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.
Essay Topics
How does the author’s use of dual first-person narration shape the reader’s understanding of the main characters? How does telling the story from both Mina’s and Michael’s perspectives affect other characters’ development and contribute to the novel’s overall meaning?
How does the romance between the main characters add to the novel’s exploration of race, identity, and politics? How do Mina and Michael change and grow because of their love and connection to one another?
In what ways is Michael shaped by The Struggle of Finding and Following One’s Personal Convictions? What factors make it difficult for him to reject his parents’ views? What action does he take to form his own beliefs? How does this theme impact the story’s overall meaning?
How do Paula and Jane contribute to the theme of The Importance of Love and Connection? In what ways do they contribute to the novel’s interrogation of allyship? Cite specific examples from the text to support your argument.
How does the media serve as a motif of The Impact of Xenophobia and Racism on Individuals and Communities? How do Alan Blainey and the other members of Aussie Values use the media as a weapon against immigrants? In light of the harmful examples of media in the novel, why is it significant that Mina is considering a career in journalism?
Abdel-Fattah uses music as a motif for The Importance of Love and Connection. Why is music able to foster a connection between Mina and Michael? How does Abdel-Fattah use this motif to show the development of the main characters’ relationship?
Mina repeatedly states that Michael must educate himself about immigration rather than relying on her to perform this work for him. Why does the author emphasize this point? How does it contribute to the novel’s definition of allyship?
Examine Kabul Kitchen’s significance as both a setting and a symbol. How do the members of Aussie Values try to make the restaurant a battleground between refugees and Australian culture? How do other characters reject this manufactured conflict and build community and acceptance at the restaurant instead? Cite specific examples from the text to support your argument.
In what ways does Abdel-Fattah incorporate the real experiences of refugees in Australia into her fictional story? What challenges remain for the main characters by the end of the novel, and how does this add to the story’s realism?
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By Randa Abdel-Fattah
