his parents see how Aussie Values has allowed people to justify their racism and Islamophobia. He asks them, “Where do we go from here?” (370), and a resigned Alan answers that they’ll have to find a way forward.
Chapter 58 Summary: “Mina”
Paula and Jane come to the restaurant after school to help Mina. Jane tries to apologize to Paula for her actions, but Paula stops her with a smile and says she forgives her. Mina’s parents decide to close the restaurant for the night, and one of her mother’s friends makes dinner for them. Mina isn’t sure that she and Michael can have a relationship because of the way her family has been hurt by his parents. She texts him, “Are we worth all of this? The fight ahead?” (372). He answers yes without hesitation. When Mina sees Michael denouncing Aussie Values on the news, she goes outside and cries, overwhelmed with emotions and thrilled that he shares her commitment to fighting injustice.
Chapter 59 Summary: “Michael”
While Alan fields calls from nervous Aussie Values members who saw the news segment, Mary asks her son if he’s changed his beliefs because of a girl. Michael explains that he does have feelings for Mina, but that he denounced the organization because he knows what he stands for now, not because he was trying to impress someone. Michael’s parents are determined not to let political differences split the family apart.
Chapter 60 Summary: “Mina”
Mina’s mother goes into labor, and Mina accompanies her parents to the hospital. Paula calls Mina with good news of her own—that K4’s cancer hasn’t spread, her father will take some time off work, and her older sister will be home for a month. A few hours later, the hospital allows Mina in to see her mother and her new brother, Nabil. As Mina holds Nabil and gazes at “his perfect tiny face,” she at last remembers what Hasan looked like (379).
Chapter 61 Summary: “Michael”
Mina and Michael arrive at school early the next day and have a joyful reunion. He congratulates her on being a big sister again, and she commends the courage he showed on TV. Michael explains that his parents are “devastated and upset, but making an effort” to get along with him (382). He hasn’t told them that he and Mina are dating. Michael asks Mina if she missed him and kisses her when she playfully answers, “A little” (382).
Chapter 62 Summary: “Mina”
Mina’s family learns that the three employees who were taken to Villawood Detention Center will be released and allowed to remain in Australia. When Mina tells Michael the good news, he picks her up and spins her around.
Victoria College puts on a slam poetry event. Mina performs a poem about xenophobia and the power of resistance that opens with the line “I’ve come from the place of go back to where you came from” (385). The audience erupts in applause. Her eyes meet Michael’s, and she feels grateful that he taught her “to never give up on anybody” (388).
Chapters 52-62 Analysis
In the novel’s final section, Mina and Michael demonstrate The Importance of Love and Connection in the face of racism and xenophobia. Through her characters, Abdel-Fattah challenges a number of racist or xenophobic ideas often used to excuse discriminatory views. For example, Mina’s stepfather points out that assimilation is a problematic expectation for immigrants with goalposts that are vague and ever-changing. He observes: “I think, Mina, there is something the majority wants us to do in order to be fully accepted, but they never tell us what it is” (339). Michael’s parents try to make their xenophobia sound reasonable by talking about assimilation when they’re really creating arbitrary prerequisites that must be met before they’re willing to grant immigrants respect and empathy. The author also deconstructs the idea that anger is inherently negative and counterproductive. In Chapter 55, Alan upholds a sense of calm as a kind of virtue, but his son realizes that tranquility is a luxury that righteous anger and compassion cannot afford: “‘Calm down, Michael,’ [Alan] says. ‘Just please calm down.’ ‘I don’t have the right to be calm,’ [Michael says] coolly. ‘Not when three people are back in detention. Because of us’ (352). By realizing that it’s easy for those in power to remain tranquil in the face of injustice that reifies that power, Michael gains a greater appreciation for Mina’s passionate nature. In addition, the author tackles the argument that discriminatory views must be tolerated for the sake of free speech through Michael’s internal reflection: “I think about Mina and her family. ‘Free for people like us,’ I mutter. ‘Because people like them pay the price’” (369). Through scenes like these, Abdel-Fattah encourages her readers to reflect on the ways that even seemingly innocuous beliefs contribute to The Impact of Xenophobia and Racism on Individuals and Communities.
Michael’s character development progresses significantly in these chapters as he embraces The Struggle of Finding and Following One’s Personal Convictions and confronts his parents’ bigotry. Michael realizes that his father has created a monster in Aussie Values, a monster that is now beyond its creator’s control as evidenced by Jeremy and Margaret’s decision to involve the immigration office without consulting their leader and by the vandalism of the restaurant perpetrated by Andrew or one of his associates. Because the restaurant serves as a symbol of the relationship between refugees and mainstream Australian culture, Aussie Values’ obsession with the small, family-owned business illustrates the one-sidedness of this alleged hostility and clash of cultures. Alan tries to deflect the blame for his organization’s actions, but Michael insists that his father confront the harm he has caused, saying: “Your organization is making racist hate speech against Muslims and asylum seekers normal” (369). Michael’s willingness to stand up to his parents demonstrates his growth as a character.
In another major development for the plot and the theme of following one’s personal convictions, Michael denounces his father’s racist organization on camera in Chapter 55. As the polar opposite of Michael’s interview for Don’t Jump the Queue in Chapter 9, this moment provides an effective way for Abdel-Fattah to showcase Michael’s growth over the course of the novel. In contrast to his earlier self, Michael no longer worries about his parents’ approval. Instead, he reclaims his voice and publicly speaks his own beliefs. Mina underlines Michael’s growth with her praise: “I saw you on TV. Michael, you were incredible. That took guts” (382). However, the author continues to represent Michael’s allyship as a work in progress demonstrating why his internal work is ongoing and urgently necessary through his reflections: “[I]t hurts to know that the way I’ll navigate my life will forever set me on a different path from [my parents]” (370).
Abdel-Fattah’s ending celebrates The Importance of Love and Connection in each of the novel’s central relationships. For example, Paula’s character arc resolves with her family responding to her need for togetherness. Michael learns to see his parents as flawed characters, but their determination to remain close to their son despite the political differences between them speaks to the love they have for each other. Mina’s connection to her newborn brother, Nabil, helps her remember Hasan’s face and begin to heal from the grief and trauma of his death. Michael remains unwaveringly certain that his relationship with Mina will survive the challenges they will face when they inform their families that they are together.
Related Titles
By Randa Abdel-Fattah
