The Lines We Cross

Michael, the second protagonist and narrator, 999. Regarding his appearance, Mina observes: “He flicks back his dark tousled hair. He’s quite attractive up close, I catch myself thinking. Light brown eyes, good skin, height”—a description that demonstrates her interest in him and foreshadows their romantic relationship (630). Abdel-Fattah emphasizes Michael’s capacity for reflection. As the story progresses, he puts great effort into educating himself about immigration and unlearning the racism and xenophobia his parents have taught him. A highly creative person, Michael takes art classes at Victoria College, dreams of pursuing a career in graphic design with a focus on virtual reality, and sketches a series of drawings of a refugee in a birdcage to process his emerging convictions. Over the course of his arc, Michael develops greater empathy and becomes more openly caring towards the other characters. For example, Paula is pleasantly surprised by a thoughtful date that he plans for Mina, asking: “He came up with the idea all by himself? The Great Gatsby? In the back of his Jeep Wrangler? At the beach? With a pizza picnic?” (290). Through both Michael’s actions and the perspectives of those around him, Abdel-Fattah characterizes him as a reflective, creative, and caring protagonist who makes significant contributions to the major themes.

Michael’s distinctive perspective on the subjects of race, identity, and immigration undergoes a dramatic shift over the course of the narrative as he chooses to reject the anti-immigrant views of his parents and develop an autonomous stance of his own. Michael’s dramatic character growth exemplifies The Struggle of Finding and Following One’s Personal Convictions. Although his interest in Mina catalyzes his personal evolution, Michael takes responsibility for educating himself rather than relying on Mina to perform this work. He moves from parroting his parents’ racist beliefs to gain their approval to boldly denouncing their organization on TV, saying: “Aussie Values is all about being angry, defensive, and paranoid. You said that bad things happen when good people remain silent. So I’m speaking up” (355). Michael’s public stand against the bigotry of Aussie Values centers The Impact of Xenophobia and Racism on Individuals and Communities as reflected in the hurt Mina’s family and the broader immigrant community in Sydney experience as a result of anti-immigrant ideology, abuse, and vandalism. In addition, Michael demonstrates The Importance of Love and Connection through his life-changing relationship with Mina. Michael offers an example of someone who overcomes the harmful ideologies with which he was raised to become an outspoken antiracist ally.

To the members of his anti-immigrant organization, Alan Blainey represents a dynamic leader, a strategic aspiring politician, and an encouraging father. He gathers people who share his xenophobic beliefs into Aussie Values, which has 50 members at the start of the novel and more than doubles in size over the course of the story. Alan’s natural charisma wins him many followers and a national platform to share his perspective and values. While watching Alan on TV in Don’t Jump the Queue, Mina notes that “Alan is pleasant, funny, and exudes charm” despite his racist and xenophobic ideology (225). Alan’s leadership style reflects his ambition and shrewd strategic thinking. He runs for public office and aims to grow Aussie Values into a political party. In his public persona, Alan is careful to present himself as a calm, “reasonable, rational conservative” (226), allowing other Aussie Values members like Andrew to be more incendiary in their promotion of the organization’s beliefs. In his private life, Alan is a caring father who builds Michael up by praising his technological skills and his hard work at school, reflecting a genuine love for his family. As Mina observes, Michael is initially reluctant to risk losing his father’s approval because Alan is far from “an overbearing patriarch” (225). Alan uses the same soft skills that he employs in his parenting to spread racism and xenophobia in his community.

Alan’s complex role in the novel is simultaneously paternal and antagonistic. Publicly, he blames Muslim refugees for Australia’s economic woes, further oppressing an already marginalized community. The consequences of Alan’s anti-immigrant agenda—for example, the three Kabul Kitchen employees on bridging visas who are detained because of Aussie Values’ members—highlight The Impact of Xenophobia and Racism on Individuals and Communities. Michael’s great admiration for his father is a key factor in his struggle to find and follow his personal convictions. Through Michael, Abdel-Fattah reflects the difficulty of reconciling the loving parent who raised Michael and Nathan with the passionate leader of a bigoted organization. Alan’s nuanced characterization strengthens Abdel-Fattah’s exploration of the intersection between political ideology and personal morality. As Mina observes, “It’s hard to accept that nice people can be racist too” (226). Bigotry doesn’t always take obvious forms like the slurs Terrence spouts or Andrew’s intimidation tactics and vandalism. Abdel-Fattah suggests intolerance is more dangerous when packaged in a way that makes it seem reasonable and acceptable. Michael voices this point when he tells his parents about the vandalization of Kabul Kitchen: “Can’t you see that you’ve given the people who threw the brick permission to hate?!” (369). Michael’s point is that Alan doesn’t have to condone the attack on the restaurant for his words and actions to create an environment of hostility. As a character, Alan remains relatively static throughout the story. Visiting refugee camps only further entrenches his resolve to oppose immigration. While the reader sees his initial shock followed by his resignation towards Michael’s opposing political beliefs, the novel doesn’t explore how his son’s growth might impact his own views in the long term.

The lonely and loyal Paula Watson is a close friend of Mina’s with a penchant for reciting Oscar Wilde quotations in any given situation, pointing to a sharp memory, witty humor, and keen observation of the people around her. Before Mina transfers to Victoria College, Paula has no friends at school and is frequently bullied by her peers. Her loneliness is compounded by the fact that her older sister is in the United States and both of her parents work long hours as lawyers. She confides to Mina, “From where I’m looking I have a big gorgeous house that’s lonely and empty [...] I’d live in a shack if it meant I had a full-time family” (347). Paula longs for true friendship since it has been so rare in her life and remains staunchly loyal to Mina throughout the novel. She demonstrates her loyalty by keeping Mina’s secrets and by helping at Kabul Kitchen after the restaurant is vandalized.

Mina’s friendship with Paula highlights The Importance of Love and Connection in the lives of both girls. Mina initially regards her transfer to Victoria College as “a terrifying chapter in [her] life,” but growing close to Paula makes her new environment less intimidating (13). Similarly, Paula’s relationship with Mina gives her the confidence and support to connect more deeply with her family and gain more friends. Paula also introduces Mina to slam poetry, which sets the stage for the novel’s triumphant ending in which Mina shares a piece about her experience as an immigrant and the power of resistance and solidarity.